Sylvester Stallone's Success Didn't Come Easily And Is Because He Didn't Give Up

Nov 19, 2020 by apost team

We often see famous people and admire their success. However, have you ever stopped to wonder where they started from? Some of them start from very humble beginnings and work their way up. Actor Sylvester Stallone is a famous Hollywood icon. He has had so much success in the movie industry, winning many accolades. However, before the fame, he has a very humble past, doing odd jobs.

Stallone struggled to get acting roles even as an extra. His success is a result of sheer hard work and persistence. His first role as an actor was thanks to his script for Rocky, which he refused to sell unless he was part of the cast. When he eventually got his wishes, Rocky opened the doors he needed to become a successful actor.

Sylvester Stallone has been a Hollywood actor for five decades. His success is evident in the awards he has collected along the way including a Golden Globe Award, two BAFTA nominations, and three Academy Award nominations. However, prior to getting the role of Rocky Balboa in Rocky in 1979, he had been doing odd jobs. One of the curious odd jobs that Stallone did prior to his acting career was cleaning lion cages.

As a student in an American College in Switzerland, he took jobs as a gym teacher and dorm bouncer. His other job at the time involved selling hamburgers on campus. When he graduated, he moved to New York and sought to become an actor. He started selling tickets at a theatre as he auditioned for roles. It is during this time that he also started to clean lion cages. His focus was on becoming an actor despite the rejection. He never gave up but chose to use his hands to give himself a chance at anything.

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Stallone’s earlier years as an actor were not easy. Though he had an athletic body complementing his desire to act, he never had much success landing an acting role. He often faced rejection for different roles and was even personally disappointed when he couldn't get a role as an Italian extra in The Godfather. 

According to him, he believed that The Godfather would have been a perfect opportunity for him to act. The movie had a party scene and he knew it would be hard for him to miss a role. The party scene needed around 300 guests and he was optimistic he would slot in as an extra. However, to his dismay, he could not land a role! No one could explain his rejection.

One thing that Stallone should get credit for is his determination and persistence. Despite all the rejection, he never gave up on his dream. He set out to direct the course of his life using his hands. Putting his creative mind to work, Stallone spent three and a half days to write the script for Rocky. That set the events in motion for the successful five sequels of the Rocky franchise.

Stallone had an offer to sell his work for $360,000. However, he refused to sell it because they refused to let him be part of the Rocky cast. For him to sell the script, he had to be part of the cast. That decision and his consistency proved the right decision as the franchise later became successful, propelling him to stardom. His persistence paid off when in 1976 he became part of the cast of the Rocky movie. He played the role of the underdog boxer, giving him the exposure he needed to propel his career forward.

Since the success of Rocky, Sylvester Stallone has gone on to feature in many movies, achieving much acclaim. Some of his impressive works include First Blood, Rhinestone, F.I.S.T., Victory, Tango & Cash, Rambo: First Blood Part II, Nighthawks, and The Expendables.

The Expendables ranks as one of his most successful box office openings. The action-thriller is his creation. He wrote, directed, and cast an all-star lineup for this successful movie. It opened at number one, making Stallone the only actor to open a number one film over five decades.

Success is never easy to come by. Often, people assume that celebrities came by success easily. While there may be some who may have an easier path to success, some people have to start from a lowly place before rising to be stars. All it needs is consistency, discipline, and persistence.

Sylvester Stallone had one dream; to become an actor. He set his mind on doing everything to achieve that dream. However, his path to success was not straight. He had to overcome many obstacles. First, no one believed in him as an actor. He often faced rejection whenever he auditioned for roles. He could not even make it as an extra for a scene that needed over 300 guests! However, the rejection did not dampen his resolve to be an actor. It spurred him to take matters into his hands. He ended up producing a script that would usher success into his life. His resolve to be part of the cast for his own script ensured he got the chance he had been looking for.

Stallone’s success story from a humble beginning is full of inspiration. Many people often give up after facing rejection. Do you think you'd have the persistence to keep going even after being rejected so many times? This story could inspire other people to keep on pushing for their dreams until they achieve them. It is a story worth telling to others.