I Am Rocky – Stallone's Reaction to the Film

Sylvester Stallone has seen I Am Rocky – I Play Rocky, the film by Peter Farrelly that recounts the difficult making of the celebrated 1976 title. The actor, who has just turned 80, admitted that he initially viewed Anthony Ippolito, who plays his younger self, with a certain skepticism. The surprise came during the viewing.

Interviewed by CBS Mornings, Stallone recounted that he first looked for differences between his own way of speaking and moving and that of the actor. Then he began to recognize gestures and attitudes from his youth, until he was convinced by his performance, which he called magnificent.

The Story Behind Rocky's Birth

To prepare for the role, Anthony Ippolito dedicated 18 months to physical transformation, significantly gaining weight and also training at Gleason's Gym in New York, a historic gym frequented by professional boxers. The actor had previously played a young Al Pacino in the series The Offer.

I Am Rocky retraces Stallone's battle to secure the lead role in the film he had written. Unknown at the time, the actor refused significant financial offers rather than give the character to another performer. It was a heavy gamble rewarded with extraordinary success: made with approximately 1 million dollars, Rocky grossed 225 million worldwide and won 3 Oscars in 1977, including Best Picture.