Sylvester Stallone’s journey from a nobody to a successful leading Hollywood movie star is nothing short of inspiring. The actor had very rough early years and had problems individually and with his family life. He worked all sorts of odd jobs to survive when he came to New York.
Before Rocky, he had to fend for himself and worked in New York doing anything to earn a penny to feed himself. He might have become a big movie star now but his struggling years and the shockingly low wages he earned at the time would surprise people.
Sylvester Stallone’s Struggles and Earnings Before Rocky Fame Is Shocking
Sylvester Stallone’s early years were filled with a lot of pain and anguish. He already had a speech impediment when he was born and was made fun of at school. The book The Last Action Heroes: The Triumphs, Flops, and Feuds of Hollywood’s Kings of Carnage by Nick de Semlyen (via the NY Post) chronicles the actor’s history and the various struggles he went through.
Stallone also had an abusive father who would beat him frequently. As he went to New York to make a name for himself, he had nowhere to stay and even spent two weeks sleeping on a bus station bench. By 1970, He earned around $1.12 an hour as he shoveled lion poop at a zoo, which amassed a total income of $1400 annually.
Pitching Rocky to various studios and production companies was also a hurdle and eventually, Irvin Winkler finally decided to make it under a budget of $1 million. He was paid $35,000 for the first film. After it became a monstrous hit, his salary increased as he was paid $75,000 and $1.2 million for Rocky II and Rocky III (via Variety).
Stallone is now a big movie star as he has already created two other highly successful franchises Rambo and The Expendables. His biggest paychecks in his career came with the films Driven and Eye See You where he earned $20 million (via Parade). Stallone’s road to success is a significant example proving that people driven by hard work and dedication will always find their way in the world.
Sylvester Stallone Working on a Sequel to His 1993 Hit Demolition Man
Sylvester Stallone‘s 1993 sci-fi action film Demolition Man is one of Stallone’s most entertaining films in his career. It was a hit back in the day and it seems Stallone is gearing up for a sequel to the film. Stallone revealed that he is working with Warner Bros on it and claimed that it is turning out to be a fantastic one. He said, (via Den of Geek)
“I think it’s coming. We’re working on it right now with Warner Brothers. It’s looking fantastic. So, that should come out, that’s going to happen.”
No release date for the film has been set yet. As of 2024, Stallone will star in the action film Armored which will be directed by Justin Routt.