Sylvester Stallone established his unique name in the action film genre, in particular, through his eight films as the streetwise boxer, Rocky Balboa (in the Rocky franchise).
The 77-year-old seasoned star is among Hollywood’s most cherished actors. He has appeared in a number of action movies, sports dramas, and comedies over the past 55 years. He is best known for playing lead roles in movies like Rocky and Rambo.
While his films have not always gotten the best reviews, he has amassed a number of critical triumphs, including a number of major award winners. Even after all these years in the spotlight, there are still a lot of things about the acclaimed actor that are unknown.
Well, considering the aforementioned, let us look at the shocking truth about The Expendables star.
Sylvester Stallone Used To Clean Lion Poop And Resell Movie Tickets?
Sylvester Stallone had to make his own way in life as a young man, despite coming from a modestly well-off family. He tried to get roles in plays, movies, and TV shows while he was living in New York City in the 1960s and the early 1970s by working a variety of odd jobs.
Thus, when Stallone came to New York on his quest for fame and fortune, it was difficult for the aspiring actor to achieve his goals right away. He even had to spend nearly two weeks sleeping on a bench at a bus station while struggling to make it in the industry.
Some of the odd jobs he had to do included working as an usher at a Walter Reade Cinema and cleaning the lion cages at the Central Park Zoo.
The 77-year-old veteran actor was allegedly paid $1.12 an hour in 1970 to shovel lion dung at the Central Park Zoo.
Also, he made extra money at the movie theater by selling extra tickets. However, these tactics and the jobs both failed when he was caught re-selling tickets to the theater owner.
He Quit ‘After A Month Of Getting Whizzed On’
Even though it sounded awful, it got worse because the lions would occasionally urinate on him, leaving a burnt-inside odor. Sylvester Stallone once remarked:
“Not too many people ever have the thrill of seeing lions taking giant leaks. Let me tell you, they’re accurate up to 15 feet, and after a month of getting whizzed on, I quit.”
Likewise, Stallone, a voracious reader, at first believed that his artistic path would involve experimental theater. He was given the role of a ‘Minotaur-like creature’ in a production of Desire Caught by the Tail.
This was the play written by the Spanish painter, Pablo Picasso, and it was probably written in three days in 1941. The actor once recalled:
“The characters were named things like Onion, Fat Anguish, and the Bow-Wows. There was to be simultaneous laughing and f*rting.”
When Stallone saw his costume, which included “red horns, a scarlet fright wig on his groin, and a huge fake p*nis,” he realized how awful the play was.
He yelled:
“It was a giant red appendage that you had to wrap around and stick in your G-string, because it was bothering you. You really couldn’t walk.”
Finally, he turned his attention to what he later described as “a vile, putrid, festering little street drama.” Yes, Sylvester Stallone eventually starred in a sports drama film in 1976, directed by John G. Avildsen. It was written by the Creed actor himself.
Rocky, which made about $225 million worldwide, became the 1976 movie with the highest box office earnings.
Anyway, why wait if you are yet to watch the movie? Netflix and Amazon Prime Video are both streaming Rocky.
Source- NY Times
