Sylvester Stallone Net Worth
| Sylvester Stallone Net Worth: | $400 Million |
| Nationality: | American |
| Born: | 6th July 1946 (75 Years Old) |
| Profession: | Actor |
| Children: | 5 |
According to celebritynetworth.com, Sylvester Stallone has a net worth of $400 million in 2023.
Born in Hell’s Kitchen, New York, Stallone had a lot to overcome from his birth. But, it could be said that what happened to him have helped to make him into the immediately recognisable actor he is today.
Sylvester Stallone Early Life and Childhood
Stallone was born to an Italian hairdresser and beautician Francesco “Frank” Stallone Sr., and his wife Jacqueline “Jackie” Stallone who was a dancer, astrologer and a women’s wrestling promoter.
His father was born in Italy but moved to the U.S. during the 1930s. Stallone’s mother, though American herself, is of Eastern European and French descent.
Stallone, whose full name is Michael Sylvester Gardenzio Stallone, suffered trauma during his birth when forceps were used incorrectly.
This caused paralysis and a severed nerve. The result was that parts of Stallone’s lip, tongue and chin are paralyzed and it’s this accident that gave him his signature speech and scowling look.
While these features ended up working well for Sylvester Stallone in his film career, he wasn’t always content with the way he looked and spoke.
When talking to the Chicago Tribune, Stallone said that as a child, his facial paralysis made him feel like “Mr Potato Head with all the parts in the wrong place.”
What’s more, Stallone suffered bullying by people in his neighborhood who would call him “Sylvia”.
Burning With Rage
The bullying he suffered at the hands of neighborhood punks as well as a lack of affection from his mother and beatings by his father, made Stallone rage and he started finding himself in all sorts of trouble.
He would act recklessly, causing criminal damage and injuries to himself. At the age of 12, he had already been thrown out of 13 different schools and had broken 11 of his bones.
When he was 15, authority figures told him he had a “dormant” brain and thus, his self-esteem plummeted further. To build his confidence, Stallone began bodybuilding.
Getting an Education and Starting His Career In Acting
Stallone did eventually graduate from high school when he was living in Philadelphia with his mother, who had separated from his father when he was young.
After graduating from high school, Stallone attended a university in Switzerland. During this time, he had several jobs including being a dorm bouncer, selling hamburgers, and working as a gym teacher.
It was while he was in Switzerland that he first became interested in writing screenplays and acting.
Upon leaving Switzerland, Stallone went to the University of Miami then finally went back to New York to try to make it as an actor.
Until he made the big time, he worked as an usher in a cinema and cleaned out the lions in the zoo.
Acting of Sorts
Stallone struggled to get acting parts and despite being hesitant, was persuaded to appear in an erotic adult film in 1970 called Party at Kitty and Stud’s. The film, which was ‘softcore’, meant that Stallone had to appear nude.
He was paid $200 for his role, which took two days to film.
Even though this wasn’t what Stallone had in mind when he was trying to make it as an actor, he had been sleeping in a bus shelter and was desperate to earn a living. When Stallone made it big after Rocky, the producers of Party at Kitty and Stud’s re-released their footage calling it The Italian Stallion.
The film and its worldwide rights were sold on eBay in 2010 for $412,100.
Stallone’s Big Break Into Hollywood
Stallone was about to give up hope of making it as an actor, failing to even get a job as an extra in The Godfather in 1972.
However, things were set to change for Stallone.
While he was acting in his friend’s play, an agent saw him and thought he would be great as the character of Stanley in The Lords of Flatbush.
This was a low-budget coming-of-age drama following some teenagers in Brooklyn.
He had several small roles over the following years, but it was in 1976 when he became a household name as Rocky Balboa.
Rocky
Stallone wrote the script for Rocky in around 20 hours.
The plot, a rags-to-riches story about an Italian-American boxer from a working-class background, is clearly inspired by the actor himself.
Sylvester Stallone tried to sell his script to a range of studios and wanted to play the lead role.
Stallone had some offers for his script, but he wouldn’t sell to anyone who refused him the lead part.
The film was an enormous success; it received 10 Oscar nominations in 1977 and won three awards – Best Directing, Best Picture, and Best Film Editing.
Continuing Success
As well as being successful as a scriptwriter, Stallone became a credible director with Paradise Alley. He also starred in this family drama, playing a professional wrestler.
After writing the sequel Rocky II, Stallone took over the direction, replacing the original Rocky director, John. G. Avildsen.
This was also a major success and grossed an impressive $200 million.
In 1982, First Blood, in which Stallone played John Rambo, was a huge success at the box office and among critics who praised the actor’s performance.
He was said to make the character seem human, unlike how the book of the same name portrayed him. This success was the beginning of the Rambo franchise.
