Stallone was certain of what he desired. He aspired to be an actor, but it would not be simple for him. The fact that the lower left side of his jaw was paralyzed not only gave him an unusual appearance but also impaired speech was his first challenge. Agents mocked him, and he was turned down over 1000 times because of his disabilities. Let me say it again: rejected over 1000 times! But it didn’t stop Sylvester Stallone, who was broke and struggling. He was adamant about achieving his aim.

After seeing a bout between Muhammad Ali and Chuck Wepner, Stallone had an idea for a movie script and acted on it right away. He didn’t sleep all weekend and wrote for 20 hours straight till it was finished. His objective was to play the lead in the film in order to obtain his big break in acting, but he was once again rejected. Producers laughed at him, saying it would never be a good film, especially with him playing the lead, but Sylvester Stallone persisted until he found one producer who wanted the script. The issue was that they didn’t want him to be the leader. They even paid him $225,000 to use the script as long as he didn’t appear in the film. Again, Sylvester Stallone understood exactly what he wanted; he wanted to be a successful actor at any cost, so he turned down the opportunity despite the fact that he was broke. The producers eventually decided to acquire the script and cast him as the lead actor, but only for $35,000!

The film “Rocky,” created and starring Sylvester Stallone, was released in 1976 and grossed $225 million worldwide. The film received three Academy Awards: best picture, best directing, and best film editing. Sylvester Stallone received a nomination for best actor. Rocky was also inducted into the American National Film Registry as one of the best films of all time. As they say, the rest is history. Since then, the Rocky franchise has generated 5 more pictures, and Sylvester Stallone has appeared in a number of other blockbusters.

Credit: Succeed Feed

Also Read: 5 Lessons From Sylvester Stallone’s ‘Rocky Balboa’