1 00:00:02,759 --> 00:00:06,080 Speaker 1: For six consecutive decades, Sylvester Stallone has started in number 2 00:00:06,080 --> 00:00:09,760 Speaker 1: one box office hits. He's not only been Rambo and Rocky, 3 00:00:09,840 --> 00:00:13,000 Speaker 1: but also a scriptwriter, a producer, and now he's also 4 00:00:13,039 --> 00:00:15,320 Speaker 1: a painter. I sat down with him at the Library 5 00:00:15,320 --> 00:00:19,280 Speaker 1: of Congress recently to talk about his extraordinary multi decade 6 00:00:19,280 --> 00:00:22,520 Speaker 1: career as a leading person in Hollywood. I'm in the 7 00:00:22,560 --> 00:00:26,320 Speaker 1: Library of Congress today with Sylvester Stallone and Sylvester s Alone. 8 00:00:26,400 --> 00:00:29,320 Speaker 1: Thank you very much for giving us this time my pleasure. 9 00:00:29,400 --> 00:00:32,320 Speaker 1: David Now, the Library of Congress in two thousand and 10 00:00:32,400 --> 00:00:36,199 Speaker 1: six said that Rocky was a national treasure and put 11 00:00:36,280 --> 00:00:40,600 Speaker 1: it in our National Cultural Heritage list of films. Was 12 00:00:40,640 --> 00:00:42,680 Speaker 1: not a surprise to you that of all the films 13 00:00:42,720 --> 00:00:45,760 Speaker 1: this is one of the most important films ever made. Yeah, 14 00:00:45,760 --> 00:00:48,239 Speaker 1: that was a stunny revelation, because you know, when you 15 00:00:48,320 --> 00:00:51,760 Speaker 1: start out, I have my attentions were to do like 16 00:00:51,800 --> 00:00:54,080 Speaker 1: a little footage of what I did last summer kind 17 00:00:54,120 --> 00:00:56,240 Speaker 1: of film. I never thought it would ever get to 18 00:00:56,280 --> 00:01:00,720 Speaker 1: this magnitude. So yeah, So in that movie you um 19 00:01:00,720 --> 00:01:05,080 Speaker 1: conceived of Rocky and that you played Rocky. Was it 20 00:01:05,200 --> 00:01:09,480 Speaker 1: hard to get that movie sold to people? Very hard? 21 00:01:09,600 --> 00:01:15,039 Speaker 1: Because and I understand it, I was basically a classical nobody, 22 00:01:15,240 --> 00:01:18,120 Speaker 1: and at that time there were a few men in 23 00:01:18,200 --> 00:01:22,840 Speaker 1: Hollywood that actually considered himself rather Micheesmo, and they could 24 00:01:22,880 --> 00:01:25,360 Speaker 1: have filled the role in a sense. But I just 25 00:01:25,440 --> 00:01:28,640 Speaker 1: knew this was the crossroad moment and if I didn't 26 00:01:28,720 --> 00:01:31,760 Speaker 1: hang on, if I didn't go all in and the 27 00:01:31,840 --> 00:01:34,880 Speaker 1: film was a success, I would have never forgiven myself 28 00:01:34,880 --> 00:01:37,360 Speaker 1: a rest of my life. So so the idea for Rocky, 29 00:01:37,400 --> 00:01:39,720 Speaker 1: where did you come up with that idea? Well, you know, 30 00:01:39,760 --> 00:01:42,840 Speaker 1: there's a big misconception about that. Everyone thinks is oh, 31 00:01:42,880 --> 00:01:46,199 Speaker 1: I was watching Chuck Webner fight Mohammed Ali knocked him down. 32 00:01:46,680 --> 00:01:51,360 Speaker 1: That was the fabricated type story. Rocky Marciano, who was 33 00:01:51,520 --> 00:01:55,520 Speaker 1: basically my size, had a computer fight with Muhammad Ali 34 00:01:55,560 --> 00:01:58,720 Speaker 1: when he was suspended in the the vent and the light 35 00:01:58,760 --> 00:02:00,760 Speaker 1: bulb went off. I said, this is kind of interesting, 36 00:02:01,320 --> 00:02:04,280 Speaker 1: and that would But then again, no one in Hollywood 37 00:02:04,360 --> 00:02:08,440 Speaker 1: knew who Rocky Marcia. It was so in nineteen seventy five, 38 00:02:08,520 --> 00:02:10,880 Speaker 1: the truck what it was more contemporary, So I used 39 00:02:10,880 --> 00:02:14,119 Speaker 1: that at the reference of the I guess the bay 40 00:02:14,200 --> 00:02:17,840 Speaker 1: Oone Bleader or the neighborhood loser going to distance with 41 00:02:17,919 --> 00:02:21,760 Speaker 1: the champions. So does it surprise you, disappoint you, or 42 00:02:21,800 --> 00:02:25,080 Speaker 1: make you feel good that people actually think Rocky is 43 00:02:25,120 --> 00:02:28,760 Speaker 1: your life story and that you actually a boxer in life. 44 00:02:30,000 --> 00:02:33,400 Speaker 1: Be fuddles really does, because people think you really were 45 00:02:33,440 --> 00:02:35,240 Speaker 1: a boxer and this was your life story. I know, 46 00:02:35,840 --> 00:02:38,560 Speaker 1: I know they actually thought, oh, they found some fellow 47 00:02:38,639 --> 00:02:42,640 Speaker 1: who actually was a pug at one time, but and 48 00:02:42,680 --> 00:02:45,720 Speaker 1: that was that was actually Probably to this day a 49 00:02:45,800 --> 00:02:48,480 Speaker 1: lot of people think that I'm a little short on 50 00:02:48,520 --> 00:02:51,960 Speaker 1: the gray matter and number of Rocky esque character reality. 