Sylvester Stallone is known for being the face of several successful franchises, from Rocky to Rambo — and the leading man shows no signs of slowing down.
The New York native nearly gave up on acting before landing his major breakthrough in 1974’s The Lords of Flatbush. The first Rocky film hit theaters two years later — and Stallone’s career changed forever.
“I wanted to get back to the cycle of the films of the ’40s and the ’50s … so I took the opportunity to write this particular film, of course, being somewhat selfish because I had myself in mind for [starring in] it,” he explained during a 1977 TV interview of writing the character of Rocky Balboa. “That was the main motivation.”
Rocky was nominated in a total of 10 categories at the 1977 Academy Awards, winning Best Picture, Best Directing and Best Film Editing. It was the highest-grossing film of 1976 and spawned multiple sequels.
Along with his box office hits, Stallone’s personal life has fascinated fans over the years, including his marriage to third wife Jennifer Flavin, with whom he shares three daughters.
Scroll down for a look at Stallone’s career highlights and more:
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