Rise to Success: Career Highlights of Sylvester Stallone
Discover the career path of Sylvester Stallone, from the first major opportunity to industry-changing achievements.
Sylvester Stallone is a celebrated American actor and filmmaker whose career has spanned over five decades. He's received multiple accolades, including a Golden Globe and a Critics' Choice Award, along with nominations for three Academy Awards and two BAFTAs. Notably, Stallone is one of only two actors to have starred in a box-office number one film across six consecutive decades, highlighting his enduring appeal and success in the film industry.
1976: Recorded "Gonna Fly Now" theme for Rocky
In 1976, Sylvester Stallone recorded the famous "Gonna Fly Now" theme for his Academy Award-nominated film, Rocky which was a U.S. No. 1 hit.
1977: Nominated for Best Actor and Best Screenplay for Rocky
In 1977, Sylvester Stallone became the third person in history to receive nominations for both Best Actor and Best Screenplay for the first Rocky film.
1978: Sang "Too Close to Paradise" for Paradise Alley
In 1978, Sylvester Stallone sang "Too Close to Paradise" for Paradise Alley, with music by Bill Conti.
1982: Sang "Take Me Back" in Rocky III
In 1982, Sylvester Stallone, as Rocky Balboa, sang "Take Me Back" to Adrian (Talia Shire) in Rocky III.
1983: Directed Staying Alive
In 1983, Sylvester Stallone directed "Staying Alive", a sequel to "Saturday Night Fever". Though critically panned, the movie was a commercial success, ranking in the top ten financially successful films of 1983.
1984: Sang in Rhinestone
In 1984, Sylvester Stallone sang songs such as "Drinkenstein" and duets with Dolly Parton in Rhinestone.
1985: Signed for Angels with Dirty Faces Remake
Around 1985, Sylvester Stallone was signed to a remake of the 1939 film "Angels with Dirty Faces" as part of a deal with Cannon Films. The remake was met with disapproval and was eventually replaced by the film "Cobra".
1985: Continued Success with Rocky and Rambo Franchises
In 1985, Sylvester Stallone continued his success with the Rocky and Rambo franchises with Rocky IV and Rambo: First Blood Part II. Both films were major financial successes.
1986: Cobra Released and Production Company Founded
In 1986, the action film "Cobra" was released instead of "Angels with Dirty Faces", becoming a box-office success. This led to Sylvester Stallone setting up his production company, White Eagle Enterprises.
1987: Starred in Over the Top
In 1987, Sylvester Stallone starred in the family drama "Over the Top". The film was poorly received by critics and was a box-office failure.
1989: Co-starred in Tango & Cash
In 1989, Sylvester Stallone co-starred alongside Kurt Russell in the buddy cop action film "Tango & Cash", which performed well at the box office, grossing over US$120 million worldwide.
1992: Starred in Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot
In 1992, Sylvester Stallone appeared in the action comedy "Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot", which was a critical and box-office disaster.
1993: Cliffhanger and Demolition Man
In 1993, Sylvester Stallone starred in the successful action thriller "Cliffhanger" and the futuristic action film "Demolition Man". Demolition Man was a hit at the box office.
1994: Contribution to Rick Santorum's Campaign
In 1994, Stallone contributed $1,000 to Rick Santorum's campaign for the Senate in Pennsylvania.
1994: Starred in The Specialist
In 1994, Sylvester Stallone starred in "The Specialist" alongside Sharon Stone. Despite negative reviews, the film was a commercial success.
1995: Starred in Judge Dredd
In 1995, Sylvester Stallone starred in the science fiction action film "Judge Dredd". Despite underperforming domestically, its overseas box-office appeal saved the film.
1996: Starred in Daylight
In 1996, Sylvester Stallone starred in the disaster film "Daylight". Although it underperformed domestically, it did better overseas and grossed a total of $158 million worldwide.
1997: Starred in Cop Land
In 1997, Sylvester Stallone starred in the crime drama "Cop Land" alongside Robert De Niro and Ray Liotta. The film was critically well-received and a modest success at the box office.
1998: Voice-over Work in Antz
In 1998, Sylvester Stallone did voice-over work for the animated film "Antz", which was a success domestically.
2000: Starred in Get Carter Remake
In 2000, Sylvester Stallone starred in "Get Carter", a remake of the 1971 British film of the same name. The film was poorly received by critics and audiences.
2001: Starred in Driven
In 2001, Sylvester Stallone starred in Driven, which was a critical and commercial failure.
2002: Starred in Avenging Angelo and D-Tox
In 2002, Sylvester Stallone starred in Avenging Angelo and D-Tox. Both films were critical and commercial failures.
2003: Played Villain in Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over
In 2003, Sylvester Stallone played a villainous role in "Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over", which was a huge box-office success. He also had a cameo in the French film Taxi 3.
2005: Co-presented The Contender and Other Appearances
In 2005, Sylvester Stallone co-presented the NBC reality TV series "The Contender", made guest appearances in "Las Vegas", inducted Hulk Hogan into the WWE Hall of Fame, and released his book "Sly Moves".
2006: Rocky Balboa Release and Death Wish Remake Development
In 2006, Sylvester Stallone had a comeback with "Rocky Balboa", the sixth installment in the "Rocky" series, which was a critical and commercial hit. He also began development on a "Death Wish" remake.
