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"I am not the richest, smartest or most talented person in the world, but I succeed because I keep going and going and going." The life of Sylvester Stallone could be made into a movie. Not just any movie, but a triumphant rags-to-riches story about a man who bet everything on his own skills. No, we aren't talking about Rocky, the debut film that Stallone wrote and starred in.  Stallone's real-life story is just as exciting and twice as fulfilling.

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Sylvester Stallone is one of the most famous action stars to ever set foot in front of a camera. Built like a freight train and possessed of a unique voice and unending motivation, Stallone was quick to grab the attention of fans around the world. While Stallone may be known as a muscular action star, it took more than muscles for Stallone to stake his claim in the industry. Overcoming a difficult childhood, adult homelessness, and controversial early projects would make Stallone a real-life champion for underdogs everywhere.

Life of Childhood Adversity

Sylvester 'Sly' Stallone was born on July 6, 1946, in Hells Kitchen, Manhattan, New York. Stallone's mother was Jacqueline Stallone, a dancer and woman's wrestling promoter. Stallone's father was an Italian man named Francesco Stallone Sr, a local beautician and hairdresser. Stallone's early life was far from easy as he and his brother, Frank Stallone, had to deal with a hostile home environment. Francesco and Jackie Stallone would end up getting divorced when Sylvester was only five-years-old and this would leave Sylvester alone in foster care. Eventually, Stallone would find his way back to his mother where they would live with her second husband out in Philadelphia.

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Stallone attended a high school for troubled kids while in Philadelphia. Despite his intimidating presence, Sylvester would experience bullying at times due to his notable lisp. During birth, Stallone's mother had to have an obstetrician use forceps in order to save Sylvester. The forceps would end up leaving Sylvester's face partially paralyzed, thus giving the man his notable slur and snarling demeanor.

After high school graduation, Sylvester would attend American College overseas in Switzerland. His focus was on drama, but he would end up dropping out of the school. Stallone would then attend the University of Miami, again dropping out before completing his degree. This led Stallone to head to New York City with nothing but empty pockets and a dream. While we know Stallone as the megastar that he is today, his dreams were never less realistic than they were at this point in his life. Stallone was broke while trying to take care of his pregnant wife. Despite the odds being stacked against him, Stallone never gave up on his dreams. However, it took more than hope for Stallone to get his major break.

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Rocky, Welcome to New York City

Moving to New York City without any connections or prospects was a daring move by Stallone. Despite the courage that it took to make the jump, Stallone still struggled out of the gate. Stallone would work every odd job underneath the sun in order to make enough money to live. Whether he was cleaning cages at Central Park Zoo or sweeping movie theaters, Stallone was determined to survive until he made his breakthrough. Stallone even went so far as to star in an adult film, The Party at Kitty and Stud's (1970) for a meager $200. Stallone reportedly had taken the job just so that he could put food on the table for his family. 

While Stallone worked odd-jobs to make ends meet, he was essentially homeless. Despite his living conditions, Stallone's dreams would take a dramatic turn after watching a boxing match between Chuck Wepner and Muhammad Ali. Inspired by the fight, Stallone would write for 20 hours straight. The end result of this frantic writing session was the screenplay for Rocky. Stallone shopped the script around to studios, but he refused to sell the film unless he was allowed to play the lead role.  At one point in time, Robert Chartoff and Irwin Winkler offered the broke Stallone $350,000 for the rights to the film. However, they wanted to cast Burt Reynolds as the lead. With a pregnant wife and a bank account in the red, Stallone was tempted. Still, Stallone held fast, declining the money. Stallone would only sell the film if he could star in the project. Eventually, producers granted Stallone's request. In return, Rocky (1976) would be nominated for ten Academy Awards before winning Best Picture, among others. Overnight, Stallone was a star.

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With Rocky making Stallone an action star, the world was his oyster. Possessed by the same frantic energy that brought Rocky to life, Stallone began to work. He would make his directorial debut in the 1978 film Paradise Alley. A year later, Stallone would star in the film, F.I.S.T. which was based on the life of James Hoffa. Stallone was eager to go back to the well that made him famous and Rocky II (1979) would soon follow. At this point in time, Stallone was an out-and-out star. He would land one of his most iconic roles in 1982 as he donned the mantle of John Rambo in First Blood (1982). The box office success of Rocky would translate and the entire Rambo series (1982–2008) would end up turning Stallone into a box office darling.

At the height of Stallone's fame, audiences were starting to catch on to what he had to offer. The mid-90s saw Stallone's star power begin to fade. Judge Dredd (1995) and Daylight (1996) were both critically and commercially panned. It wasn't until 2006 that Sylvester Stallone was back on top with the sixth release in the famous Rocky series. The film rebounded nicely from Rocky V's financial mediocrity and it would give producers the opportunity to produce another Rambo (2008) project. Despite Rambo's success, Stallone still believes that Rocky is the project that he wants to be remembered for.

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By this point in time, Stallone was re-integrating himself as a modern action star. Stallone would use his rejuvenated star power in order to write, direct, and star in the action ensemble film, The Expendables (2010). The film would co-star such notable names as Dolph Lundgren, Jason Statham, Jet Li, and Mickey Rourke.  Bruce Willis and Arnold Schwarzenegger would also make cameos in The Expendables. The financial success of the action movie would launch an entirely new franchise and The Expendables 2 (2012) and The Expendables 3 (2014) were quick to follow. Stallone would win the trust of financiers and Stallone would be able to launch a Rocky spin-off series centered on Apollo Creed's son. Creed (2015) and Creed II (2018) would both become runaway hits for Stallone's production company, Balboa Productions.

Stallone most recently appeared in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017) as Stakar Ogord and Stallone is slated to star in Rambo: Last Blood for release in 2019.  Sylvester Stallone has been married to Jennifer Flavin since 1997. Stallone has five children, with his eldest son having tragically passed away.  Stallone currently resides in Beverly Hills, CA.