51 00:02:52,200 --> 00:02:54,600 Speaker 1: So to go back, you grew up Where were you born? 52 00:02:54,880 --> 00:02:57,760 Speaker 1: I was born in Hell's Kitchen, New York, and then 53 00:02:57,800 --> 00:02:59,919 Speaker 1: you grew up to some extent in Silver Spring, Marya. 54 00:03:00,200 --> 00:03:04,400 Speaker 1: The grandparents lived in Washington, d C. Then they sort 55 00:03:04,400 --> 00:03:09,040 Speaker 1: of migrated to Bethezida, then Silver Springs. Okay, and your parents, 56 00:03:09,040 --> 00:03:12,639 Speaker 1: what did your parents do? Well? My father was kind 57 00:03:12,639 --> 00:03:16,240 Speaker 1: of a real tough guy, but he focused on hair. 58 00:03:16,639 --> 00:03:21,000 Speaker 1: The FAA Stones and the family were very into cosmetology, 59 00:03:21,040 --> 00:03:23,880 Speaker 1: and my mother was too, and then she was the 60 00:03:23,919 --> 00:03:27,400 Speaker 1: first one to open up a woman's gym in New 61 00:03:27,480 --> 00:03:31,440 Speaker 1: York called, i mean Washington called Barbella's, which I thought, 62 00:03:31,680 --> 00:03:34,760 Speaker 1: great name for her daughter, Barbella. So were you a 63 00:03:34,760 --> 00:03:37,080 Speaker 1: great athlete when you were young and strong? And I 64 00:03:37,120 --> 00:03:41,280 Speaker 1: was completely manufactured. I wasn't a physical specimen at all. 65 00:03:41,760 --> 00:03:43,880 Speaker 1: I just had an epiphany when I went to see 66 00:03:44,680 --> 00:03:48,720 Speaker 1: Steve Reeves and Hercules and Hercules unchained. My head exploded. 67 00:03:48,880 --> 00:03:51,840 Speaker 1: I finally found that's the role model. So when you 68 00:03:51,920 --> 00:03:54,000 Speaker 1: told your parents what you want to do is be 69 00:03:54,080 --> 00:03:56,560 Speaker 1: an actor, that they say, get a real job or 70 00:03:56,600 --> 00:03:59,760 Speaker 1: something like that, Well that's the line in Rocky because 71 00:03:59,760 --> 00:04:01,560 Speaker 1: you know you weren't boring much of a brase, they 72 00:04:01,680 --> 00:04:05,760 Speaker 1: better start using your body. Uh. They didn't put much 73 00:04:06,960 --> 00:04:11,040 Speaker 1: uh faith in that that particular occupational choice. So I 74 00:04:11,160 --> 00:04:14,480 Speaker 1: just said, look, it's one of those things where they said, 75 00:04:14,520 --> 00:04:16,520 Speaker 1: we'll have something to fall back on. I go, what, 76 00:04:17,360 --> 00:04:21,400 Speaker 1: literally what? I I'm not good at anything other than 77 00:04:21,760 --> 00:04:25,840 Speaker 1: day dreaming and imagining. I'm not pragmatic at all. I'm 78 00:04:25,880 --> 00:04:31,200 Speaker 1: totally abstract. And they took me to I don't know 79 00:04:31,240 --> 00:04:35,400 Speaker 1: if I ever totally wanted at sixteen, and after being 80 00:04:35,560 --> 00:04:39,039 Speaker 1: expelled from eleven schools at sixteen, they took me to 81 00:04:39,040 --> 00:04:43,919 Speaker 1: the Drexel Institute of Technology, and they ran am a 82 00:04:43,960 --> 00:04:47,159 Speaker 1: battery of tests and any conclusion, and I still have it. 83 00:04:47,240 --> 00:04:50,680 Speaker 1: They said, Sylvester seems to be deficient and this in deficient, 84 00:04:50,720 --> 00:04:55,760 Speaker 1: and that we recommend him to be an electricians assistant 85 00:04:56,360 --> 00:05:00,400 Speaker 1: or a tabsorder, whatever that is. And I keep that 86 00:05:00,440 --> 00:05:03,120 Speaker 1: as a reminder. So you wrote the script called Rocky, 87 00:05:03,279 --> 00:05:06,080 Speaker 1: but before that you were an actor? Is that right? 88 00:05:06,600 --> 00:05:10,680 Speaker 1: But not exactly? A very successfuack? I mean, so how 89 00:05:10,680 --> 00:05:13,839 Speaker 1: did you support yourself in those early days? Well, I 90 00:05:13,920 --> 00:05:16,680 Speaker 1: cleaned lions cages. I cut fish heads. That was really good, 91 00:05:16,720 --> 00:05:20,320 Speaker 1: with sturgeon in the Delhi. I was kind of a 92 00:05:20,440 --> 00:05:24,080 Speaker 1: night watchman in this building. I just did a multitude 93 00:05:24,080 --> 00:05:26,640 Speaker 1: of things, delivery boy, you name it. But primarily I 94 00:05:26,680 --> 00:05:29,440 Speaker 1: did those things. And after four years of college that 95 00:05:29,600 --> 00:05:32,320 Speaker 1: I took these jobs so I would have my days 96 00:05:32,400 --> 00:05:35,400 Speaker 1: free so I could quote