Sylvester Stallone

Born July 6, 1946, Sylvester Stallone starred in his breakthrough film when he was 28 years old, and has appeared in over 70 films since. After his initial success in The Lords of Flatbush (1974), he wrote the screenplay for Rocky (1976) and refused to sell it unless he could star as Rocky Balboa. His belief in himself won out, and when the first Rocky movie was a hit, he not only wrote the screenplay for Rocky II and starred in it, but directed it, too. The franchise was such a hit that there have been many more Rocky movies. Stallone propelled into another major franchise when he starred as John Rambo in the film Rambo: First Blood (1982). Not only popular with audiences, he’s been nominated for Oscars three times and won a Golden Globe for his supporting role in the most recent Rocky-based picture, Creed (2015).