January 25, 2008: Rambo Film Release
On January 25, 2008, Stallone released Rambo, the fourth installment of the Rambo franchise. The opening day grossed US$6,490,000.
2008: Endorsement of John McCain
In 2008, Stallone endorsed John McCain for that year's presidential election.
July 2009: Bollywood Cameo Appearance
In July 2009, Sylvester Stallone made a cameo appearance as himself in the Bollywood film "Kambakkht Ishq".
2009: Considered Death Wish Remake Again
In 2009, Sylvester Stallone stated that he was again considering the project of the Death Wish Remake.
August 13, 2010: The Expendables Release
On August 13, 2010, Sylvester Stallone's film "The Expendables" was released, marking the biggest opening weekend in his career. The film took US$34,825,135 in its opening weekend.
2011: Zookeeper Voice Role
In 2011, Sylvester Stallone provided the voice of a lion in Kevin James' comedy "Zookeeper".
August 17, 2012: The Expendables 2 Release
On August 17, 2012, "The Expendables 2" was released, receiving a more positive critical reception than the first film.
2013: Sang in Grudge Match
In 2013, Sylvester Stallone sang "The Star-Spangled Banner" with Robert De Niro in Grudge Match.
2013: Starred in Bullet to the Head, Escape Plan, and Grudge Match
In 2013, Sylvester Stallone starred in the action film "Bullet to the Head", "Escape Plan" with Arnold Schwarzenegger, and the sports comedy drama "Grudge Match" with Robert De Niro.
August 15, 2014: The Expendables 3 Release
On August 15, 2014, "The Expendables 3" was released. This film was negatively received and became the lowest-grossing film in the series.
2015: Reprised Role as Rocky Balboa in Creed
In 2015, Sylvester Stallone reprised his role as Rocky Balboa in the spin-off-sequel film "Creed", receiving widespread acclaim and accolades, including the Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor.
2016: Declined Offer to Chair the National Endowment for the Arts
In 2016, Stallone declined an offer to become Chair of the National Endowment for the Arts.
2017: Appeared in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2
In 2017, Sylvester Stallone appeared in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 as Stakar Ogord / Starhawk, who is the leader of a Ravagers faction.
March 2018: Balboa Productions formed
In March 2018, Stallone formed Balboa Productions with Braden Aftergood, where Stallone will serve as co-producer for each of their projects.
March 2018: Creed II Production Begins
In March 2018, production for Creed II commenced, with an intended release around Thanksgiving 2018. Steven Caple Jr. was appointed as director after Stallone was originally slated to direct.
May 2018: Fifth Rambo film announced
In May 2018, it was announced that there would be a fifth installment in the Rambo franchise.
August 2018: Rambo V director confirmed
In August 2018, Adrian Grünberg was confirmed as the director for Rambo: Last Blood.
September 2018: Rambo V filming began
Filming for Rambo: Last Blood began in September 2018, with Stallone reprising his role and co-writing the script.
November 21, 2018: Creed II Released
On November 21, 2018, Creed II was released in the United States by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. The film received generally positive reviews and debuted to $35.3 million in its opening weekend.
2018: Starred in Escape Plan 2: Hades
In 2018, Sylvester Stallone co-starred in Escape Plan 2: Hades with Dave Bautista. He also announced that work on the third movie titled Escape Plan: The Extractors, began immediately after wrapping production. In July 2018, he finished a script for a sequel to Creed, with Ivan Drago returning from Rocky IV. Stallone was also featured in a documentary about director John G. Avildsen that year.
July 23, 2019: Rocky Sequel and Prequel in Development
On July 23, 2019, Sylvester Stallone revealed in an interview with Variety that a Rocky sequel and a prequel were in development. The sequel would involve Rocky befriending a young, undocumented immigrant.
September 20, 2019: Rambo: Last Blood Released
On September 20, 2019, Rambo: Last Blood was released in the United States, grossing $18.9 million in its opening weekend.
May 2020: Demolition Man sequel announced
In May 2020, Sylvester Stallone announced that a sequel to 1993's Demolition Man was in the works.
2020: Directed Rocky Documentary
In 2020, Sylvester Stallone hand-picked Derek Wayne Johnson to direct and produce a documentary on the making of the original Rocky, entitled 40 Years of Rocky.
2020: Voice of Rambo in Mortal Kombat 11
In late 2020, Sylvester Stallone voiced the character of Rambo in the fighting video game Mortal Kombat 11.
2021: Voice of King Shark in The Suicide Squad
In 2021, Sylvester Stallone voiced King Shark in the DC Extended Universe film The Suicide Squad.
November 2022: Streaming television debut in Tulsa King
In November 2022, Sylvester Stallone made his streaming television debut in Tulsa King, playing a Mafia boss.
May 2023: Starred in The Family Stallone reality series
In May 2023, Sylvester Stallone and his family starred in the reality television series The Family Stallone. He also reprised his role as Stakar Ogord in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.
October 2023: Reprised Barney Ross in Expend4bles
In October 2023, Sylvester Stallone reprised his role as Barney Ross in Expend4bles, which became the lowest-grossing film in the franchise.
2023: Donation to Kyrsten Sinema's Campaign
In 2023, Stallone donated $11,600 to Kyrsten Sinema's re-election campaign in Arizona.
January 16, 2025: Appointment as Special Ambassador to Hollywood
On January 16, 2025, Stallone was announced by Trump to serve as a Special Ambassador to Hollywood.
