Sylvester Stallone at 80: from broke to billionaire, still no underdog
The 80-year-old actor says he's dropped the underdog label and now calls himself a lucky dog in new memoir Steps.
Sylvester Stallone turned 80 in July and remains one of Hollywood's biggest success stories. Stallone's new memoir is called Steps.
In it he reflects on his journey from a struggling, unwanted child in Philadelphia to an Oscar winner. Stallone generated billions through Rocky, Rambo and The Expendables franchises.
In the memoir, Stallone admits he's no longer an underdog. "It would be so disingenuous to say you're an underdog from a penthouse," he told a recent interview.
"I am a lucky dog." He's still working, starring in the Paramount+ series Tulsa King, and continues to study his lines each morning at 5am.
A fictionalised film called I Play Rocky, directed by Peter Farrelly, hits cinemas with Anthony Ippolito in the starring role. Stallone had no direct involvement but praised the result.
- 80
- Age when 50 years passed since Rocky
- Philadelphia
- Birth city
- Rocky, Rambo, The Expendables
- Major franchises
- Tulsa King on Paramount+
- Current series
Why it mattersStallone is marking 50 years since Rocky won best picture by releasing both a memoir and a film about his own unlikely rise, offering a rare look at how an outsider conquered Hollywood.
AustraliaAustralian audiences can watch I Play Rocky and read Stallone's Steps memoir, two new takes on his famous comeback story.
✓ Claims checked against the source and corrected before publish. checked 3 h ago
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