We have seen Sylvester Stallone on the big screen. However, he has always been behind the mask of a character. But now, one can have an insight into the lesser-known side of his life through his documentary release. A few weeks ago, Netflix dropped, ‘Sly,’ a documentary that took a peek at his hostile upbringing and pathway to fame and glory.
In a recent episode of the ‘Unwaxed’ podcast, the Hollywood actor revealed there was a secret message he wanted to share with his father. However, he could not but enact that during a scene of the Rocky film which would leave you stunned.
Sylvester Stallone describes his attempt at catharsis
Stallone had a difficult relationship with his father, Frank Stallone Sr. The father of the Hollywood legend passed away in 2011. However, there was one message Stallone wanted to convey to his father, but never had the guts to confront him about. Instead, he resorted to his work of art and created a scene in his film ‘Rocky’ as a way of expressing the anger he felt towards his dad. He admitted that acting in out the scene was difficult for him as well.
During the podcast with his daughters, he remembered, “I didn’t have the guts. I was afraid of them. I don’t think I was articulate enough and when I wrote the screenplay, that didn’t exist. Then I said, there is something, I got to do something to explain the frustration of wanting to say this but you can’t say it but you can say it to a door but when the man’s face is in front of you just froze up.”
It is safe to say that there might be some regrets that would stay with Stallone. However, his openness to being candid about the situation is laudable, to say the least. This leads to the question, what was it like for him to grow up with his Dad?
Frank Stallone Jr. on their father and growing up
Stallone had a troubled childhood. At a young age, he saw his parents get separated. He often found himself getting scolded by his father, and at times, it also led to physical abuse. Meanwhile, his brother, Frank Stallone Jr. did not shy away from making it known to the public. He disclosed in their Netflix documentary about the physical abuse they faced at their father’s hands. He stated, “I was raised by a very physical father. I was no stranger to serious pain.” He added, “I think it just became, ‘I’m not gonna break’.”
This dynamic between the Stallone brothers and their father was not that well-known, despite being in the limelight for years. But it would be reasonable to say that Frank Stallone r. played an important role in their life in many ways.