Biography Summary of Sylvester Stallone

Sylvester Stallone was born on July 6, 1946 in New York City, New York as Sylvester Enzio Stallone. His childhood was difficult. Stallone’s parents, Jacqueline Labofish and Frank Stallone, Sr., were financially challenged and are said to have spent a lot of time arguing while struggling to support their children. When Stallone was five years old, the family moved to Silver Spring, Maryland. Stallone’s parents divorced when he was eleven and he remained with his father. Stallone’s teen years were not much better than his childhood. A forceps accident at birth had left Stallone with the iconic droopy lip, crooked eye, and slurred speech. His classmates continuously made fun of him. He attended 12 schools and was expelled several times due to behavioral issues. By the time he had reached his teen years, he would do almost anything to gain attention. At age 15, Stallone moved to Philadelphia to live with his mother where he attended a school for emotionally disturbed children. His classmates voted him “Most Likely To End Up In The Electric Chair”. However, he became interested in sports and also appeared in school plays which served to change his life’s course. Stallone eventually attended the American College of Switzerland on an athletic scholarship and worked as a girl’s athletic coach. He also appeared in school productions. During his time at the American College of Switzerland, Stallone decided that once he returned to the United States, he would pursue an acting career. Stallone also attended a college in Miami, and then moved to New York in 1969 where he worked various odd jobs which included cleaning lions cages in the Central Park Zoo and ushering at a movie theater. He also starred in various Off-Broadway plays and – shall we say - “Off-Color” films as well.

Some of Sylvester’s earlier films include the following:

Banana’s (1971)

The Godfather (1971)

Rebel (1973)

Lords of Flatbush (1974)

The Prisoner of Second Avenue (1975)

Capone (1975)

Death Race 2000 (1975)

Most people recognize Sylvester Stallone as an accomplished actor and most likely associate him very quickly with the movies Rocky and Rambo. Some fans might not know that Stallone is the one who actually created the the character of "Rocky" or that he created him based on his own personal experiences.

Studios liked Stallones’ Rocky, but Stallone insisted on starring in the film and receive a share of the profits. In 1976, Rocky became one of the biggest, best-known, and best-loved films in movie history. The movie won Oscars for Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Actor. Stallone went on to write four sequels to Rocky. In the years to come, Stallone starred in First Blood, Rambo: First Blood Part II, and Rambo III. Stallone’s first time to direct a film was Paradise Alley. In 1983, Stallone directed the sequel to Saturday Night Fever and Staying Alive.

Stallone has also appeared in the following films:

Cobra (1986)

Tango and Cash (1989)

Cliffhanger (1993)

Demolition Man (1993)

Judge Dredd (1995)

Daylight (1996)

Copeland (1997)

Antz (1998)

Get Carter (2000)

Driven (2001)

Stallone also participated in two films that did not do well at the box office:

Oscar (1991)

Stop, Or My Mom Will Shoot (1992)

Stallone and his first wife, Sasha, had two sons, Sage and Seargeoh. Sage is following in his father’s footsteps as he develops his acting career. Seargeoh was diagnosed with Autism in 1982 which placed so much stress on the marriage that it ended in 1985. Stallones’ second marriage to Bridgette Neilson lasted only 18 months. In the late 1980s, Stallone met Jennifer Flavin, a model who was only 19 years old at the time. The couple lived together for three years before finally marrying in May 1997. They have three children. Their daughter, Sofia, was born with a heart defect which has been repaired and she is doing well.

Stallone continues to enjoy Hollywood success with his latest success in 2006 with yet another sequel to the famous Rocky series, Rocky Balboa.