His name is Sylvester Stallone – one of the most famous and successful American movie stars ever. But let’s hear about those distant days, when Stallone was just an unknown actor, struggling with small roles and often rejected in auditions.

His life was at its peak of destitution when he was evicted from his rented house because he had no money and had to wander on the streets. When he had no money left to buy food and struggled for 3 days at the bus stop, he had to suppress his pain to sell his dog – the companion he loved so much just because he no longer had it. What to feed it? 

He sold it to a stranger near a pub for only $25. He said that when he handed that friend over to a stranger, he walked away with tears streaming down his face. 

Two weeks later, Stallone accidentally watched a boxing match between boxers Mohammed Ali and Chuck Wepner. This match was the catalyst that changed his life from then on. 

The drama of the match inspired Stallone to write the script for the movie that would later become extremely famous, “Rocky”. He completed the script after 20 hours of continuous writing, the words flowing full of emotions. 

He offered “Rocky” and received a response from a filmmaker who agreed to pay $125,000 for the 20-hour script. But Stallone included a request in the sale: he would star in the movie! 

Yes, no one else, but himself – an unknown small actor at that time, will be the main role in the movie he wrote himself. And of course, the filmmakers completely disagreed, they wanted a real actor – a veteran star at that time, not “an unknown face with unnatural expressions and a ridiculous voice”. – they answered. 

Complications that his mother encountered during childbirth left the left side of Stallone’s facial muscles – including part of his lip, chin and tongue – permanently paralyzed. That’s why audiences often see his face as unnatural when acting and his characteristic way of speaking with his lips hanging down.

And Stallone received the script back and left.

A few weeks later, the filmmaker called him back, they raised the price to $250,000 – he once again refused that huge number. They continued to raise the price to $350,000. He continued to refuse. 

They wanted his script, but he just wanted to be the main character in the movie. He refused money when money at that time was what he lacked, the cause of his continuous tragedies at that time. All thanks to a belief in dreams! 

Finally, the filmmakers gave in, they agreed to let him play the main role with the price for the screenplay reduced to 35,000 USD.

The days that followed made legends!

He himself trained non-stop for about half a year to get in shape like a real boxer. Stallone’s tired legs from running, his swollen knuckles from punching… all of that pain Stallone accepted to sacrifice. Because of a “Rocky”. 

The film then 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 (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 “Screenwriting”. 

And you know what the first thing Stallone did with $35,000 in script money was? He tried to buy back the dog he sold the day before. The love for the friend he once had made him stand by the bar for 3 days just waiting to meet the person he sold the dog to. 

On the third day, he saw the man and his dog. He explained that he wanted to redeem his dog for 100 USD, the other person refused, he raised the price to 500 USD, then 1000 USD… in the end do you believe it? He had to use 15,000 USD to buy back the dog he once sold for only 25 USD.

And today, we know a successful Stallone, an action movie legend with a past that fell into extreme tragedy.

Poverty and hardship are really bad. Very bad. But think about your dreams. 

You must have a dream, right? A beautiful dream, and you really want to make it come true? But life is never as beautiful as dreams. 

You encounter many difficulties and obstacles to achieve your dream. And it seems like God keeps throwing those difficulties at you to prevent you from realizing your dreams?

Life is always the same, always full of difficulties and challenges. FOR ANYONE, life is full of hardships when things go wrong.

 But my friend, don’t let the doors close in vain before you, don’t let contempt, deceit and hardships crush your dreams, even if you encounter tragedy that leaves you wandering the streets. street like Stallone once did.