Sylvester Stallone is one of the biggest stars of Hollywood and is known for his passion for acting even at the age of 76. The actor has been a part of some of the most iconic movies of the century, which changed his life forever. Some of the superhits of the star include Rocky, The Expendables, Rambo, and Escape Plan, among others. Presently, he is one of the richest stars in the industry, however, his journey to success has not been an easy one.
From tough child to speech impairment Sylvester Stallone has worked very hard to reach the pinnacle of success. The actor once revealed that his school teachers also didn’t have faith in his abilities.
Sylvester Stallone’s actions made his teacher worried
Stallone is one of the most admired stars in the industry, however, his path to fame was not an easy one. The actor faced problems from day one of life, as he suffered a complication during birth that made his lip, chin, and half of his tongue partially paralyzed for life. Due to this, his face would slightly droop and he faced a minor speech impediment, which made him the target of bullies at school.
Due to the bullying and hardships at home, sometimes he would let out his frustration in school. Seeing his rogue behavior, his teachers thought he would get into wrongdoing and end up in the electric chair.
By the time Stallone was 12 years old, he was kicked out of 13 schools for his rash behavior and had broken 11 bones. When he was 15, Stallone shared that his father told him his brain was dormant, so he started bodybuilding.
The Guardians of The Galaxy star also faced problems in his home because of an abusive father. His mother, Jackie Stallone, once shared that Stallone’s father has anger management issues and vented it out at his son. She said,
“[Stallone’s father] was the most sadistic man God has ever allowed on this earth… He would whip Sylvester with a polo crop until he bled.”
Soon the actor left his hometown and moved to New York to pursue his acting career.
Sylvester Stallone scared Woody Allen in an audition
At the 2019 Cannes Film Festival, Sylvester Stallone talked to the press (via Reuters) about his signature slurred speech,
“I didn’t think I was going to [have a career in film.] When I would try to get jobs in commercials, the director would go, ‘What are you saying, what language is that?’ I knew it was bad when Arnold Schwarzenegger said, ‘You have an accent.’ I go, ‘I have an accent? Excuse me, what?’ It’s true. Arnold and I should open up a school for speech lessons. It would be perfect.”
However, the actor did not give up on his dream and worked on his speech and acting skills. He moved to New York at a young age to work in the entertainment industry, but it was not easy to get work. Reportedly, he slept in a bus station and earned only one dollar and 12 cents per hour for cleaning up lion dung at the Central Park Zoo.
Before his breakthrough with Rocky, the actor had earlier auditioned for Woody Allen’s film called Bananas. He was not taken seriously because he did not appear intimidating enough.
Nick de Semlyen wrote in his book The Last Action Heroes: The Triumphs, Flops, and Feuds of Hollywood’s Kings of Carnage,
“Stallone and his friend Johnny, another aspiring actor, rubbed soot on their faces, ran Vaseline through their hair, and returned, scaring Allen into giving them parts.”
After playing a few minor roles, Stallone hit a jackpot with his film Rocky in 1976, for which he had written the screenplay. The film won the Academy Awards for Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Film Editing. Stallone was nominated for the Best Actor role.