There comes a moment in everyone’s life that often sets one on a trajectory of success and contentment. A young Sylvester Stallone took up the courage to follow his heart. It was a leap of faith. But he was moving in the dark. All he needed was an assurance. Thankfully, he received one at the most opportune time. But for the small incident, the world might have missed the innocent struggle of ‘Rocky’ and the sheer grit and courage of ‘Rambo.’
In many of his movies, Sylvester Stallone has had to share space with other stars and co-actors. But in the Netflix documentary ‘Sly,’ the screen idol took millions of fans through the grandest motion picture—his life—where he was the lone star. Rest all played their parts. He took the viewers through his childhood days, from the place he was born to growing up in a broken home. The day came when he met a person who told him something invaluable. It eventually held Stallone in good stead for life.
Just a spark was all it needed
It was when he joined the college that Sylvester Stallone became serious about acting. Then one day, he went to audition for Arthur Miller‘s masterpiece, ‘Death of a Salesman.‘ Surprisingly, for him, he got the part. The documentary played out an old recording, and ‘Sly’ could be heard narrating how it went for him: “I was on stage and I was feeling; I wasn’t feeling nervous at all. I felt in control of the situation because this comes naturally; this comes easily to me.”
The narration switched over to Stallone, who shared about a Harvard professor present among the audience. He said, “There was a Harvard professor in the audience who came and said, “You should think of this as…a career.” The future Hollywood icon tried brushing it aside. However, the person continued, “Yeah, you should really study this. You have something.”
It was that instant that altered Sylvester Stallone’s life. He said, “And that moment changed the course of my life.” Later, he narrated how he reached the ‘Big Apple’ on August 15, 1969, the day Woodstock began, to try his luck in movies.
From obscurity to fame
As it then happened, sifting through a multitude of minor projects, Stallone achieved worldwide fame with the release of ‘Rocky’ in 1976. The movie became a trendsetter and heralded a series that has endeared a generation of moviegoers. It was followed by the ‘Rambo’ series, which became equally successful and has achieved cult status. Even after both franchises had run their course, Sylvester Stallone and his team came up with a new character in the 21st century. Thus, the ‘Sly’ enigma continues to enthrall.
Out of the three franchises that Sylvester Stallone is involved with—Rocky, Rambo, and Creed—which is your favorite? Please share the details with us in the comments below.