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 with a career spanning over five decades. He has garnered numerous awards, including a Golden Globe and a Critics' Choice Award, and has been nominated for multiple Academy Awards and BAFTA Awards. He is one of the few actors to have starred in a box-office number-one film across six consecutive decades. His films have collectively grossed over $7.5 billion worldwide, highlighting his significant impact on the film industry.
1976: Rocky's 'Gonna Fly Now' Theme
In 1976, Bill Conti recorded the famous "Gonna Fly Now" theme for Sylvester Stallone's Academy Award-nominated film, Rocky.
1977: Double Oscar Nominations 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: Singing in Paradise Alley
In 1978, Sylvester Stallone sang "Too Close to Paradise" for the movie Paradise Alley, with music by Bill Conti.
1982: Singing 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: 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 critically panned, it was a commercial success, grossing nearly $65 million in the US and 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, playing a wannabe country music singer. He also performed a song for the film's soundtrack. Stallone turned down the lead role in "Romancing the Stone" to make "Rhinestone", a decision he later regretted.
1985: Signed to remake Angels with Dirty Faces
Around 1985, Sylvester Stallone was signed to a remake of the 1939 James Cagney classic "Angels with Dirty Faces". The film was to be co-starring Christopher Reeve and be directed by Menahem Golan, and would form part of his multi-picture deal with Cannon Films. Cannon, however, opted to make the action film "Cobra" instead.
1985: Success with Rocky IV and Rambo: First Blood Part II
In 1985, Sylvester Stallone continued his success with the Rocky and Rambo franchises with the releases of "Rocky IV" and "Rambo: First Blood Part II." For Rocky IV, Stallone worked with Franco Columbu to develop his character's physique. Both films were major financial successes.
1986: Release and Success of Cobra
In 1986, Cannon Films released the action film "Cobra" starring Sylvester Stallone, which became a box-office success. This success led to the establishment 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", playing a struggling trucker who tries to reconcile with his son and enters an arm wrestling competition. 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 with Kurt Russell in the buddy cop action film "Tango & Cash," which achieved solid box office results domestically and internationally, grossing over US$120 million worldwide. In the 1980s, Stallone also became a boxing promoter, and his 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 took the role based on rumors that Arnold Schwarzenegger was interested, who later admitted he faked interest to lure Stallone into the project.
1993: Success with Cliffhanger and Demolition Man
In 1993, Sylvester Stallone made a comeback with Renny Harlin's action thriller "Cliffhanger," which was successful in the US and worldwide. Later that year, he starred in the futuristic action film "Demolition Man" directed by Marco Brambilla, with Wesley Snipes and Sandra Bullock. "Demolition Man" was a box office success.
1993: Release of Demolition Man
In 1993, the movie 'Demolition Man' was released. A sequel was mentioned by Stallone in 2020.
1994: Campaign Contribution
In 1994, 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. The film was a commercial success, grossing $170,362,582 worldwide, despite overwhelmingly negative critical reception.
1995: Starring in Judge Dredd and Universal Pictures Deal
In 1995, Sylvester Stallone starred in the science fiction action film "Judge Dredd". Despite the film's poor box-office performance, 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 former emergency services chief attempting to rescue survivors of an underground tunnel explosion. While it underperformed domestically, it fared 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, playing an overweight sheriff. The film was critically well-received, 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 domestic success.
February 2000: Expiration of Universal Pictures Deal
In February 2000, Sylvester Stallone's three-picture deal with Universal Pictures expired without him making any films, resulting in no payment received.
2000: Starring in Get Carter
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: Starring in Driven
In 2001, Sylvester Stallone starred in the film "Driven," which was a critical and commercial failure.
2002: Starring in Avenging Angelo and D-Tox
In 2002, Sylvester Stallone's career declined with the release of "Avenging Angelo" and "D-Tox," both of which were critical and commercial failures.
2003: Villainous Role in Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over and Cameo in Taxi 3
In 2003, Sylvester Stallone played a villain in "Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over," which was a box-office success. He also had a cameo in the French film "Taxi 3". In 2003 Stallone started to regain prominence for his supporting role in the neo-noir crime drama Shade
2005: Co-presenter of The Contender and Guest Appearance in Las Vegas
In 2005, Sylvester Stallone co-presented the NBC reality television boxing competition series "The Contender" alongside Sugar Ray Leonard. He also made a guest appearance in two episodes of the television series "Las Vegas". That year, Stallone 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 made a comeback with "Rocky Balboa", the sixth installment of the "Rocky" series, which was a critical and commercial hit. He also announced plans to direct and star in a remake of "Death Wish," though he later stepped away from the project.
January 25, 2008: Release of Rambo
On January 25, 2008, Sylvester Stallone reprised his role in "Rambo", the fourth installment of the Rambo franchise. The film grossed US$6,490,000 on its opening day and US$18,200,000 over its opening weekend. The total box office reached US$113,244,290 worldwide with a budget of US$50 million.
July 2009: Cameo Appearance in Kambakkht Ishq
In July 2009, Sylvester Stallone made a cameo appearance as himself in the Bollywood film "Kambakkht Ishq."
