Sylvester Gardenzio "Sly" Stallone[Stallone proves there’s no show without punch, The Herald, January 29, 2007] (born July 6, 1946) is an
Academy Award-nominated American
actor,
director,
producer and
screenwriter. One of the biggest box office draws in the world from the '70s to the '90s, Sylvester Stallone is an icon of
machismo and
Hollywood action heroism. He has played two characters who have become a part of the American cultural lexicon:
Rocky Balboa, the boxer who overcame all odds to fight for love and glory, and
John Rambo, a courageous soldier who specialized in violent rescue and revenge missions.
During the 1980s, he enjoyed phenomenal popularity and was one of the biggest movie stars in the world with the
Rocky and
Rambo franchises. Stallone's culturally influential films changed pop culture history and he has largely enjoyed a career on the Hollywood A list for over 30 years.
