Sylvester Stallone is arguably one of Hollywood’s greatest action stars and a bonafide franchise king. His two iconic film series Rocky and Rambo are still being considered the gold standard in the industry. While the Italian Stallion became a cult figure mainly by being the face of these films, he went from strength to strength by consistently raising the bar as far as the action genre is concerned.
Naturally, by the actor’s own admission, the journey to the top was paved with many challenges and obstacles that Stallone faced head-on to gain superstardom. During this period, the Cliffhanger actor also dealt with a number of rejections, one of which was for a small part as an extra in none other than Francis Ford Coppola’s masterpiece, The Godfather. But as fate would have it, Paramount Pictures may have missed out on a golden opportunity to cast a future superstar in Hollywood.
Sylvester Stallone Was Once Rejected For a Role In The Godfather
It’s hard to believe that Sylvester Stallone was once a struggling actor trying to make it big in the cutthroat world of Hollywood. The action king credited his discipline, hard work, and determination as defining factors to keep his dreams of becoming a star alive and proved his worth with his blockbuster franchises Rocky and Rambo. In his inspirational journey, the Italian Stallion also faced rejection during his early days.
Stallone was once famously turned down by Paramount Pictures for a role in Francis Ford Coppola’s mafia masterpiece, The Godfather. The action star who was desperately keen to make it big in Hollywood at the time, did not get the part of an extra in the film’s wedding scene, and was given a shocking excuse for the same. In an interview with Empire Magazine, Stallone recalled the incident.
“I went to Paramount, and said, ‘Can I be an extra in the wedding scene?’. They said, ‘Yeah, we don’t know if you’re the type of guy.’ I go, ‘I’m not the type? To play in the background, hiding behind a f*****g wedding cake?’”
While this seemed like a huge insult to the star at the time, Stallone proved that he could take rejection in his stride and continued to strive for opportunities at every juncture. Today, the Creed actor has had the last laugh on Paramount Pictures, who potentially missed out on casting a future icon who is now worth $400 million.
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Sylvester Stallone Is Hopeful For Cliffhanger 2 For This Reason
Despite being rejected for a part in The Godfather, Sylvester Stallone is still a huge admirer of the Oscar-winning film and the memorable acting performances of Marlon Brando and Al Pacino. But the actor was also realistic about how a film like The Godfather could be relevant in today’s time when compared to the upcoming sequel of his famous action film, Cliffhanger.
While he believed that a film like Cliffhanger was still topical for today’s time due to its technical prowess and action that can still relate to all audiences, the Rocky star felt that The Godfather starring Al Pacino and Marlon Brando may not hold up as well for the modern aesthetic either through similar performances or as a script. To quote the actor,
“Like, if you were to make the Godfather today it wouldn’t work. You couldn’t – those actors don’t exist. I mean, it’s a different style. Now Cliffhanger, like Demolition Man, holds up, so I’m looking forward to it.”
When asked about the kind of stunts that will be incorporated into the Cliffhanger sequel, Stallone confessed in a light-hearted vein that he was relieved the script did not have too many death-defying segments. He went on to praise the story and the screenplay and gave his assurance that the film would be as entertaining as the first one. Production for the sequel is set to begin in the summer of 2024.
