Sometimes waiting for an audition isn’t the only way to get one.
Actor Anthony Ippolito says he wanted the lead role in I Play Rocky so badly that he created his own audition before he had a script, before he had sides — and reportedly before the movie’s formal casting search had even begun.
It worked.
Ippolito, 27, now stars as a young Sylvester Stallone in Amazon MGM Studios’ I Play Rocky, director Peter Farrelly’s film about Stallone’s famous battle to get the original Rocky made.
The story is particularly fitting: Ippolito landed the role by betting on himself before Hollywood invited him into the room — much like the man he’s portraying.
For actors accustomed to submitting hundreds of applications and waiting for callbacks, his story offers an unusually powerful lesson about preparation, initiative and creating opportunities instead of waiting for them.
Anthony Ippolito First Learned About the Movie From the News
Ippolito wasn’t initially sent an audition.
He saw an article announcing that a movie about the making of Rocky was being developed.
He already knew some of Stallone’s story and immediately felt connected to the project.
So instead of waiting to find out whether casting would eventually consider him, Ippolito started working.
He hung a heavy bag in his grandmother’s basement and began trying to understand the physicality of a young Stallone.
There was one major problem:
He didn’t have the screenplay.
He didn’t even have audition sides.
Ippolito told TheWrap that he worked largely from his imagination, filming material with a friend and his cousin. (TheWrap)
He Created an Audition Nobody Asked For
Most actors are familiar with the traditional process:
A casting notice goes out.
Your agent submits you.
Casting sends sides.
You record the audition.
You wait.
Ippolito reversed almost the entire process.
He created the audition first.
According to TheWrap, he sent his homemade tape to the film’s producers and casting director. They responded by sending him the actual screenplay and asking him to submit a proper audition. (TheWrap)
Then he went even further.
Instead of only completing what had been requested, Ippolito filmed additional scenes and sent those too.
Eventually, he got the part.
Peter Farrelly Says the Tape Ended the Search
The gamble apparently made an immediate impression on director Peter Farrelly.
According to reporting from the Associated Press, Ippolito had filmed scenes in his grandmother’s basement before Farrelly had formally begun searching for the actor who would portray Stallone.
Farrelly’s reaction was decisive:
“I looked at it and the search was over.”
Ippolito had effectively created his own opportunity — and convinced the director he was the person for the role. (Lethbridge Herald)
The Story Mirrors Sylvester Stallone’s Own Career
There may be no more appropriate way to land this particular role.
I Play Rocky tells the story of Stallone before he became a movie star.
The struggling actor wrote the screenplay for Rocky, but when Hollywood became interested in buying it, Stallone refused to simply sell the script.
He insisted that he play Rocky Balboa himself.
Studios had little reason to believe an unknown actor should lead the movie.
Stallone refused to give up.
The gamble eventually resulted in one of cinema’s most famous underdog stories.
Rocky became a massive success and won Best Picture.
Now Ippolito is playing Stallone after displaying a little of that same mentality himself.
He saw a role he believed he could play.
Nobody invited him to audition.
So he created the audition anyway.
Ippolito Spent More Than a Year Preparing to Play Stallone
Getting cast was only the beginning.
Ippolito told People that he spent more than a year and a half preparing physically and emotionally to portray the young Stallone. (People.com)
The challenge went beyond mimicking a recognizable voice.
Stallone has distinctive speech patterns, facial movements, posture and physicality, all of which audiences immediately recognize.
Ippolito also faced the difficulty of portraying a famous actor before that actor became famous.
The goal wasn’t simply to imitate the Sylvester Stallone audiences know today.
It was to portray the ambitious, struggling performer who believed he could become that person.
I Play Rocky Is Already Generating Buzz
The film premiered at the 2026 Toronto International Film Festival, where the project received an enthusiastic reception.
The AP reported strong audience response at the premiere, with Ippolito receiving particularly warm applause. (AP News)
The movie is directed by Peter Farrelly and also features AnnaSophia Robb, Matt Dillon, Stephan James, Toby Kebbell, P.J. Byrne, Jay Duplass, Kiki Seto and Tracy Letts.
Amazon MGM Studios plans to release the film in select theaters on November 6, followed by a wider rollout on November 20. (People.com)
What Actors Can Learn From Anthony Ippolito
There is an obvious temptation to interpret this story as:
“Send unsolicited audition tapes everywhere.”
That isn’t the lesson.
Productions have submission rules for a reason, and actors should respect casting instructions.
The more valuable lesson is about initiative.
Ippolito didn’t wait until someone told him to begin preparing.
By the time an actual opportunity emerged, he had already been studying the character and building a performance.
That’s something every actor can control.
When you hear that a project is coming together, you can research it.
When you discover a character that fits you, you can start developing material.
When you’re waiting for auditions, you can keep improving your self-tape setup, reel and craft.
You may not control when casting calls.
You do control whether you’re ready when they do.
Stop Waiting for Permission to Practice
Actors spend enormous amounts of their careers waiting.
Waiting for submissions.
Waiting for auditions.
Waiting for callbacks.
Waiting for agents.
Waiting for producers.
But practicing doesn’t require permission.
Ippolito’s first tape wasn’t even guaranteed to become a real audition.
He described it as a creative exercise and a long shot. (TheWrap)
That mindset matters.
The work still had value even if nobody watched it.
He was building the character.
He was practicing on camera.
He was testing ideas.
And when the filmmakers did watch, he was ready.
Your Self-Tape Can Be More Than a Submission
The story also demonstrates how powerful a good self-tape can be.
Actors sometimes treat self-tapes like administrative tasks:
Set up the camera.
Read the lines.
Send the file.
Done.
But a great self-tape is an opportunity to show filmmakers how you imagine the character.
Ippolito didn’t have professional sets or an elaborate production.
He had his grandmother’s basement, a heavy bag and an idea.
What mattered was whether filmmakers could see the character.
Apparently, they could.
You Don’t Need to Be the Biggest Name
Ippolito had professional credits before I Play Rocky. He previously portrayed a young Al Pacino in Paramount+’s The Offer.
But he was not a household-name movie star.
He was competing for the opportunity to portray one of Hollywood’s most recognizable actors in a major studio film.
And he got it.
That should matter to emerging performers.
Casting doesn’t always begin with the question:
“Who is the most famous actor we can hire?”
Sometimes filmmakers are searching for the person who makes them believe the character exists.
The Bigger Lesson for Actors
The strongest part of Ippolito’s story isn’t that every actor should start sending unsolicited tapes.
It’s this:
He acted like the opportunity was real before anyone promised him one.
He researched.
He trained.
He filmed.
He experimented.
Then, when the door opened, he already had something to show.
Actors can’t control every casting decision.
But they can control how seriously they prepare for the career they want.
Final Thoughts
Anthony Ippolito saw an article about a movie he desperately wanted to be part of.
There was no script in his hands.
No audition sides.
No official invitation.
So he hung a punching bag in his grandmother’s basement and started acting.
That homemade tape eventually reached the filmmakers.
They sent him the script.
He auditioned again.
And now he’s playing Sylvester Stallone in an Amazon MGM movie about one of Hollywood’s greatest underdog stories.
It is difficult to imagine a more appropriate casting story.
Sometimes the opportunity doesn’t begin with someone asking you to audition.
Sometimes it begins with deciding you’re going to be ready anyway.
Looking for your next opportunity? Explore film, television, commercial and streaming casting calls at ProjectCasting.com.
