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Sylvester Stallone Overcomes Rejection

Sylvester Stallone is an actor and director best known for his role as Rocky Balboa in the hit boxing film, Rocky. Before his big break, he seemed to face a lot of negative criticism and rejection. Many people told him he talked funny, walked funny, and could not act.

These opinions of others got to him, and he eventually faced homelessness. However, this did not stop him. Stallone subsequently found gradual work as an extra in films with a sizable budget. This was until he achieved his greatest critical and commercial success as an actor and screenwriter, starting in 1976 with his role as boxer Rocky Balboa.

After writing the script for Rocky, Stallone was offered a large portion of money, but with the exception that he did not star in the film. This was not an option for him and he refused over and over. He eventually would star in this film accepting just $35,000 and a percentage of the film’s sales. Rocky grossed over $200 million in the box office. Today, Stallone is the only actor in the history of U.S. cinema to have starred in a box office number one film across six consecutive decades.

Sylvester Stallone, like many actors, faced a lot of rejection and negative feedback. What made him so successful was not listening to the negative opinions of others and overcoming his struggles to continue pursuing his dreams of being a successful actor, director, producer, and screenwriter.