make the rounds. But you 97 00:05:35,440 --> 00:05:37,880 Speaker 1: were making the rounds as an actor, but people weren't saying, 98 00:05:37,880 --> 00:05:39,600 Speaker 1: we really want you so much. But you were writing 99 00:05:39,640 --> 00:05:41,960 Speaker 1: at night or what were you doing? What happened? I said, 100 00:05:42,080 --> 00:05:44,840 Speaker 1: my god, I'm not gonna make it this this is now. 101 00:05:44,839 --> 00:05:47,640 Speaker 1: I'm starting to get like around twenty six, so I 102 00:05:47,640 --> 00:05:50,880 Speaker 1: got a job as an usher, and people said, why 103 00:05:51,160 --> 00:05:53,599 Speaker 1: it's thirty nine dollars a week. Who could turn that down? 104 00:05:54,279 --> 00:05:57,359 Speaker 1: But more important, I could watch films all day long, 105 00:05:57,760 --> 00:06:00,440 Speaker 1: and I started to dissect him. At night. It had 106 00:06:00,440 --> 00:06:03,200 Speaker 1: a little one room thing and Sutton Niece, a little 107 00:06:03,640 --> 00:06:06,400 Speaker 1: kind of a transient hotel, and I would take a 108 00:06:06,440 --> 00:06:11,520 Speaker 1: little inexpensive tape recorder, record the soundtrack and the dialogue 109 00:06:11,520 --> 00:06:14,000 Speaker 1: and go home and try to replace the dialogue. No, 110 00:06:14,120 --> 00:06:17,159 Speaker 1: it's like a game. And after a while I started 111 00:06:17,160 --> 00:06:19,880 Speaker 1: picking up a little tempo and a little rhythm. And 112 00:06:19,960 --> 00:06:23,120 Speaker 1: the first five screenplays everywhere pretty horrendous. You know, it's 113 00:06:23,120 --> 00:06:26,320 Speaker 1: like what I did last summer, type screenplays. Until finally 114 00:06:26,360 --> 00:06:29,160 Speaker 1: I came to the New York Library and I went 115 00:06:29,200 --> 00:06:32,479 Speaker 1: down in the basement and they showed me parchments, writings 116 00:06:32,520 --> 00:06:37,800 Speaker 1: of Emberson, Dickinson, Dickenson, but egg around Poe. And that's 117 00:06:37,800 --> 00:06:40,400 Speaker 1: when the light went off and went po. Talk about 118 00:06:40,400 --> 00:06:43,880 Speaker 1: a misunderstood artist way ahead of his time, the literary 119 00:06:44,000 --> 00:06:47,560 Speaker 1: van go, And that's what triggered. That's what changed everything. 120 00:06:47,760 --> 00:06:49,800 Speaker 1: And how long it take to actually right rocky thing 121 00:06:49,839 --> 00:06:53,200 Speaker 1: the days, that's all. This is not a finished product, 122 00:06:53,400 --> 00:06:56,960 Speaker 1: but as you know, you're right it, but you had 123 00:06:57,040 --> 00:07:01,840 Speaker 1: the format. You had had a right long so a 124 00:07:01,839 --> 00:07:05,680 Speaker 1: producer or Mr Winkler. Right. So you give them the 125 00:07:05,720 --> 00:07:09,120 Speaker 1: scripts and they say, yes, we'll buy it, provided that 126 00:07:09,240 --> 00:07:12,760 Speaker 1: you are the writer not the actor. Totally absolutely, and 127 00:07:12,800 --> 00:07:16,120 Speaker 1: you said no. I say, guys, it's not for sale. 128 00:07:16,200 --> 00:07:19,160 Speaker 1: It's just not for sale. And at that time I 129 00:07:19,320 --> 00:07:22,760 Speaker 1: was broke. When I say broke, I mean broke. So 130 00:07:22,880 --> 00:07:25,040 Speaker 1: finally they said, okay, but I heard that they gave 131 00:07:25,080 --> 00:07:28,480 Speaker 1: you like a fifteen day trial period. They did, they did. 132 00:07:28,520 --> 00:07:31,600 Speaker 1: They had all kinds of morality closes. Basically, if you 133 00:07:31,680 --> 00:07:35,360 Speaker 1: like spin on the ground, we can replace you. And 134 00:07:35,480 --> 00:07:39,520 Speaker 1: the first thing we did was me shaking down the 135 00:07:39,680 --> 00:07:42,040 Speaker 1: fellow along the docks. You know, you know, come on, 136 00:07:42,120 --> 00:07:44,520 Speaker 1: give me a cookie and cold the long shot money. 137 00:07:44,760 --> 00:07:46,280 Speaker 1: You know, if you want to dance, you gotta pay 138 00:07:46,320 --> 00:07:50,280 Speaker 1: the band kind of a thing. And something happened. They saw, Wow, 139 00:07:50,520 --> 00:07:55,920 Speaker 1: this actually might work. So when the Academy Award nominations 140 00:07:55,960 --> 00:07:59,560 Speaker 1: come out, you get ten Academy Award nominations. You're nominated 141 00:07:59,640 --> 00:08:03,240 Speaker 1: for Best Scriptwriter and Best Actor. And it only happened 142 00:08:03,240 --> 00:08:07,760 Speaker 1: twice before Orson Welles and Charlie Chapman, who and also 143 00:08:07,920 --> 00:08:11,160 Speaker 1: the you know, the movie is nominated for Best Picture. 