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 highly acclaimed American actor and filmmaker with a career spanning over five decades. He's been recognized with a Golden Globe and Critics' Choice Award, and has been nominated for multiple Academy Awards and BAFTA Awards. Notably, Stallone is one of the few actors to have starred in a number one box-office film across six consecutive decades, highlighting his enduring popularity and success in the entertainment industry. He is best known for his roles in the Rocky and Rambo franchises.
1976: Gonna Fly Now
In 1976, the famous song 'Gonna Fly Now' theme for Rocky was released, the music was provided by Bill Conti, who also collaborated with Stallone in prior years. The movie was nominated for an Academy Award and the song was a U.S. No. 1 hit.
1977: Double Nomination for Rocky
In 1977, for the first Rocky film, Stallone became the third man in history to receive nominations for both Best Actor and Best Screenplay.
1978: Too Close to Paradise
In 1978, Stallone sang "Too Close to Paradise" for the movie Paradise Alley.
1982: "Take Me Back" Performance
In 1982, Stallone, as Rocky Balboa, sang "Take Me Back" to his on-screen wife Adrian (Talia Shire) in Rocky III. The song was first performed by his brother, Frank Stallone.
1983: Frank Stallone's Hit Song
In 1983, Frank Stallone's song "Far from Over", for Staying Alive, reached the #10 U.S. hit.
1983: Directing "Staying Alive"
In 1983, Sylvester Stallone directed "Staying Alive," the sequel to "Saturday Night Fever," starring John Travolta. Although the film was a critical failure, it was a commercial success, ranking in the top ten most financially successful films of 1983.
1984: Starring in "Rhinestone"
In 1984, Sylvester Stallone co-wrote and starred in the comedy film "Rhinestone" alongside Dolly Parton, where he played a wannabe country music singer. He also performed a song for the Rhinestone soundtrack. Stallone regretted turning down the lead role in "Romancing the Stone" to make "Rhinestone" instead.
1984: Rhinestone Songs
In 1984, for Rhinestone, Stallone sang songs such as "Drinkenstein" as well as duets with Dolly Parton.
1985: Signed for Remake of "Angels with Dirty Faces"
Around 1985, Sylvester Stallone was signed to a remake of the 1939 film, "Angels with Dirty Faces". The remake was to form part of his deal with Cannon Films and would co-star Christopher Reeve. However, due to disapproval, Cannon opted to make the action film "Cobra" instead.
1985: Continuing Success with Rocky IV and Rambo: First Blood Part II
In 1985, Sylvester Stallone continued his success with the Rocky and Rambo franchises, releasing "Rocky IV" and "Rambo: First Blood Part II". For Rocky IV, Stallone worked with Franco Columbu to develop his character's appearance. Both films were major financial successes.
1986: Release of "Cobra" and Formation of White Eagle Enterprises
In 1986, Cannon Films released the action film "Cobra", starring Sylvester Stallone, which became a box-office success. The film's success led to the setting up of Stallone's production company, White Eagle Enterprises.
1987: Starring in "Over the Top"
In 1987, Sylvester Stallone starred in the family drama "Over the Top" as a struggling trucker. The film was poorly received by critics and was a box-office failure.
1989: Co-starring in "Tango & Cash"
In 1989, Sylvester Stallone co-starred alongside Kurt Russell in the buddy cop action film "Tango & Cash", which performed well domestically and overseas. Also in 1989, Stallone's boxing promoting company, Tiger Eye Productions, signed world champion boxers Sean O'Grady and Aaron Pryor.
1992: Appearing in "Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot"
In 1992, Sylvester Stallone appeared in Roger Spottiswoode's action comedy "Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot", which was a critical and box-office disaster. Stallone signed onto the film based on rumors that Schwarzenegger was interested in the lead.
1993: Comeback with "Cliffhanger" and Starring in "Demolition Man"
In 1993, Sylvester Stallone made a comeback with Renny Harlin's action thriller "Cliffhanger", which was a success in the US and worldwide. Later that year, he starred in the futuristic action film "Demolition Man", co-starring Wesley Snipes and Sandra Bullock, which also debuted at No. 1 at the box office.
1993: Demolition Man Release
In 1993, the movie Demolition Man was released. Stallone has announced that a sequel is in the works.
1994: Contribution to Rick Santorum's Campaign
In 1994, Sylvester Stallone contributed $1,000 to the campaign of then-Congressman Rick Santorum, who was running for the Senate in Pennsylvania.
1994: Starring in "The Specialist"
In 1994, Sylvester Stallone's string of hits continued with "The Specialist", co-starring Sharon Stone and directed by Luis Llosa. While critically panned, the film was a commercial success.
1995: Starring in "Judge Dredd"
In 1995, Sylvester Stallone played the title character in the science fiction action film "Judge Dredd". Despite being a domestic box-office disappointment, Stallone signed a three-picture deal with Universal Pictures for $60 million.
1996: Starring in "Daylight"
In 1996, Sylvester Stallone starred in the disaster film "Daylight" as a disgraced former emergency services chief. The movie underperformed at the domestic box office, but did better overseas.
1997: Starring 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, a modest success, and Stallone won the Stockholm International Film Festival Best Actor Award for his performance.
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: Starring in "Get Carter"
In 2000, Sylvester Stallone starred in the thriller "Get Carter", a remake of the 1971 British film of the same name. The film was poorly received by critics and audiences.
2001: Starring in "Driven"
In 2001, Sylvester Stallone's film "Driven" was released and became a critical and commercial failure.
