As an actor, screenwriter, director, and film producer with 24 awards, 25 nominations including 2 Oscars. None other than Sylvester Stallone – Hollywood action movie legend.

Sylvester Stallone’s real name is Sylvester Gardenzio Stallone, born on July 6, 1946 in New York, USA. We often know him through the image of the fierce boxer Rocky Balboa, or the seemingly immortal Rambo in battle.

Known as one of the “old men” of world cinema, with 24 awards, 25 nominations including 2 Oscars. Money and fame are things this 70-year-old man no longer lacks, but few people know that to get to where he is today, Sylvester Stallone had to shed countless sweat, blood and tears.

Is that the price every man must pay to pursue his life’s dream to the end?

Sylvester Stallone’s early life and the birth of “Rocky”

America since the 50s and 60s of the last century has bcome the world capital of cinema. Becoming a superstar and shining in Hollywood was the dream of many young people at that time. But the difference between Stallone and all those young dreamers is that his dream is not simply an unrealistic wish.

For Stallone, it was a burning dream, and it was something that had to be done. He showed his iron determination by truly doing everything he could, turning his dreams into reality.

Born into poverty, Stallone, like many other young people, left home and went out into the world to become independent.

Due to nerve damage since birth, the left side of his face was paralyzed, his lower lip was drooping and his stuttering made the young man’s face look very funny. Stallone is too used to being teased by friends and people.

Carrying the dream of becoming an actor, Stallone visited movie sets and signed up for supporting roles. Ironically, he was often rejected. 

Struggling forever as an unknown actor, the peak of his misery was when he was evicted from his rented house because he had no money.

Wandering around the streets for 3 days and nights without a penny, Stallone swallowed his tears and sold his beloved dog – his only companion at that time because there was nothing for him to eat, for 25 USD per dog. stranger at the pub.

According to this “steel” man recounted in his autobiography, when he handed the dog into the hands of a stranger, he turned and walked away with tears in his eyes.

Continuing his miserable life here and there, about two weeks later, Stallone accidentally watched a heated boxing match between Mohammed Ali and Chuck Wepner. This match was the fate that changed his life forever.

Mohammed Ali vs Chuck Wepner

The drama of the match strongly inspired Stallone to write the script for ‘Rocky’, his dark life was illuminated with a ray of hope.

During 20 consecutive hours without eating or sleeping, his emotions pouring out into words, he completed the script ‘Rocky’. 

After that, Stallone offered to sell the script he had just written, and a filmmaker agreed to buy it for $125,000 for the 20-hour script. However, Stallone came with a request: he must star in that movie!

 No one else, but himself – an unknown actor, will play the main role in the movie he wrote himself. Of course, the filmmakers had no way of agreeing, they wanted a real actor – a veteran star at that time, not ” an unknown face with unnatural expressions and stuttering “.

Stallone had to take the script back and sadly left. A few weeks later, the filmmaker came to him again and raised the price to $250,000. He did not hesitate to continue to refuse that huge number. Then the offered price was raised to 350,000 USD, Stallone again… refused again.

The filmmaker wants to get the script for ‘Rocky’, but he just wants to get the main role in the movie. He refused money, even when it was the cause of constant tragedies in his life. Is that stubbornness stupidity? Not at all, if you dare to dream, pursue it and realize it to the end, don’t sell it at any price.

Realizing Stallone’s strong passion and bravery, the filmmaker finally gave in to let him play the main role in the original – Rocky Balboa, but the price paid for the script was reduced to only… 35,000 USD. .

Immediately after that, he embarked on crazy training n n-stop for half a year, to get in shape like a real boxer. Stallone’s tired legs from jogging, his bruised hands from punching…sweat, tears and even blood, for a ‘Rocky’!.

The long list of nominations speaks to the success of “Rocky” at that time

The film became a box office phenomenon, grossing up to 225 million USD globally and becoming the most popular film of 1976. Not only was it a huge commercial success, this work was also nominated for 10 awards.

Oscar and won three awards (including “Best Picture”). The character Rocky became a cultural icon, an example of progress and later had a statue erected in the city of Philadelphia.

 Sylvester Stallone became the first person since legends Charlie Chaplin and Orson Welles to be nominated for an Oscar for both “Lead Actor” and “Writing”.

Sylvester Stallone and the film crew smiled contentedly at the Oscars in 1977

Immediately after that, Sylvester Stallone immediately emerged as an action movie superstar and received many invitations to star in blockbuster movies, “Rambo” (I, II, III, IV) and the remaining 5 parts of “Rambo” (I, II, III, IV) and the remaining 5 parts of “Rambo” Rocky”, contributing to creating a part of American culture.

Sylvester Stallone next to his dog “Butkus”

After achieving certain success, Sylvester Stallone shared about the first 35,000 USD he earned from selling the script. What did he do? Stallone immediately tried to buy back the dog he sold for $25. 

He explained and wanted to redeem his dog for 100 USD, 500 USD and then 1000 USD but the other man still did not agree. In the end, “Butkus” was returned to its former owner for… 15,000 USD.

Later, Stallone’s dog redemption story was still retold many times, as an invaluable example of friendship and loyalty.

Sylvester Stallone with his wife and three beautiful daughters

For the vast majority of us, the tragedies in life caused by poverty are truly very bad, especially for men.

To change that, in addition to diligence, you also have to have a dream. A dream that you always hope to come true, because of that dream you don’t sleep deeply, don’t eat well and are always on edge, that’s the dream you have to realize.

In theory, yes, in reality it’s the opposite. Life will make us encounter countless difficulties and obstacles before we can touch that dream. Although each of us has different backgrounds and circumstances, what the future holds is up to you to decide.

Surely, more than 95% of people reading this article have never had to wander around the streets or sell their pet dog because they couldn’t afford to keep it like Sylvester Stallone.

You were born with a better appearance and better circumstances, so why not do things better than this man with stuttering and facial paralysis? As long as you are alive and working hard, success and a good future are still waiting for you.

“In life, it’s not how strong your punch is, what’s important is how many punches you can endure and still be able to stand up and continue moving forward” – Sylvester Stallone.