Who was originally supposed to play Rocky?

And the words Stallone is mouthing on screen are the words he wrote in 3 1/2 days and sold to producers Irwin Winkler and Robert Chartoff on the condition that he would play ''Rocky,'' and not Burt Reynolds, or James Caan, or Ryan O'Neal, who were being mentioned for the part.

Who was going to play Rocky before Sylvester Stallone?

Instead, they had much bigger names in mind, such as Peyton Place's Ryan O'Neill, Burt Reynolds, Robert Redford, and James Caan. The latter three were all Hollywood A-listers and household names that audiences were accustomed to seeing on the big screen.

Who Turned Down Rocky?

Avildsen turned it down because he wasn't interested in boxing, but upon reading the script, he was sold when on page three Rocky was having a conversation with his turtles.

Who was inspiration for Rocky?

Sylvester Stallone's character Rocky Balboa and portions of the Rocky film series were inspired by the life of Chuck Wepner.

How much did Chuck Wepner make for Rocky?

The estimated earnings from all five Rocky films is $1 billion. Although Wepner, who is from Bayonne, New Jersey, once claimed that he received $70,000 from Stallone, he now says he was not paid. “I was too embarrassed to admit I hadn't made one dime,” he said.

How The Rocky Films Changed Over Time

Who was Ivan Drago based on?

Chinese fighter, Taishan Dong, who is 7 feet tall, has the makings to be the real life Drago, well minus the Russian part.

How many times was Rocky rejected?

1500 times Sylvester Stallone was rejected when he tried selling his script and himself as what would become the film “Rocky” [account by Tony Robbins, Stallone's personal friend]. 5126 times James Dyson created failed prototypes of his vacuum cleaner before succeeding.

Why was Talia Shire not in Rocky Balboa?

In an exclusive interview, Shire explained to "Access Hollywood" that her character, Adrian, is not in the latest Rocky film because she and Sylvester Stallone decided that it would be best if Rocky had a longing and loss as a widower.

Why is Rocky poor in Rocky 5?

After returning home, Rocky and Adrian discover they are bankrupt after Paulie was fooled into signing a "power of attorney" over to Rocky's accountant, who squandered all of his money on real estate deals gone sour and failed to pay Rocky's taxes over the previous six years.

Why was Rocky estranged from his son?

He didn't grow up on the tough Philly streets like his father, and was afraid of how he would or wouldn't fit in. Rocky himself was concerned about his son, fearing that some of the kids might start bullying him just because he's the son of Rocky Balboa.

What boxer was the movie Rocky based on?

Former boxer Chuck Wepner was widely seen as the man who inspired the Rocky film character created by Sylvester Stallone.

How much money did Sylvester Stallone make from Rocky 1?

Stallone made millions on back-end deals for the original movies (he told Variety that he ultimately made $2.5 million from the first "Rocky"). But he said that he's never seen a portion of licensing or merchandising revenue that the studio MGM has made off of the franchise using his likeness.

What happened to Rocky's eye?

In Rocky II, it is revealed that during the world title fight in Rocky, Rocky's right eye was badly damaged. The injury is enough to make him quit professional boxing, and after he decides to face Apollo again, it is enough to make Mick think that there is no way he can win.

Is Rocky rich in Creed?

The Soviet Union enters the world of professional boxing with their steroided-up superman, Ivan Drago (Dolph Lundgren), who wants to challenge Rocky, who is now so rich he owns a robot. See, awesome. Rocky refuses to fight Drago, but Apollo rises to the challenge and takes on the Russian in an exhibition match.

How old was Rocky in Rocky 1?

Rocky (1976) - Rocky takes place between November 1975 and January 1, 1976, which was the date of the first Creed vs. Balboa fight to celebrate America's Bicentennial. Rocky was said to be 30 the first time he faced Apollo Creed and he lost the fight in a split decision after going the full 15 rounds with the champ.

Are Sylvester Stallone and Talia Shire still friends?

After all these years, Talia Shire is still supporting Sylvester Stallone. “I liked the last ['Rocky' film, 'Creed'].

What was wrong with Adrian in Rocky?

Rocky Balboa

In autumn of 2001, Adrian discovered that she was dying from ovarian cancer. She underwent chemotherapy, but it was not enough to save her life. Adrian died peacefully in her sleep on January 11, 2002, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, with her family along her side, aged 51.

Is Paulie from Rocky still alive?

Paulie has died on February 22, 2012, and his grave lies next to his sister Adrian.

How much did the Rocky script sell for?

They offered Stallone $360,000 for the script, with the condition that he wouldn't play Rocky. Remember that he had no car, $106 in the bank, and sold his dog to pay the bills. Stallone said, “I thought, 'You know what? You've got this poverty thing down.

How old was Rocky in Rocky 4?

Rocky IV has a special director's cut hitting theaters for 1 night only on Thursday, November 11, and ahead of its release, the 75-year-old actor reflected on the near-fatal shot.

Was Drago taking steroids?

Drago is seen receiving intramuscular injections in the movie, implied to be anabolic steroids, though the actual nature of the injected solution is never explicitly stated, instead Ludmilla, his wife stated as a joke that Drago is like a Popeye and eats spinach every day.

Was Dolph Lundgren a real boxer?

He was an international karate champion.

So, the fact that Lundgren is a bad-ass fighter in real life probably comes as a surprise to nobody. But there is one detail that is rather unexpected: He earned his championships not in boxing, but in karate.

Why does Drago throw in the towel?

Creed shows up to the next fight in better shape and wins a grueling duel, where both opponents were knocked down multiple times. The fight ends with Ivan Drago throwing in the towel for his son after Viktor could not endure much more.

Was Rocky Based on a true story?

At a theater in Los Angeles, struggling actor Sylvester Stallone watched the Ali-Wepner fight and promptly went home and banged out the script for a little movie called "Rocky." It wasn't based on a true story -- not directly. But it was inspired by and borrowed heavily from a true story.