Sylvester Stallone

Sylvester Stallone was born in New York City on July 6, 1946, and began his acting career in college theatre. After several uncredited film roles in the early 1970s, Stallone landed a memorable role in the street gang film The Lords of Flatbush (1974).

Around this time, Stallone shopped around a boxing script he had written called Rocky (1976). Insisting that he star in the film, he secured the financing, and the film went on to win the Academy Award for Best Picture, with Stallone receiving nominations for both acting and writing. Following Rocky (and its four sequels), Stallone launched his three-film John Rambo franchise in 1982 with First Blood.

Through the 1990s, Stallone starred in a series of poorly received comedies and moderately successful action films, including Cliffhanger (1993). In 1997, he earned praise for his against-type portrayal of a small-town sheriff in Cop Land.

Filmography