The Rocky Franchise Continues Alongside His Other Work
1982 saw the release of Rocky III, which again was written and directed by Stallone himself.
By now, the actor was used to getting physically in shape for these roles, but it was for Rocky III that he achieved his lowest body fat percentage of just 2.9%.
By the mid-80s, Stallone was among the world’s biggest action film stars.
The Rocky and Rambo franchises weren’t the only things keeping Sylvester Stallone busy; he was involved in many other films too.
He directed (but didn’t star in) Staying Alive and co-wrote and starred in Rhinestone, which was a little out of his comfort zone.
Outside of the movie industry, he also became a boxing promoter and started his own company Tiger Eye Productions, signing two world champion boxers.
Stallone’s Career During The 1990s
The 90s saw Stallone’s success falter before being reclaimed. Rocky V was criticised heavily as were Oscar and Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot!
His comeback came in the form of Cliffhanger in 1994 and then Demolition Man.
The Specialist, Assassins, Daylight and Cop Land were also added to his string of hits in the 1990s.
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Stallone’s Career in the New Millennium Takes A Turn For The Worse
Stallone struggled to keep at the top from the beginning of the noughties.
He starred in a number of films that were badly received including Driven, D-Tox, and Avenging Angelo.
It wasn’t until the latter half of the decade that Stallone made his comeback.
His sixth instalment in the Rocky franchise, Rocky Balboa, was a hit – thankfully, unlike Rocky V.
He also built on his Rambo franchise with a film of the same name.
What Has Happened to Sylvester Stallone, What Is He Doing Today?
Despite his advancing years, Sylvester Stallone continues working hard.
In 2018 he formed Balboa Productions, a film studio where he co-produces with Braden Aftergood.
So far, his film studio has produced Rambo: Last Blood and has a few films in the pipeline including Samaritan directed by Julius Avery whose release date has been delayed due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Family life and Who Were Sylvester Stallone’s Wives?
Aside from his busy work schedule, Sylvester Stallone is a family man.
He has been married three times and has 5 children. Stallone’s first wife, Sasha Czack gave him two children, Sage and Seargeoh.
Sadly, Sage died in 2012 at just 36 years old after suffering from heart disease.
This first marriage ended after 11 years and Stallone went on to marry Brigitte Nielsen, an actress and model.
This marriage was explored hugely in the press, as was their divorce just two years later.
Stallone didn’t marry again until 1997 when he married Jennifer Flavin. With Jennifer, he had three daughters, Sophia, Sistine, and Scarlet, all of whom share the middle name Rose.
Sylvester Stallone Quotes
Stallone has quite a few renowned quotes. Here are some of the most famous ones:
“Success is usually the culmination of controlling failure.”
“If you don’t have a mountain, build one and then climb it. After you climb it, build another one; otherwise, you start to flatline in your life.”
If you don’t have a mountain, build one and then climb it.
After you climb it, build another one; otherwise, you start to flatline in your life
Sylvester Stallone
“I think that gravity sets into everything, including careers, but pendulums do swing, and mountains do become valleys after a while…if you keep on walking.”
“I am not the richest, smartest or most talented person in the world, but I succeed because I keep going and going and going”.
Just like his movie career the famed actor just kept “going and going”. Even if his movie didn’t do as well as he wanted he kept pushing on as he knew his next big hit was just around the corner.
“’Rocky’ represents the optimistic side of life, and ‘Rambo’ represents purgatory.”
“It would be great to be able to pass on to someone all of the successes, the failures, and the knowledge that one has had. To help someone, avoid all the fire, pain and anxiety would be wonderful.”
“Life’s not about how hard of a hit you can give…it’s about how many you can take, and still keep moving forward”.
Summary: Sylvester Stallone Net Worth
- The road to success didn’t come easy for Sylvester Stallone, and he faced challenges from birth. Stallone’s birth injuries, now famed thanks to his success as an actor, were the source of bullying growing up.
- Stallone struggled as an adolescent and acted out, which meant he was kicked out of a lot of schools. Eventually, however, he succeeded in graduating high school and went on to study at the university level.
- In terms of his acting, Stallone struggled and almost gave up. After being homeless, he resorted to acting in a soft porn film to make ends meet.
- When Sylvester Stallone hit the big type with Rocky, things really took off. There were periods when things went downhill for a while, but Stallone always climbed back up to success. Even now, in his advancing age, he is still working on projects.
- His personal life hasn’t always been a bed of roses either. He has been married three times and fathered 5 children. Sadly, his eldest child died suddenly from heart disease at the young age of 36.
- After so many great movies and successes, it’s easy to see how Sylvester Stallone has reached a net worth of $400 million, though it’s certainly not been an easy ride!
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