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Sylvester Stallone Thought His Dad Would “Be Proud” To Make ‘Rocky’ Cameo: “It Got Really Nasty”
Sylvester Stallone has recalled a heated incident involving his father, Frank Stallone Sr., who appeared as the bell ringer during Rocky’s climactic boxing match. Stallone said he had hoped the cameo would make his father proud, but the bell was rung late, disrupting the carefully choreographed fight and leading to a serious altercation on set.
Stallone described his father as cold, tough and prone to explosive outbursts, saying their relationship remained difficult until they reconciled shortly before Frank Sr.’s death in 2011. He discussed the memories while promoting his memoir The Steps, due on 23 October; a biopic about the making of Rocky, I Play Rocky, is scheduled for cinema release on 6 November.
In short
- Stallone’s father appeared in Rocky but mishandled the fight bell.
- The mistake reportedly sparked a serious on-set confrontation.
- Stallone says they reconciled before his father died in 2011.
Explained simply
Sylvester Stallone is an American actor and filmmaker who wrote and starred in the 1976 boxing film Rocky, which became a hugely successful and influential movie. Rocky tells the story of an underdog boxer fighting for respect, and the film launched Stallone's career and spawned a long-running franchise.
Stallone's father, Frank Stallone Sr., appeared in the film in a minor role as the bell ringer during the climactic boxing match. The relationship between Stallone and his father was deeply troubled; Stallone has described his father as cold, tough and prone to violent outbursts. Stallone had hoped that giving his father a role in Rocky would help bridge their relationship and make him proud.
During the filming of this scene, the bell was rung late, disrupting the fight choreography and leading to a serious altercation between Stallone and his father. The two eventually reconciled before Frank Sr.'s death in 2011, although their relationship remained difficult for most of their lives. Stallone has discussed these memories whilst promoting his memoir The Steps and ahead of the release of a biopic called I Play Rocky.