Sylvester Stallone, Lifestyle
SYLVESTER ENZIO STALLONE's rise in Hollywood was meteoric, intentional, and a testament to his commitment to becoming a generational talent in the industry.
Hailing from New York City, Stallone's breakthrough came with the creation of ROCKY (1976), a film he wrote and starred in. Alongside Academy Winner Talia Shire, the story of the underdog boxer Rocky Balboa resonated globally, earning ten Academy Award nominations and winning three, including Best Picture. Building on his ROCKY success, Stallone created another indelible character, John Rambo, in FIRST BLOOD (1982); spawning another successful franchise which established Stallone as a leading action star. Stallone would then go on to star in COBRA (1986) , TANGO & CASH (1989) , CLIFFHANGER (1993) , SPY KIDS 3: GAME OVER (2003) , and even lending his vocal talent to the 1993 animated movie ANTZ. By 2010, Stallone was ready to release his most ambitious, and star-studded, project to date: THE EXPENDABLES. An action thriller in which he wrote, directed, and starred in; the film opened at number one in the box office, and made Stallone the only actor to open a number one film across six decades.
Currently, Stallone can be seen in Marvel's GUARDIAN'S OF THE GALAXY VOL 2 & VOL 3 with Chris Pratt and Zoe Saldana, as well as Focus Feature's animated film RATCHET & CLANK and DC's THE SUICIDE SQUAD opposite of Idris Elba & Margot Robbie. He has even returned to the ROCKY franchise with CREED (2015) and CREED II (2018), playing an older, mentor version of Rocky Balboa. His performance in CREED earned him his first Golden Globe, his first Critics Choice Award and also an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor.
Beyond acting, Stallone is a prolific writer and director. He has written or co-written many of his films, dating all the way back to 1974 where he received his first writing credit in THE LORDS OF FLATBUSH. Including the ROCKY, RAMBO, and THE EXPENDABLES series, a lot of Stallone's early work was directed by, or produced by, himself - showcasing his multifaceted talent in the film industry.
In regard to the television industry, Stallone has received a few producing credits. These credits include shows like THE CONTENDER, a reality drama following 16 promising boxers; S.T.R.O.N.G (2016), a reality fitness competition with a focus on strength & conditioning; and ULTIMATE BEASTMASTER (2017), the first international competition show with over 100 participating contestants.
But what marked Stallone's official breakthrough into the television industry was when he joined the production of TULSA KING (2022). A crime drama centered around establishing a new criminal empire in Tulsa, Oklahoma; bringing his Hollywood expertise to the small screen was no challenge for Stallone, as he splits his time between being the show's lead actor, an executive producer, and writer. The show has received praise for its authentic style, captivating storytelling, dynamic performances, and unique ability to blend dark humor into the crime drama genre.
