Sylvester Stallone has been and done it all.
A face well known across multiple decades, the now-75-year-old is still entertaining the masses, and has no plans on stopping.
Yet years of big-budget action movies and the sort of relentless schedule expected of a Hollywood superstar have exacted their toll on his body. In a recent interview with the Hollywood Reporter, Stallone went into detail regarding the many operations he’s been forced to undergo.
Not only that, but he talked at length about fond memories and regrets from a career that has seen him hold down a position as a mainstay of US cinema since the 1970s.
That Sylvester Stallone finds himself in a wistful mood of late should come as no surprise.
Now well into his 70s, the Rocky Balboa star is the only actor in the history of American cinema to have starred in a box office number one film across six consecutive decades.
Yes, Sly has been throwing himself around and presenting himself as the focal point of high-octane thrillers for so long that it’s rather difficult to associate the man with anything else.
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Seriously, when you picture Stallone, is it not either in a pair of boxing shorts or dressed in the khaki greens donned by Rambo?
Of course, there’s much more to the man than the alpha persona he so often portrays on-screen. In fact, Stallone himself recently admitted that he has changed a “tremendous amount” as a person since the beginning of his career.
Speaking to the Hollywood Reporter, he said: “In the beginning of my career, I was celebrating the fact that I had made it to the point of obnoxiousness. “See, I told you!” That kind of thing. When I look back on my quotes, I think, “God, a little humility would’ve been nice.”
“I was just with Ralph Lauren and we were talking about our success, which we call “luck.” People ask, “What’s the formula?” And he goes, “There is none, is there?” I go, “No, you just keep doing what you do naturally, and sometimes you arrive at a place you never expected to be.”
The blockbuster star has found his name in the headlines of late, perhaps even more so than usual.
Back in August, it was reported that Sly and third wife Jennifer Flavin were headed for a divorce. Flavin had filed for a “dissolution of marriage” at a court in Palm Beach County.
“I’m sad to announce that after 25 years of marriage I have filed for divorce from my husband Sylvester Stallone,” Flavin said in a statement, according to People.
“While we will no longer be married, I will always cherish the more than 30-year relationship that we shared, and I know we are both committed to our beautiful daughters. I ask for privacy for our family as we amicably move forward.”
“I love my family. We are amicably and privately addressing these personal issues,” Stallone said in a statement to The Times.
Just one month later, however, it was claimed that the couple had called off their planned separation.
For weeks, it seemed that the couple’s 25-year marriage was really ending — but apparently, the two have worked things out.
“They decided to meet back up at home, where they talked and were able to work out their differences,” Stallone’s rep said, according to OK!. “They are both extremely happy.”
With his marriage yet again secure, Stallone can focus once more on his high-profile career. Though he’s been at the top of the industry for so long, he still has dreams and goals he’s aiming to achieve … if his body will permit it.
Indeed, it’s strange to think of Sylvester Stallone as being only five years off of 80.
The truth, of course, is that he’s been putting his body through the ringer for decades. Stallone revealed to the Hollywood Reporter recently that he is beginning to feel it.
Asked if he feels his age, Sly responded: “I feel very immature. I’ve always been averse to the quote “Act your age.” Or “Age gracefully.” How do you age gracefully? There’s nothing graceful about you.
“The older I get, the more I try to embrace my inner kid. The only way I really feel my age is because I’ve had so many injuries. I’ve had five back operations, three neck fusions, both shoulders done, knees, ankles, fist — you name it. It’s been more than 25 times that I’ve been put out. So that I feel.”
I don’t know about you, but I hope Sylvester Stallone can continue making brilliant movies.
Legends like him don’t come around often. I think it’s important we treasure such stars and celebrate their longevity!
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