Sylvester “Sly” Stallone (born July 6, 1946) is an American actor and filmmaker best known for portraying the fictional boxer Rocky Balboa. After moving from New York to Hollywood in 1974, Stallone landed his first major role in Martin Davidson and Stephen F. Verona’s crime drama “The Lords of Flatbush.” Two years later, Stallone wrote and starred in the original sports drama “Rocky,” which would become a highly successful multimedia franchise and one of the most beloved sports stories in Hollywood. Stallone is said to have written the screenplay for “Rocky” in three days, and turned down a six-figure deal for the film rights when United Artists initially refused to cast him in the lead role. “Rocky,” about an underdog fighter who gets a shot at the world heavyweight championship title, became the highest-grossing film of 1976 with $225 million worldwide. Stallone  would go on to direct the next three “Rocky” films and write the next five. The film series was rebooted in 2015 in the form of “Creed,” starring Michael B. Jordan as the son of Rocky’s rival, Apollo Creed. In the “Creed” trilogy, Stallone reprises his role and serves as Adonis Creed’s trainer and mentor. “Rocky” was inducted into the National Film Registry, and its props are on display at the Smithsonian Museum. Stallone’s character was also voted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame. Stallone has also led other Hollywood franchises, including the “Rambo” series, which kicked off with 1982’s “First Blood,” and the action-packed “Expendables,” which debuted in 2010 and released its fourth installment in 2023. Aside from his franchise work, Stallone shined in films like his 1978 directorial debut “Paradise Alley,” James Mangold’s 1997 drama “Cop Land” opposite Robert De Niro and Ray Liotta, and Dreamworks’ animated movie “Antz,” in which Stallone voiced an insect soldier.