144 00:08:11,400 --> 00:08:14,480 Speaker 1: So were you all of a sudden amazed and astounded? 145 00:08:14,520 --> 00:08:16,320 Speaker 1: And what did all of a sudden your high school 146 00:08:16,360 --> 00:08:18,840 Speaker 1: friends call you up and say, I really knew you 147 00:08:18,880 --> 00:08:21,240 Speaker 1: were great? Can you give me a job? Everyone, all 148 00:08:21,320 --> 00:08:25,600 Speaker 1: the backs levelers were there, and yeah, it was mystifying. 149 00:08:25,680 --> 00:08:29,520 Speaker 1: And also it was it emboldened me in a negative 150 00:08:29,560 --> 00:08:31,800 Speaker 1: way too, because I said, I told you you know 151 00:08:31,800 --> 00:08:34,400 Speaker 1: what said of that kind of thing, see, and I 152 00:08:34,440 --> 00:08:37,719 Speaker 1: think I swung the peddle and way too far to 153 00:08:37,800 --> 00:08:40,400 Speaker 1: the obnoxious. Do you expect to win the account? Not 154 00:08:40,480 --> 00:08:44,240 Speaker 1: at all, because actually every film back then was kind 155 00:08:44,240 --> 00:08:48,520 Speaker 1: of a statement film. I mean all the President's Men, 156 00:08:48,600 --> 00:08:52,120 Speaker 1: Network and Going and Bound for Glory, and then there's Rocky, 157 00:08:52,160 --> 00:08:55,560 Speaker 1: which is no statement really, it's just about a man 158 00:08:55,720 --> 00:08:57,960 Speaker 1: wanting to have a little bit of respect and love. 159 00:08:58,160 --> 00:09:01,120 Speaker 1: So you get the Academy Award Picture, and then there's 160 00:09:01,120 --> 00:09:03,560 Speaker 1: your Your life changes all of a sudden, you're famous 161 00:09:03,600 --> 00:09:05,760 Speaker 1: and you're extremely wealthy. You made a lot of money 162 00:09:05,760 --> 00:09:07,800 Speaker 1: because you were the owner of all of the film. No, 163 00:09:08,080 --> 00:09:11,520 Speaker 1: I I don't know a percentage, there was some I 164 00:09:11,559 --> 00:09:17,120 Speaker 1: think it'll devious. Behind the scenes macinations there where. When 165 00:09:17,160 --> 00:09:21,120 Speaker 1: you're naive, you you're going to get burnt. So I 166 00:09:21,480 --> 00:09:26,080 Speaker 1: have no ownership. And George Lucas owned Star Wars everything. 167 00:09:26,080 --> 00:09:31,680 Speaker 1: He's smart man, and you own nothing. Brian, I'm an employee. Okay, 168 00:09:31,679 --> 00:09:35,440 Speaker 1: but you did, Okay, I did. So most actors are 169 00:09:35,480 --> 00:09:39,439 Speaker 1: thrilled if they have one um part like Rocky in 170 00:09:39,480 --> 00:09:44,360 Speaker 1: their whole career. You had another one Rambo. Now Rambo 171 00:09:44,520 --> 00:09:48,040 Speaker 1: was not something you created, is that right? No, Rambo 172 00:09:48,240 --> 00:09:53,280 Speaker 1: was a novel by David Morrell and eleven. I was 173 00:09:53,320 --> 00:09:57,080 Speaker 1: the eleventh choice everyone, and it was like, I don't 174 00:09:57,080 --> 00:09:59,760 Speaker 1: know who was next after me because they gone through 175 00:09:59,800 --> 00:10:03,400 Speaker 1: every one and the past, past, past, past, including three 176 00:10:03,400 --> 00:10:07,640 Speaker 1: different directors. So this had become sort of a a 177 00:10:07,800 --> 00:10:10,880 Speaker 1: pariah of sorts. The first time when you go in there, 178 00:10:11,600 --> 00:10:14,760 Speaker 1: Rambo was in the original screenp It was horrible. He 179 00:10:14,880 --> 00:10:17,559 Speaker 1: was a psychopath. He killed children, he killed Fisherman, this 180 00:10:17,679 --> 00:10:19,240 Speaker 1: and that. So I said, if I'm going to get 181 00:10:19,240 --> 00:10:23,120 Speaker 1: involved with this, I see the character going on beyond 182 00:10:23,240 --> 00:10:25,480 Speaker 1: this and this is what do you want to do? 183 00:10:25,559 --> 00:10:27,800 Speaker 1: I said, I want to rewrite the screenplay and I 184 00:10:27,840 --> 00:10:31,080 Speaker 1: want him to go right to the edge of violence, 185 00:10:31,160 --> 00:10:33,200 Speaker 1: right to the point where he's being pushed, but he 186 00:10:33,280 --> 00:10:37,280 Speaker 1: pulls back because, similar to James Dean and East Dividen, 187 00:10:37,320 --> 00:10:40,800 Speaker 1: he wanted to be accepted back into the family of man. 188 00:10:41,320 --> 00:10:44,040 Speaker 1: So if Rambo got in a fight with Rocky, who 189 00:10:44,080 --> 00:10:49,200 Speaker 1: would win? Rambo not even a fight unless it's in 190 00:10:49,240 --> 00:10:53,560 Speaker 1: the ring. First of all, Rambo is a killer for real. 191 00:10:53,880 --> 00:10:59,439 Speaker 1: He's almost a psychopath when he when it's which flips Rocky, 192 00:10:59,559 --> 