Some Hollywood actors were born into success, some were destined for it, and others were hard workers who were blessed with the rare good grace of the industry. The American star Sylvester Stallone is one such hard worker, rising to fame in the 1970s, largely thanks to his Rocky movie series, with the first instalment winning him three Oscars, including ‘Best Picture’.
Indeed, Stallone’s story speaks to the majesty of the illustrious American dream, with the actor being born with the opposite of a silver spoon in his mouth. Brought into the world with partial paralysis in his face, an injury that caused his slurred speech, Stallone quickly found himself as an outsider of the industry in his youth, vying for success in the competitive limelight of the New York acting scene.
On his journey, he found himself evicted from his home due to a lack of money, a turn of fate that would lead to him sleeping rough at a bus terminal for three weeks. As a result of fading opportunities, Stallone turned to softcore pornography, starring in the feature film The Party at Kitty and Stud’s, later stating, “It was either do that movie or rob someone, because I was at the end – the very end – of my rope” during an interview with Playboy.
Yet, decades later, Stallone has proved himself to be one of the most decorated and celebrated stars of the silver screen, being the face of not only the Rocky franchise but the action series Rambo, too. Throughout the late 20th century, his success was so prevalent that he developed a friendly rivalry with Arnold Schwarzenegger, the star of The Terminator, who was undoubtedly an icon of the times.
In the new century, however, the pair have developed a strong working relationship, teaming up for The Expendables movies, as well as the Escape Plan trilogy.
Whilst the first film in the Escape Plan was well received, with Stallone and Schwarzenegger working well together on-screen, the sequel, which didn’t star the former Governor of California, didn’t fare as well. When replying to a fan on Instagram, Stallone expressed his dislike for the 2018 film Escape Plan 2: Hades, agreeing with them that he hoped the third instalment would be better, stating: “Escape plan 2 was beyond awful”.
The second movie was a sequel to 2013’s Escape Plan, which told the story of a structural security expert who is tasked with escaping the most secure prison in the world after being falsely imprisoned.
Take a look at the trailer for the original movie below.
