Stallone, Sylvester

Stallone, Sylvester (1946- ), American motion-picture actor, noted for his portrayals of heroes in action-adventure movies. Stallone was born in New York City and educated in Switzerland and at the University of Miami. He began his acting career by appearing off-Broadway in an adaptation of Rain (1969-1970) and in the short-lived Score (1970). He had a small part in the Woody Allen movie Bananas (1971) and a featured role in No Place to Hide (1973). Stallone first won critical attention in the film The Lords of Flatbush (1974). Subsequently he appeared in The Prisoner of Second Avenue (1975), Farewell, My Lovely (1975), Capone (1975), and Death Race 2000 (1975).

During the 1970s Stallone also wrote screenplays, but he was unable to sell his writing until 1975, when United Artists agreed to back Rocky (1976; Academy Award winner for best picture), in which he played the title role, a small-time prizefighter who gets a chance at fame and self-respect. Stallone wrote, directed, and starred in the film's four sequels (1979, 1982, 1985, 1990). He portrayed a similarly brawny loner, this time an army Green Beret, in the series that included First Blood (1982), Rambo: First Blood Part II (1985), and Rambo III (1988). Among other action movies in which Stallone appeared were F.I.S.T. (1978); Paradise Alley (1978), which he also wrote and directed; Nighthawks (1981); Tango and Cash (1989); and Cliffhanger (1993). Stallone played comedy in such films as Rhinestone (1984), Oscar (1991), and Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot (1992). In 1997 he appeared in Cop Land, gaining praise for his portrayal of a passive town sheriff who ultimately summons the strength to stand up to a group of corrupt police officers.