00:11:02,559 Speaker 1: it's a guy you know, he has mercy. The other 193 00:11:02,600 --> 00:11:05,240 Speaker 1: one has no mercy. So when you do these movies, 194 00:11:05,280 --> 00:11:08,280 Speaker 1: let's say Rocky, you actually are performing in the fighting 195 00:11:08,280 --> 00:11:10,800 Speaker 1: scenes and and isn't that hard because you're not a 196 00:11:10,800 --> 00:11:13,040 Speaker 1: professional boxer, So how did you actually learn how to 197 00:11:13,040 --> 00:11:15,840 Speaker 1: do that and not get hurt? David? The hard part 198 00:11:16,040 --> 00:11:20,400 Speaker 1: is the choreography. It's trial and error because it's one 199 00:11:20,440 --> 00:11:24,240 Speaker 1: thing they just film a regular fight, but to create 200 00:11:24,440 --> 00:11:29,640 Speaker 1: dramatic beats in looks and whatever, it takes hours, months 201 00:11:29,640 --> 00:11:32,320 Speaker 1: of trial and error. So it ends up being written 202 00:11:32,360 --> 00:11:36,600 Speaker 1: down like notes left right, switch moved the head fate 203 00:11:37,080 --> 00:11:41,640 Speaker 1: And I thought, if I don't do this myself, it's 204 00:11:41,679 --> 00:11:43,520 Speaker 1: never going to be done right. But in the end, 205 00:11:43,559 --> 00:11:46,560 Speaker 1: when you're boxing in the movie, Rocky and the Rocky movies. 206 00:11:46,800 --> 00:11:49,720 Speaker 1: Somebody is hitting you all the time, And did anybody 207 00:11:49,760 --> 00:11:51,920 Speaker 1: really hurt you a lot? Oh? Yeah, I mean I 208 00:11:52,000 --> 00:11:55,760 Speaker 1: have a a lot of photos. Will you actually see distortion? 209 00:11:55,920 --> 00:11:59,520 Speaker 1: How many times have you been injured in doing movies? 210 00:11:59,559 --> 00:12:03,400 Speaker 1: Do you had like seventies some stunt injuries? Oh? I'd 211 00:12:03,440 --> 00:12:06,240 Speaker 1: probably say more than they wanted in the world I've had. 212 00:12:06,360 --> 00:12:08,000 Speaker 1: Why do your own stunts? Why don't you get a 213 00:12:08,200 --> 00:12:10,880 Speaker 1: I don't know, it's it's just something. It's like the 214 00:12:10,960 --> 00:12:15,040 Speaker 1: Call of the Wild Jack London novel. I just get 215 00:12:15,080 --> 00:12:17,080 Speaker 1: up there and I can do this. See, there's a 216 00:12:17,120 --> 00:12:20,880 Speaker 1: difference between stunts and when you hook yourself up to 217 00:12:20,920 --> 00:12:23,079 Speaker 1: for example, you're jumped me from train to train to 218 00:12:23,160 --> 00:12:26,080 Speaker 1: train and this and that, and that's just a certain 219 00:12:26,160 --> 00:12:29,480 Speaker 1: kind of actor doing those sorts of James bonding and stunts. 220 00:12:29,760 --> 00:12:32,400 Speaker 1: Then there's a time that you become very very physical 221 00:12:32,400 --> 00:12:35,920 Speaker 1: and you engage with other people and you do it 222 00:12:35,960 --> 00:12:39,880 Speaker 1: yourself completely, no doubles. That's going to lead to a 223 00:12:39,920 --> 00:12:44,040 Speaker 1: lot of injuries. And so I chose more of the 224 00:12:44,080 --> 00:12:48,400 Speaker 1: confrontational kind of stunts. Um, you know, jumping off a waterfall, 225 00:12:48,520 --> 00:12:51,319 Speaker 1: fire stunts. I mean of course, I would have some 226 00:12:51,520 --> 00:12:54,400 Speaker 1: very good doubles, like at the time, like Mark Allisan 227 00:12:54,559 --> 00:12:57,760 Speaker 1: during Diamonds farms Worth, But the majority of them you're 228 00:12:57,760 --> 00:13:00,560 Speaker 1: doing yourself and they come with a lot of injuries. 229 00:13:00,679 --> 00:13:03,000 Speaker 1: So you have a successful Rocky series and you have 230 00:13:03,040 --> 00:13:06,319 Speaker 1: a successful Rambo series. But after all these successes, at 231 00:13:06,320 --> 00:13:09,520 Speaker 1: some point people say to you, well, maybe you're too 232 00:13:09,559 --> 00:13:12,000 Speaker 1: old to play these parts, and all of a sudden, 233 00:13:12,040 --> 00:13:14,240 Speaker 1: your agent says, maybe we can't help you as much, 234 00:13:14,800 --> 00:13:17,880 Speaker 1: and you're seen as a washed up actor by some 235 00:13:18,360 --> 00:13:19,959 Speaker 1: How did that feel after you're at the top of 236 00:13:20,000 --> 00:13:22,000 Speaker 1: the mountain, all of a sudden, all the people tell 237 00:13:22,040 --> 00:13:23,560 Speaker 1: you how great you were, Now they're telling you they 238 00:13:23,600 --> 00:13:26,320 Speaker 1: can't help you. Was that a real disappointment? It was? 239 00:13:26,720 --> 00:13:31,040 Speaker 1: Then again, it's that fourth cross road. Okay, do I 240 00:13:31,160 --> 