2002: Starring in "Avenging Angelo" and "D-Tox"
In 2002, Sylvester Stallone's films "Avenging Angelo" and "D-Tox" were released and were critical and commercial failures.
2003: Role 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 box-office success. He also made a cameo appearance in the French film "Taxi 3".
2005: Co-presenter of "The Contender" and WWE Hall of Fame Induction
In 2005, Sylvester Stallone co-presented the NBC reality television series "The Contender" and made a guest appearance in "Las Vegas". He also inducted Hulk Hogan into the WWE Hall of Fame and released his book "Sly Moves".
2006: Comeback with "Rocky Balboa"
In 2006, Sylvester Stallone had a comeback with the release of "Rocky Balboa", the sixth installment of the Rocky series. The film was a critical and commercial hit.
January 25, 2008: Release of "Rambo"
On January 25, 2008, Sylvester Stallone reprised his role as Rambo in the fourth installment of the film franchise, titled "Rambo". The film grossed US$6,490,000 on its opening day and US$18,200,000 over its opening weekend.
July 2009: Cameo Appearance in "Kambakkht Ishq"
In July 2009, Sylvester Stallone made a cameo appearance as himself in the Bollywood film "Kambakkht Ishq".
August 13, 2010: Release of "The Expendables"
On August 13, 2010, Sylvester Stallone's film "The Expendables", which he wrote, directed and starred in, was released. The film grossed US$34,825,135 in its opening weekend.
2011: Voice of a lion in "Zookeeper"
In 2011, Sylvester Stallone provided the voice of a lion in Kevin James' comedy "Zookeeper".
August 17, 2012: Release of "The Expendables 2"
On August 17, 2012, "The Expendables 2" was released. Also in 2012, Stallone co-wrote the book for the Broadway musical adaptation of Rocky.
2013: "The Star-Spangled Banner" Performance
In 2013, Stallone sang "The Star-Spangled Banner" with Robert De Niro in Grudge Match.
2013: Starring in Action Films
In 2013, Sylvester Stallone starred in the action film "Bullet to the Head", the action thriller "Escape Plan", and the sports comedy drama "Grudge Match". Stallone was credited as writer for the Jason Statham action film vehicle "Homefront" that same year.
August 15, 2014: Release of "The Expendables 3"
On August 15, 2014, "The Expendables 3", the third installment in the ensemble action film series, was released. The film was negatively received by critics and audiences and became the lowest-grossing film in the series.
2015: Stallone in Creed
In 2015, Stallone reprised his role as Rocky Balboa in Creed, a spin-off-sequel film. His portrayal earned him a Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor and an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor.
2017: Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 Appearance
In 2017, Stallone appeared in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 as Stakar Ogord / Starhawk.
March 2018: Balboa Productions Formation
In March 2018, Stallone formed Balboa Productions with Braden Aftergood and signed a deal with Starlight Culture Entertainment.
March 2018: Creed II Production Begins
Production for Creed II began in March 2018, with Steven Caple Jr. appointed as director.
May 2018: Rambo 5 Announcement
In May 2018, a fifth installment in the Rambo franchise was announced.
August 2018: Rambo: Last Blood Director Confirmed
In August 2018, Adrian Grünberg was confirmed as the director of Rambo: Last Blood.
September 2018: Rambo: Last Blood Filming Begins
Filming for Rambo: Last Blood began in September 2018.
November 21, 2018: Creed II Release
On November 21, 2018, Creed II was released in the United States by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, receiving generally positive reviews and debuting to $35.3 million in its opening weekend.
2018: Escape Plan 2: Hades and Creed II Script
In 2018, Stallone co-starred in Escape Plan 2: Hades, released straight to home-video, and finished a script for a Creed sequel featuring Ivan Drago's return. He was also featured in the documentary John G. Avildsen: King of the Underdogs.
July 23, 2019: Rocky Sequel and Prequel Development
On July 23, 2019, Stallone announced that a Rocky sequel and a prequel television series are in development, with the sequel focusing on Rocky befriending an undocumented immigrant.
September 20, 2019: Rambo: Last Blood Release
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, Stallone announced that a sequel to 1993's Demolition Man is in the works with Warner Brothers.
2020: 40 Years of Rocky Documentary
In 2020, Stallone selected Derek Wayne Johnson to direct and produce a documentary on the making of the original Rocky, entitled 40 Years of Rocky, which features Stallone narrating behind-the-scenes footage.
2020: Voice of Rambo in Mortal Kombat 11
In late 2020, Stallone voiced Rambo in the fighting video game Mortal Kombat 11, as part of the game's 2nd Kombat Pack.
2021: Voice of King Shark in The Suicide Squad
In 2021, Stallone voiced King Shark in the DC Extended Universe film The Suicide Squad.
November 2022: Tulsa King Debut
In November 2022, Stallone made his streaming television debut in Tulsa King on Paramount+.
May 2023: The Family Stallone and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
In May 2023, Stallone and his family starred in the reality series The Family Stallone, which was renewed for a second season shortly after its launch. Stallone also reprised his role as Stakar Ogord in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.
October 2023: Expend4bles Release
In October 2023, Stallone reprised his role as Barney Ross in Expend4bles, which was a critical and commercial failure.
January 16, 2025: Appointment as Special Ambassador to Hollywood
On January 16, 2025, it was announced that Sylvester Stallone would serve as a Special Ambassador to Hollywood, sharing the role with Jon Voight and Mel Gibson, to strengthen Hollywood by bringing back business lost to foreign countries.
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