2009: Considering Death Wish Remake
In 2009, Sylvester Stallone stated he was again considering involvement with the Death Wish remake, however he did not proceed.
August 13, 2010: Release of The Expendables
On August 13, 2010, "The Expendables," written, directed, and starring Sylvester Stallone, was released. It featured numerous action stars and marked the biggest opening weekend in Stallone's career. In summer 2010, a Brazilian company claimed to be owed over US$2 million for its work on the film.
December 7, 2010: Induction into International Boxing Hall of Fame
On December 7, 2010, Sylvester Stallone was voted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in the non-participant category, marking his contributions to the sport through film.
2011: Voice role 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, receiving a more positive critical reception than the original. Sylvester Stallone was part of the returning cast, which also included Jean-Claude Van Damme and Chuck Norris.
2013: The Star-Spangled Banner in Grudge Match
In 2013, Sylvester Stallone performed "The Star-Spangled Banner" with Robert De Niro in the movie Grudge Match.
2013: Starring in Bullet to the Head, Escape Plan and Grudge Match
In 2013, Sylvester Stallone starred in the action film "Bullet to the Head," the action thriller "Escape Plan" with Arnold Schwarzenegger and Jim Caviezel, and the sports comedy-drama "Grudge Match" alongside Robert De Niro. In 2013, Stallone was credited as writer for the Jason Statham action film vehicle Homefront.
August 15, 2014: Release of The Expendables 3
On August 15, 2014, "The Expendables 3" was released, featuring a returning ensemble cast with new additions such as Wesley Snipes, Antonio Banderas, Mel Gibson, and Harrison Ford. However, the film was negatively received and became the lowest-grossing film in the series.
2015: Reprising Rocky Balboa in Creed
In 2015, Sylvester Stallone reprised his role as Rocky Balboa in Creed, a spin-off-sequel film focusing on Adonis "Donnie" Creed. His performance 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, Sylvester Stallone appeared in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 as Stakar Ogord / Starhawk.
March 2018: Creed II Production
In March 2018, Creed II went into production, with a scheduled release on Thanksgiving 2018. Steven Caple Jr. was appointed director, marking his feature film directorial debut.
March 2018: Balboa Productions Formation
In March 2018, Sylvester Stallone formed a film studio named Balboa Productions with Braden Aftergood and signed a multi-year collaboration deal with Starlight Culture Entertainment.
May 2018: Rambo 5 Announcement
In May 2018, a fifth installment in the Rambo franchise was announced.
August 2018: Adrian Grünberg Confirmed as Rambo 5 Director
In August 2018, Adrian Grünberg was confirmed as the director for the fifth installment in the Rambo franchise, Rambo: Last Blood.
September 2018: Rambo: Last Blood Filming
In September 2018, filming began for Rambo: Last Blood, with Sylvester Stallone reprising his role as John Rambo.
November 21, 2018: Creed II Release
On November 21, 2018, Creed II was released in the United States by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and debuted to $35.3 million in its opening weekend.
2018: Escape Plan 2 and Creed Sequel Script
In 2018, Sylvester Stallone co-starred in Escape Plan 2: Hades, which was released straight to home-video. He also announced finishing a script for a sequel to Creed, featuring the return of Ivan Drago.
July 23, 2019: Rocky Sequel and Prequel Development
On July 23, 2019, Sylvester Stallone announced in an interview that a Rocky sequel and prequel were in development, with Stallone writing and starring in the feature. He also mentioned discussions about a Rocky prequel television series.
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 Announcement
In May 2020, Sylvester Stallone announced that a sequel to 1993's Demolition Man was in the works with Warner Brothers.
2020: Directing and producing a documentary on the making of the original Rocky
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. The documentary features Stallone narrating behind-the-scenes footage from the making of the film.
2020: Voice Acting as Rambo in Mortal Kombat 11
In late 2020, Sylvester Stallone voiced Rambo in the fighting video game Mortal Kombat 11, as part of the game's 2nd Kombat Pack.
2021: Voice Acting as 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, created by Taylor Sheridan and Terence Winter, which premiered on Paramount+.
May 2023: The Family Stallone and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 Appearance
In May 2023, Sylvester Stallone and his family starred in the reality television series The Family Stallone, which was renewed for a second season. That same month, he reprised his role in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.
October 2023: Expend4bles Release
In October 2023, Sylvester Stallone reprised role as Barney Ross in Expend4bles, which was a critical and commercial failure.
2023: Donation to Kyrsten Sinema and Meeting with Pope Francis
In 2023, Stallone donated $11,600 to Senator Kyrsten Sinema's re-election campaign. Later that year, he and his family had a private meeting with Pope Francis at the Vatican.
January 16, 2025: Appointment as Special Ambassador to Hollywood
On January 16, 2025, it was announced that Stallone would serve as a Special Ambassador to Hollywood alongside Jon Voight and Mel Gibson, with the goal of strengthening Hollywood by bringing back business lost to foreign countries.
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