00:13:33,880 Speaker 1: listen to them or how do you feel? How do 241 00:13:33,920 --> 00:13:36,959 Speaker 1: you do you feel? Still competitive? Is there? As Rocky 242 00:13:36,960 --> 00:13:41,320 Speaker 1: would say, stuff in the basement, Yeah, but I just 243 00:13:41,360 --> 00:13:44,000 Speaker 1: have to do an age appropriate. That's when I came 244 00:13:44,080 --> 00:13:46,959 Speaker 1: up with the expendables. Well, you can't do it alone, 245 00:13:47,240 --> 00:13:52,480 Speaker 1: but I'll take together. I'll take a group of actors 246 00:13:52,480 --> 00:13:55,760 Speaker 1: that are not doing so well, and you put it 247 00:13:55,760 --> 00:13:58,440 Speaker 1: all together. And I got the idea when I took 248 00:13:58,480 --> 00:14:01,720 Speaker 1: my wife to a rock and roll revival. You have 249 00:14:01,880 --> 00:14:05,720 Speaker 1: like twenty groups, and each one was worse the next, 250 00:14:05,840 --> 00:14:10,920 Speaker 1: but together it was an interesting ticket, like, oh, look 251 00:14:10,960 --> 00:14:13,400 Speaker 1: at this, and I thought, why don't I do the same. 252 00:14:13,480 --> 00:14:16,680 Speaker 1: I take all these guys who perhaps on their own 253 00:14:16,880 --> 00:14:21,040 Speaker 1: were struggling, including myself, put him together and that I 254 00:14:21,080 --> 00:14:23,120 Speaker 1: want to see how this turns out. This is kind 255 00:14:23,120 --> 00:14:25,840 Speaker 1: of interesting. Okay, So you have the success of the 256 00:14:25,920 --> 00:14:29,080 Speaker 1: Rocky movies, and then you have a sequel, the Creed movies. 257 00:14:29,280 --> 00:14:31,640 Speaker 1: Right and by the way, on Creed, there's another Creed 258 00:14:31,640 --> 00:14:35,000 Speaker 1: movie coming out, I believe. So, yes, well you would know. 259 00:14:36,400 --> 00:14:39,360 Speaker 1: And but I'm told that you're not gonna reprise your 260 00:14:39,440 --> 00:14:42,680 Speaker 1: role as Rocky. It's Rocky ever gonna reappear on the screen. 261 00:14:43,320 --> 00:14:49,120 Speaker 1: Uh boy, you're really mm hmm. There is a possibility. 262 00:14:49,440 --> 00:14:53,920 Speaker 1: I've written half a screenplay because this is a story 263 00:14:54,280 --> 00:14:58,600 Speaker 1: where obviously his days in the ring or long gone, 264 00:14:59,480 --> 00:15:03,080 Speaker 1: where he now tries to save his neighborhood or he 265 00:15:03,120 --> 00:15:06,360 Speaker 1: thinks he can, because that area right now in Philadelphia 266 00:15:06,440 --> 00:15:11,440 Speaker 1: is just literally fentinal. It's terrible, and he involves himself 267 00:15:11,440 --> 00:15:14,440 Speaker 1: and he realized you can't save the neighborhood. You're you know, 268 00:15:14,560 --> 00:15:16,920 Speaker 1: Rocky in the simple mind, so you start to get 269 00:15:17,280 --> 00:15:19,560 Speaker 1: He starts to focus on a couple of these characters, 270 00:15:19,640 --> 00:15:22,840 Speaker 1: and it becomes like the New Adrian but with all 271 00:15:22,880 --> 00:15:27,240 Speaker 1: the problems of today. And then there's a fellow that 272 00:15:27,280 --> 00:15:29,520 Speaker 1: comes in from Mexico, and the Rocky takes him in 273 00:15:29,720 --> 00:15:32,480 Speaker 1: under his wing, and before you know it, it's the 274 00:15:32,640 --> 00:15:35,520 Speaker 1: Rocky and Adrian and he's sort of the mentoring this, 275 00:15:36,040 --> 00:15:45,200 Speaker 1: this horrible existence until it becomes tolerable. So what's more pleasurable? Writing? Acting, producing, directing? 276 00:15:45,240 --> 00:15:49,600 Speaker 1: Which of those do you like the most? Directing is fantastic, 277 00:15:49,760 --> 00:15:53,320 Speaker 1: but you lose your life. It's seven days a week. 278 00:15:53,400 --> 00:15:55,760 Speaker 1: You wake up in the middle of the night jotting notes. 279 00:15:56,200 --> 00:15:59,760 Speaker 1: Writing is a complete horror, complete horror. Have you ever 280 00:15:59,760 --> 00:16:05,720 Speaker 1: seen a truly well, I mean, fresh faced writer like 281 00:16:05,840 --> 00:16:09,840 Speaker 1: Edgar Allen Powell? Yeah, exactly My point. Just Haggard gone 282 00:16:10,360 --> 00:16:13,120 Speaker 1: dead at thirty nine, right is rough and I have 283 00:16:13,280 --> 00:16:18,960 Speaker 1: tremendous It's almost like being a composer. Every word, as 284 00:16:19,000 --> 00:16:23,000 Speaker 1: you know, is a note. It's not just typing. Anyone 285 00:16:23,040 --> 00:16:25,320 Speaker 1: can type, anyone can talk into the recorder, but they 286 00:16:25,320 --> 00:16:30,359 Speaker 1: actually get the fluidity and the essence of dialogue. It's beautiful, 287 00:16:30,720 --> 00:16:33,480 Speaker 1: but it's hard. So if you were starting today in 288 00:16:33,600 --> 00:16:37,440 Speaker 1: Hollywood and you're giving advice to a young actor, writer, producer, 289 00:16:37,640 --> 00:16:40,240 Speaker 1: what would you say. Would you say forget motion picture 290 00:16:40,360 --> 00:16:42,840 Speaker 1: theaters and just go into streaming or what that would 291 00:16:42,840 --> 00:16:45,640 Speaker 1: pretty much say that, Yeah, I think if you could 292 00:16:45,680 --> 00:16:49,200 Speaker 1: do a couple of indies to learn your chops of sorts. 