About Sylvester Stallone
By Cathy Richey, the Cathy Factor
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., had financial problems and 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 left Stallone with a 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 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.
At 16, Stallone became interested
in sports and also appeared in school plays, he kept busy and
changed his life’s course. Stallone 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 at Central Park Zoo, and ushering at a movie
theater. He also starred in various Off-Broadway plays.
Most people recognize Sylvester
Stallone as an accomplished actor and most likely associate him with
the movies Rocky and Rambo. Some fans might not know that Stallone
is the one who actually created the character of "Rocky" and that he
created him based on his own personal experiences.
Studios liked Stallones’ Rocky, but
Stallone insisted on starring in the film and receiving 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 following years, 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)
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. A daughter, Sofia, was born with a heart
defect which was repaired and she is doing well.
In 2006, Stallone had great success
with another sequel to the famous Rocky series, Rocky Balboa.
|