Before You Watch The Video Below, First A little Background About Life Sylvester Stallone
Whenever you see a tough guy on screen, it’s always assumed that they’re unbreakable. When you see Sylvester Stallone knock out a guy on screen, you could easily assume the same thing. But don’t let this tough guy’s exterior fool you. He might look tough on screen, but in real life Stallone has had to face some heartwrenching experiences. From a shocking childhood, to unimaginable losses, there’s almost nothing that he hasn’t had to experience and it’s completely heartbreaking. We have everything you need to know about this action hero’s devistating life story!
Sylvester Stallone was born in the neighborhood of Manhattan, New York City on July 6, 1946, The elder son of Francesco “Frank” Stallone Sr. (1919–2011), a hairdresser and beautician, and Jacqueline “Jackie” Stallone (née Labofish; 1921–2020), an astrologer, dancer, and promoter of women’s wrestling. His Italian father was born in Gioia del Colle, Apulia, Italy and moved to the U.S. in the 1930s, while his American mother is of French (Breton) and Ashkenazi Jewish descent. His younger brother is actor and musician Frank Stallone.
Many biographies of Stallone indicate that his birth name is Michael Sylvester Gardenzio Stallone. Stallone’s mother explained in an interview that she originally named him Tyrone because she admired the actor Tyrone Power, but Stallone’s father changed it to Sylvester. His nickname as a child was “Binky”, but after schoolmates began calling him “Stinky”, Stallone chose to go by the nickname of Mike/Michael. His middle name “Gardenzio” is an alteration of the Italian given name “Gaudenzio”; Stallone usually shortened it to “Enzio”.
Stallone initially stayed with his father following his parents’ divorce in 1957, but at age 15 he joined his remarried mother in Philadelphia.
He was baptized Catholic. His father moved the family to Washington, D.C., in the early 1950s to open a beauty school. In 1954, his mother opened a women’s gym called Barbella’s.
Known for physically demanding roles and his willingness to do the majority of his own stunts, Stallone has suffered various injuries during his acting career.
During the filming of Escape to Victory, he broke a finger trying to save a penalty kick from Pelé. For a scene in Rocky IV, he told Dolph Lundgren, “Punch me as hard as you can in the chest.” He later said, “Next thing I know, I was in intensive care at St. John’s Hospital for four days. It’s stupid!” While filming a fight scene with Steve Austin for The Expendables, he broke his neck, which required the insertion of a metal plate.