293 00:16:49,240 --> 00:16:58,160 Speaker 1: But the day of the kind of entrepreneurial of grabbing 294 00:16:58,240 --> 00:17:00,360 Speaker 1: life by the seat of the parents, going when your 295 00:17:00,400 --> 00:17:04,360 Speaker 1: gut instinct is over. For example, that when Rocky Rockey 296 00:17:04,440 --> 00:17:07,359 Speaker 1: would never be made today, this this never would have happened. 297 00:17:07,359 --> 00:17:11,280 Speaker 1: It's over. The majority of The Godfather wouldn't be made today. 298 00:17:11,359 --> 00:17:14,200 Speaker 1: So today you think the motion picture business is changing, 299 00:17:14,240 --> 00:17:16,240 Speaker 1: such a streaming is taking over, and you think the 300 00:17:16,280 --> 00:17:19,560 Speaker 1: motion picture industry as you knew it it will thrive. Well, 301 00:17:20,160 --> 00:17:22,919 Speaker 1: I I don't think it's going to ever have the 302 00:17:23,000 --> 00:17:29,120 Speaker 1: golden era that has had by far, because the the audience, 303 00:17:29,119 --> 00:17:32,800 Speaker 1: the demographic is different. They're now watching films on an iPhone. 304 00:17:32,880 --> 00:17:36,240 Speaker 1: So it's not as though the theater has become this 305 00:17:37,280 --> 00:17:43,080 Speaker 1: habitual shrine to what to come in attractions and streaming. 306 00:17:43,400 --> 00:17:45,680 Speaker 1: This is where you actually, I'm gonna do one very 307 00:17:45,760 --> 00:17:50,560 Speaker 1: very soon called The Tulsa King or The King of Tulsa. 308 00:17:51,200 --> 00:17:54,480 Speaker 1: And it just allows you to breathe the character, to 309 00:17:54,520 --> 00:17:57,520 Speaker 1: breathe out to take ten weeks, which is beautiful. Is 310 00:17:57,560 --> 00:18:00,879 Speaker 1: that film? You have maybe nine minutes a hundred and 311 00:18:00,920 --> 00:18:05,360 Speaker 1: ten minutes and it's all a crap shoot in no words. 312 00:18:05,560 --> 00:18:09,200 Speaker 1: With films, you have a dreams mind film three million dollars, 313 00:18:09,640 --> 00:18:13,080 Speaker 1: you have one opening weekend. So when you do that 314 00:18:13,680 --> 00:18:17,359 Speaker 1: particular picture, Um, are you writing any of it? Are 315 00:18:17,359 --> 00:18:20,919 Speaker 1: you just acting in it? This one is being written 316 00:18:20,920 --> 00:18:24,720 Speaker 1: by Taylor Sheridan and of course, uh, Terry Terrence Winter 317 00:18:25,440 --> 00:18:30,080 Speaker 1: and I am kind of like the you know them, 318 00:18:30,119 --> 00:18:33,360 Speaker 1: the higher Gun. But you do, you do put your input. 319 00:18:33,440 --> 00:18:36,040 Speaker 1: You try to, as you say, it's a lot easier 320 00:18:36,080 --> 00:18:40,159 Speaker 1: to remember your own dialogue than someone else's, so you 321 00:18:40,200 --> 00:18:44,040 Speaker 1: try to construct the sentence so it's easier to reach. So, um, 322 00:18:44,080 --> 00:18:47,760 Speaker 1: do you have three daughters. With those three daughters, would 323 00:18:47,800 --> 00:18:51,240 Speaker 1: you recommend they go into the motion picture business? Uh, 324 00:18:51,280 --> 00:18:54,440 Speaker 1: if they're hyphen it's if they're gonna go in just 325 00:18:54,960 --> 00:18:59,439 Speaker 1: solely as Oh I am an actress. Rough rough the 326 00:18:59,560 --> 00:19:02,639 Speaker 1: day of the thirty year career, I think along gone, 327 00:19:03,240 --> 00:19:08,520 Speaker 1: I've been really fortunate, and I have something happened that 328 00:19:08,560 --> 00:19:11,440 Speaker 1: I think the mag which I'm very proud of. I'm 329 00:19:11,440 --> 00:19:13,400 Speaker 1: the only person I've ever had a number one film 330 00:19:13,480 --> 00:19:16,680 Speaker 1: with six different decades, which is remarkable. So as you 331 00:19:16,720 --> 00:19:18,800 Speaker 1: look back on your career, what would you say you're 332 00:19:18,840 --> 00:19:22,600 Speaker 1: most proud of. I was most proud of Rocky Balboa 333 00:19:22,760 --> 00:19:26,600 Speaker 1: the sixth one, because that was done with such skepticism. 