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Sylvester Stallone

An icon of machismo and Hollywood action heroism, Sylvester Stallone is responsible for creating two characters who have become a part of the American cultural lexicon: Rocky Balboa, the no-name boxer who overcame all odds to become a champion, and John Rambo, the courageous soldier who specialized in violent rescues and revenge. Both characters are reflections of Stallone's personal experiences and the battles he waged during his transition from a poor kid in Hell's Kitchen to one of the world's most popular stars. According to Stallone, his was not a happy childhood. On July 6, 1946, in the aforementioned part of Manhattan, Sylvester Enzio Stallone was born to a chorine and an Italian immigrant. A forceps accident during his birth severed a facial nerve, leaving Stallone with parts of his lip, tongue, and chin paralyzed. In doing so, the accident imprinted Stallone with some of the most recognizable components of his persona: the distinctively slurred (and some say often nearly incomprehensible) speech patterns, drooping lower lip, and crooked left eye that have been eagerly seized upon by caricaturists. To compound these defects, Stallone was a homely, sickly child who once suffered from rickets. His parents were constantly at war and struggling to support Stallone and his younger brother, Frank Stallone (who became a B-movie actor). The elder brother spent most of his first five years in the care of foster homes. Stallone has said that his interest in acting came from his attempts to get attention and affection from those strangers who tried to raise him. When he was five, his parents moved their family to Silver Spring, MD, but once again spent their time bickering and largely ignored their children. Following his parents' divorce in 1957, the 11-year-old Stallone remained with his stern father. The actor's teen years proved even more traumatic. As Stallone seemed willing to do just about anything for attention, however negative, he had already been enrolled in 12 schools and expelled several times for his behavior problems. His grades were dreadful and his classmates picked on him for being different. Stallone coped by becoming a risk taker and developing elaborate fantasies in which he presented himself as a brave hero and champion of the underdog. At age 15, Stallone moved to Philadelphia to be with his mother and her new husband. By this time, he had begun lifting weights and was enrolled in Devereaux High School, a facility for emotionally disturbed children. There he took up fencing, football, and the discus. He also started appearing in school plays. Following graduation, Stallone received an athletic scholarship for the American College of Switzerland. While there he was a girls' athletic coach and in his spare time starred in a school production of Arthur Miller's +Death of a Salesman. The experience inspired him to become an actor and after returning stateside, he started studying drama at the University of Miami until he decided to move to New York in 1969. While working a variety of odd jobs, Stallone auditioned frequently but only occasionally found stage work, most of which was off-Broadway in shows like the all-nude +Score and +Rain. He even resorted to appearing in the softcore porn film, Party at Kitty's and Studs, which was later repackaged as The Italian Stallion after Stallone became famous. Stallone's face and even his deep voice were factors in his constant rejection for stage and film roles. He did nab a bit role in Woody Allen's Bananas (1971), but after he was turned down for The Godfather (1971), Stallone became discouraged. Rather than give up, however, Stallone again developed a coping mechanism &#8212 he turned to writing scripts, lots of scripts, some of which were produced. He still auditioned and landed a starring role in Rebel (1973). During his writing phase, he married actress Sasha Czack in late 1974 and they moved to California in the hopes of building acting careers. His first minor success came when he wrote the screenplay for and co-starred in the nostalgic Lords of Flatbush ( ~ Rovi

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Performer Information
MOVIES
A scene from the movie Zookeeper
Zookeeper (2011)
Teaser Poster Art
The Expendables (2010)
Barney Ross
Director
Screenwriter
(L-R) Actor-filmmaker Sylvester Stallone and cinem
Les Sacrifiés (2010)
Barney Ross
Director
Screenwriter
A scene from the movie The Expendables
The Expendables (2010)

Director
Writer
A scene from the movie Kambakkht Ishq
Kambakkht Ishq (2009)
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Kambakkht Ishq (2009)
Rambo
Rambo (2008)
Director
John Rambo
Producer
Screenplay by
A scene from the movie Rambo
Rambo (2008)

Director
Rambo v.f.
Rambo v.f. (2008)
Director
John Rambo
Producer
Screenplay by
Rambo (Spanish Subtitled)
Rambo (Spanish Subtitled) (2008)
Director
John Rambo
Producer
Screenplay by
Rocky Balboa
Rocky Balboa (2006)
Director
Rocky
Writer
A scene from the movie Rocky Balboa
Rocky Balboa (2006)

Director
Producer
Writer
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Spy Kids 3D: Game Over (2003)
Sylvester Stallone in Robert Rodriguezs SPY KIDS
Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over (2003)
The Toymaker
Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over
Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over (2003)
The Toymaker
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Driven (2001)
(L to r) SYLVESTER STALLONE and KIP PARDUE in Fran
Driven (2001)
Joe Tanto
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Get Carter (2000) (2000)
Gretchen Mol.
Get Carter (2000)
Jack Carter
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Demolition Man (1999)
Antz
Antz (1998)
Voice of Weaver
A scene from the movie Antz
Antz (1998)
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Cliffhanger (1993)
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Tango & Cash (1989)
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Rocky IV (1985)

Director
Writer
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Rambo: First Blood Part II (1985)
John J. Rambo
Writer
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Rambo: First Blood Part II (1985)

Writer
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Rhinestone (1984)
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First Blood (1982)

Writer
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Rocky 3 (1982)

Director
Writer
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Rocky III (1982)
Director
Rocky Balboa
Writer
A scene from the movie Rocky II
Rocky II (1979)

Director
Writer
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Rocky II (1979)
Director
Rocky Balboa
Writer
A scene from the movie Rocky
Rocky (1976)

Writer
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Rocky (1976)
Rocky Balboa
Writer
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Death Race 2000 (1975)
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Amerika Idol
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Amerika Idol
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The Prisoner of Second Avenue
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Cobra

Writer
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Demolition Man
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Over the Top
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Over the Top
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Cobra
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Staying Alive (1983)
Director
Writer
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Staying Alive
Director
Producer
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Judge Dredd
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Tango & Cash
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Rambo: First Blood
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First Blood
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Rocky IV

Director
Writer
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The Lords of Flatbush
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Italian Stallion
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Death Race 2000
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Cobra