Bollywood HungamaGondhal team meets Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis, appeals for financial support ahead of Oscar 2027 journeyESPN10-team roto/category league mock draft: Who went No. 1?ESPN DeportesJudge toma BP, quiere jugar serie de comodínDaily MaverickStudent protests and French public sector strike heap pressure on MacronRTP DesportoSalvador diz que Sporting de Braga "exige mais" do que o que foi apresentadoThe Jerusalem PostBaku's Jewish school passes 100 students as Azerbaijan's Jewish community continues to growPunchMeet Nigerian dancer attempting 168-hour Guinness World RecordSeeking AlphaPlug Power's shares rise on electrolyzer deal with Arcadia eFuelsFutura SciencesDormir avec de la lumière : ce que les chercheurs ont observé dans le cœur de 11 000 personnesInquirerBudget watchdog wary of closed-door negotiationsSCMP ChinaWhat trap? US-China relations show conflict is far from inevitableTechCrunchReco raises $55M as AI agent security startups crowd the market
The Daily Newsstand · Free, Always
Tuesday, September 29, 2026

Sylvester Stallone says he'd be in 'big trouble' trying to make his career in today's Hollywood

Translate

Sylvester Stallone would be in "big trouble" if he was trying to make his career in today's Hollywood.

On Monday, Stallone sat down with CBS Sunday Morning's Tracy Smith in their new series at 92NY. During the conversation, the "Rocky" icon was asked if he believed he would be as successful today as he was 50 years ago.

"No. It's a whole different mindset. The actors look different, they act different. The subject matter, I couldn't relate to," Stallone began. "No, I would be in trouble."

Sylvester Stallone would be in "big trouble" if he tried to become a rising star in today's Hollywood. (Dave J Hogan/Getty Images)

He even drew comparisons to the iconic 1972 movie, "The Godfather."

SYLVESTER STALLONE REVEALS SURPRISING HEALTH STRUGGLE BEHIND HIS FAMOUSLY RIPPED PHYSIQUE

"If you were going to make 'The Godfather' today… try casting it," he said.

"No. It's a whole different mindset. The actors look different, they act different. The subject matter, I couldn't relate to."

— Sylvester Stallone

Elsewhere in the conversation, Stallone discussed what he would have done if "Rocky" was not a success.

"I would have been in a cell somewhere," he said with a laugh, referring to serving a prison sentence. "Or in husbandry with horses and animals. I was about the same intelligence as a horse. I was going to be a horse person, I related to the animals."

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - CIRCA 1982: Actor Sylvester Stallone, as Rocky Balboa, shows off his muscles in the boxing ring on the set of Rocky III in May of 1982 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by James Drake/Getty Images)

Sylvester Stallone as Rocky Balboa in "Rocky III." (Getty Images)

LIKE WHAT YOU'RE READING? CLICK HERE FOR MORE ENTERTAINMENT NEWS

"Rocky" became a cultural phenomenon after its 1976 release, earning more than $225 million worldwide on a modest budget and winning the Academy Award for best picture. Stallone wrote and starred in the movie, earning Oscar nominations for best actor and best original screenplay.

Its success launched a long-running franchise and established Stallone as one of Hollywood’s biggest action stars.

Stallone told Smith that he has and will always live by "Murphy's Law" – which helped him fuel the "Rocky" success. Murphy's law is a popular proverb that states: "Anything that can go wrong will go wrong."

Sylvester Stallone, Jennifer Flavin

Sylvester Stallone and Jennifer Flavin have been married since 1997. (Ethan Miller/Getty Images)

An example of putting this law to work still comes into play for Stallone when he's staying at a hotel with his wife, Jennifer Flavin.

GET ENTERTAINMENT SCOOP DELIVERED RIGHT TO YOUR EMAIL BY CLICKING HERE

The star told Smith that he walks the route to the fire escape from his hotel room when he stays anywhere with Flavin. Stallone explained that he needs to know exactly how many steps it would take to get there from his hotel room in case the lights go out.

Stallone and Flavin met in 1988 and married in May 1997. The couple share three daughters: Sophia, Sistine and Scarlet. Although Flavin filed for divorce in 2022 after 25 years of marriage, they reconciled one month later.

Stallone at a dinner table in a blue suit smiling surrounded by his three daughters and his wife.

Jennifer Flavin and Sylvester Stallone share three daughters: Sistine Stallone, Scarlet Stallone and Sophia Stallone. (Getty Images)

In this phase of the actor's life, Stallone is gearing up to release his memoir, "The Steps."

When asked during the 92NY event what the greatest "step" of his life has been, Stallone said it will always be the first one.

PUT YOUR ENTERTAINMENT KNOWLEDGE TO THE TEST AND SEE HOW YOU SCORE

Sylvester Stallone is releasing his memoir, "The Steps." (Getty Images)

"It really is that first step. When you go, 'I'm all in, and I'm going to keep going up these steps until my legs go out.' It's the journey of life," he said.

"The Steps: A Memoir" releases on Sept. 29.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

Janelle Ash is an entertainment writer for Fox News Digital covering Hollywood, celebrity culture and breaking entertainment news through exclusive reporting, interviews and in-depth storytelling.

View the original on Fox News →

KioskNews shows a cleaned-up reading view extracted from the publisher’s page — the original always lives on their site, not ours.