Sylvester Stallone celebrates his 76th birthday on July 6. The actor shot to stardom in ‘Rocky’ and has starred in a number of classic movies since, here are 10 of his most memorable roles.
From Rocky to Rambo!
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Sylvester Stallone celebrates his 76th birthday on July 6. The actor shot to stardom in ‘Rocky’ and has starred in a number of classic movies since, here are 10 of his most memorable roles.
Rocky
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Stallone struggled to find work early in his career but shot to stardom for his portrayal of underdog boxer Rocky Balboa. Sly penned the screenplay for the 1976 film that would go on to win an Academy Award for Best Picture. The movie is regarded as one of the greatest sports films ever made and was selected by the Library of Congress for preservation in the United States National Film Registry for its cultural significance.
Rambo
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Stallone has played a variety of action roles during his Hollywood career with the PTSD-plagued soldier John Rambo one of his most famous. Sly played Rambo for the first time in the 1982 box-office hit ‘First Blood’ and would go on to star in four further movies in the franchise – most recently in ‘Rambo: Last Blood’ in 2019.
Rocky IV
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The ‘Rocky’ franchise became a massive success following the release of the original film and the fourth installment in 1985 pitted Stallone’s alter ego against the fearsome Soviet fighter Ivan Drago (Dolph Lundgren). Stallone and Lundgren traded authentic punches in their fight scene and the flick became the highest-grossing film in the franchise, which would go on to span six movies.
Cobra
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Sly played the title role in this 1986 action movie and based the screenplay on ideas he had during pre-production on ‘Beverly Hills Cop’ – a project he pulled out off after Paramount refused to implement his ideas. Stallone played a hardnosed cop who has to protect the only surviving witness to a strange murderous cult. The movie proved to be a hit at the box office but was met with negative reviews by the critics.
Cliffhanger
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Stallone starred as haunted mountain ranger Gabriel ‘Gabe’ Walker in the 1993 film. In the movie, Sly’s character returns to the mountains to help the victims of a plane crash – only to find that criminals are using him to try and steal money from the US Treasury. The movie was successful at the box office and Stallone has stated that he would love to make a sequel, although nothing has materialised as yet.
Demolition Man
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Sly joined Wesley Snipes and Sandra Bullock in the futuristic 1993 action thriller. Stallone’s maverick police officer John Spartan is cryogenically frozen in 1996 after a failed attempt to catch crime lord Simon Phoenix. When Phoenix escapes and wreaks havoc on a crime-free society in 2032, Spartan is awakened to help capture the criminal.
Cop Land
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Sly led an all-star cast that included Ray Liotta, Robert De Niro and Harvey Keitel. Stallone played New Jersey Sheriff Freddy Heflin as he has tries to stop corrupt New York City officers living in his community. Director James Mangold had been reluctant to cast Stallone in the lead role but the film would prove to be well-received.
The Expendables
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Stallone paid homage to the classic action movies of the 1980s and 1990s in his role as Barney Ross in the franchise, which began in 2010. The star has been joined by action legends including Jason Statham, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Dolph Lundgren in the three movies so far. The franchise will return to the big screen with ‘The Expendables 4’ later this year with 50 Cent and Megan Fox joining the cast.
Creed
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Stallone reprised his role as Rocky Balboa in the 2015 film as his legendary character mentored Adonis Creed (Michael B. Jordan) – the son of his late rival turned friend Apollo Creed (Carl Weathers). Ryan Coogler’s movie proved to be a critical and commercial success and Sly’s performance was hailed as the actor won the Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture.
The Suicide Squad
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Sly lent his voice to King Shark in the 2021 DC Extended Universe (DCEU) movie. Director James Gunn wrote the part with Stallone in mind and the actor agreed to take on the role after working with the filmmaker on ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’. Stallone featured in an all-star ensemble cast that included Margot Robbie, Idris Elba and John Cena.
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