334 00:19:26,680 --> 00:19:30,400 Speaker 1: And I was at my career low because it's all 335 00:19:30,960 --> 00:19:34,880 Speaker 1: peaks and valleys, peaks and valleys in any career, any sport, anything, 336 00:19:35,280 --> 00:19:38,120 Speaker 1: and I was in some serious valley of the unknown, 337 00:19:39,080 --> 00:19:44,040 Speaker 1: and I came up this idea at years old to 338 00:19:44,080 --> 00:19:46,919 Speaker 1: play Rocky a box there and this and that, and 339 00:19:46,960 --> 00:19:49,760 Speaker 1: they said, this is absurd. So if Rocky had not 340 00:19:49,840 --> 00:19:53,120 Speaker 1: worked and it had been a flop, the first one, 341 00:19:53,200 --> 00:19:56,320 Speaker 1: the first one, I've been a flop, And uh, what 342 00:19:56,359 --> 00:19:57,879 Speaker 1: would you have done with your career? Where do you 343 00:19:57,880 --> 00:20:01,159 Speaker 1: think you would have wound up? I've already something in 344 00:20:01,200 --> 00:20:05,479 Speaker 1: the question in the world. Yeah, because you're very interested 345 00:20:05,480 --> 00:20:08,000 Speaker 1: in horses, Yeah, I'm very I'm very I'm very good 346 00:20:08,040 --> 00:20:12,120 Speaker 1: on horses. Isn't that kind of dangerous? It's very dangerous, 347 00:20:12,160 --> 00:20:14,840 Speaker 1: but it's something I grew up with. Any regrets in 348 00:20:14,880 --> 00:20:18,800 Speaker 1: your career, Yeah, there's tons of regrets. There's always regrets, 349 00:20:18,920 --> 00:20:22,119 Speaker 1: and it's frustrating because obviously you can't do anything about it. 350 00:20:22,160 --> 00:20:25,720 Speaker 1: But there's certain roles you turned down. The politics weren't right, 351 00:20:26,280 --> 00:20:31,960 Speaker 1: and we get perhaps not being as adamant about surrounding 352 00:20:32,000 --> 00:20:36,080 Speaker 1: yourself with like minded people. And because you know, you're 353 00:20:36,080 --> 00:20:39,280 Speaker 1: dealing with very, very fragile egos and everyone is usually 354 00:20:39,359 --> 00:20:44,399 Speaker 1: running on a lot of fear. That's the fuel. And 355 00:20:45,160 --> 00:20:48,480 Speaker 1: you've got to like really trust your own instincts because 356 00:20:48,520 --> 00:20:51,040 Speaker 1: other people are looking out for there. They're part of it. 357 00:20:51,200 --> 00:20:53,680 Speaker 1: The directors looking out for his image, the writers looking 358 00:20:54,000 --> 00:20:56,280 Speaker 1: guarding the words, the actors look at hey do I 359 00:20:56,320 --> 00:20:58,280 Speaker 1: have more lines than that gouy next to me. It's 360 00:20:58,320 --> 00:21:02,280 Speaker 1: everyone has a for motive for what they do. So 361 00:21:02,400 --> 00:21:04,720 Speaker 1: do you have a bucket lists? Anything you haven't done 362 00:21:04,720 --> 00:21:07,080 Speaker 1: that you really want to do? I was thinking about 363 00:21:07,119 --> 00:21:09,639 Speaker 1: the nutcracker sweet, but my ankles are not is what 364 00:21:09,680 --> 00:21:13,159 Speaker 1: they were, So that's not happening. So today when you 365 00:21:13,520 --> 00:21:15,480 Speaker 1: go to a restaurant or you go out anywhere. Did 366 00:21:15,480 --> 00:21:17,600 Speaker 1: people come up to you all the time for pictures 367 00:21:17,680 --> 00:21:19,560 Speaker 1: autographs and people come up and say, I want to 368 00:21:19,640 --> 00:21:21,920 Speaker 1: arm wrestle you or something like that. They do all 369 00:21:21,960 --> 00:21:24,760 Speaker 1: the time, all the time, and usually with an arm 370 00:21:24,760 --> 00:21:29,080 Speaker 1: wrestler I go, having done in film about it. You 371 00:21:29,200 --> 00:21:32,240 Speaker 1: don't know who's the killer in the room. Some fellow 372 00:21:32,240 --> 00:21:34,680 Speaker 1: will come with you with pipe stem arms and he's 373 00:21:34,720 --> 00:21:37,359 Speaker 1: a savant and arm wrestling, so you never know. You 374 00:21:37,400 --> 00:21:39,760 Speaker 1: and I were having dinner not too long ago, and 375 00:21:39,800 --> 00:21:42,600 Speaker 1: a little boy came up, that's right, and he uh, 376 00:21:42,680 --> 00:21:44,919 Speaker 1: he wanted to arm wrestle you, and uh, your arm 377 00:21:44,960 --> 00:21:47,879 Speaker 1: wrestling man, You'll let him win, of course, because what 378 00:21:47,960 --> 00:21:49,840 Speaker 1: if he did win? This way, at least I can 379 00:21:49,840 --> 00:21:54,040 Speaker 1: fake it. Thanks for listening to hear more of my interviews. 380 00:21:54,040 --> 00:21:58,000 Speaker 1: You can subscribe and download my podcast on Spotify, Apple 381 00:21:58,240 --> 00:22:03,920 Speaker 1: or wherever you listen in s