LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Sylvester Stallone is set to appear in a Netflix documentary titled 'Sly', which will explore the highs and lows of his 50-year-long decorated career in Hollywood. While the 'Rocky' actor has established himself as one of the most prominent actors and action movie stars, his ascent to success wasn't easy.
From having a complicated birth and being abused at the hands of his father to getting bullied at school and being voted by teachers as "the student most likely to end up in the electric chair," Stallone's past is riddled with trials and tribulations. The actor even had to take up odd jobs like shoveling lion dung at the beginning of his career just to make ends meet. Notably, some of Stallone's past struggles have been highlighted by Nick de Semlyen in his latest book, 'The Last Action Heroes: The Triumphs, Flops, and Feuds of Hollywood's Kings of Carnage', which would allow more people to know about the 'Rambo' actor's life.
Sylvester Stallone was dubbed 'Mr Potato Head' while being bullied at school
Stallone, who was born to hairdresser and beautician Francesco "Frank" Stallone Sr and Jacqueline "Jackie" Stallone on July 6, 1946, faced a complication during birth, leaving him with a slight droop on his face and a minor speech impediment. "The doctor on duty clamped forceps onto his head as he emerged from the womb and pulled, too hard, severing a facial nerve above his jaw," wrote Semlyen about the condition that Stallone is known for comparing it to "guttural echoing of a mafioso pallbearer." The side effects of the complication eventually led to him getting relentlessly bullied at school.
The 'First Blood' star once told the press that his appearance made him look "like a poster boy for a nightmare" and earned him nicknames like "slant mouth," "Sylvia," and "Mr Potato Head" in school. The actor also had a physically abusive father who beat him and his brother Frank Jr while berating them with comments like, "Why can't you be smarter? Why can't you be stronger?" the New York Post reported. The rage from his past experiences led Stallone to develop a reckless nature, leading him to allegedly break at least 10 bones by age 12, and was voted by his teachers as the "the student most likely to end up in the electric chair."
'After a month of getting whizzed on, I quit'
Despite having a difficult childhood, Stallone was motivated to turn his life around after watching the movie 'Hercules Unchained' at the age of 13. "It was like seeing the Messiah. I said, 'This is what I want to be'," the actor recalled, as per the New York Post. He eventually became obsessed with working out, creating barbells by strapping cinder blocks to broomsticks and turning every piece of furniture in his house into gym equipment. Furthermore, he faced a fresh set of challenges after moving to New York in hopes of establishing a career in 1969.
The actor reportedly spent almost two weeks sleeping on a bus station bench while trying to ignore the junkies nearby. Stallone started earning $1.12 an hour in the 1970s by shoveling lion dung at the Central Park Zoo. The lions reportedly urinated on him, leaving a smell that would burn his eyes. "Not too many people ever have the thrill of seeing lions taking giant leaks," the 'Tulsa King' actor once shared in an interview. "Let me tell you, they're accurate up to 15 feet, and after a month of getting whizzed on, I quit," he added.
Stallone eventually earned his breakthrough after auditioning for the Woody Allen film 'Bananas.' Although he was initially ignored for not being intimidating enough, the actor never gave up. "Stallone and his friend Johnny, another aspiring actor, rubbed soot on their faces, ran Vaseline through their hair and returned, scaring Allen into giving them parts," Semlyen wrote in his book. After playing a few other minor roles, his popularity finally skyrocketed with the 1976 film 'Rocky', which he wrote himself. Since then, Stallone hasn't had to look back and has continued to reach newer heights of success over his career spanning five decades.
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