Overview
- A birth injury from forceps damaged a facial nerve and left Stallone with partial paralysis that shaped his speech and public image during a childhood marked by poverty and instability.
- He wrote Rocky and insisted on starring in it rather than selling the script, a decision that helped the film win three Oscars and launched his career as a leading actor.
- For about two decades Stallone dominated the box office with the Rocky and Rambo franchises and other action hits, building his reputation as a Hollywood action icon.
- Personal tragedies have been central to his life story: his son Seargeoh was diagnosed with autism in 1985 and his elder son Sage died of a heart attack in 2012, a loss Stallone said would haunt him forever.
- At 80 he continues to work on projects such as Tulsa King and the family reality show while fundraising for autism causes and acknowledging the daily physical toll of a long career in action films.