Before his breakthrough role in the Rocky franchise, Sylvester Stallone struggled as an actor, barely scraping by with meager earnings from his roles. However, the success of Rocky in 1976 propelled Stallone to stardom virtually overnight. Yet, with sudden fame came the risk of arrogance, a trait Stallone admitted grappling with during that period. In an old interview, he confessed that he was veering towards self-destruction due to his inflated ego until a fan’s comment brought him back to reality.
Despite Rocky’s immense success, Stallone found himself facing challenges with his public image. Media outlets questioned whether Rocky II marked his comeback, overlooking his efforts in other projects between the first and second films in the franchise.
Reflecting on his career in a 1979 interview with Roger Ebert, Stallone acknowledged the difficulties he faced in managing his public perception following Rocky’s triumph. He admitted coming across as arrogant in some media interactions, which did not endear him to fans or the press.
One day I was doing that on the Dinah Show. And after the show was over, this innocuous-looking gentleman walked up to me. His eyes were glistening. He said one thing: ‘Why are you doing this?’ Then he turned and walked away. That was the end for me. I realized what I was doing.
What happened, ‘Rocky’ was so big, and I’d been so low, I was too cocky. In the year of 1972, my total income was $1,400. Now I was a bigshot. I think I’ve got things a little more straight now.
