Sylvester Stallone is an action movie star legend who built a career off tenacity and hard work inside the gym. In a recent interview, Stallone reveals that the late bodybuilder Steve Reeves was a big part of what sparked his desire to have such an impressive physique for his onscreen roles.
Sylvester Stallone is best known for his popular role in Rocky where he played an underdog boxer who fought brutal opponents in an epic display of facing adversity when the chips are down. Stallone wrote the screenplay in only three days after watching the Muhammad Ali vs. Chuck Wepner fight. Sylvester Stallone packed on a ton of muscle and looked absolutely jacked during his time working on the boxing movie franchise.
Sylvester Stallone Reveals Steeve Reeves Was An Early Influence
Sylvester Stallone recently shared that a big part of the inspiration behind his incredible physique was the late bodybuilding legend Steve Reeves.
“I just knew that it [Steeve Reeves’ physique] moved me the way other things didn’t”
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“I grew up, I was very lucky, in the golden age of filming when dialogue was very important but the dialogue didn’t move me as much as the physical embodiment of overcoming overwhelming odds” Sly Stallone shared.
Reeve’s was a big part of the Classic Bodybuilding movement which served as not only inspiration to Sylvester Stallone, but as well as bodybuilding legend and former seven-time Mr. Olympia Arnold Schwarzenegger. Though Reeves’ time competing was limited due to his acting career, he left a permanent mark on the sport with his balanced and lean physique.
During his time in bodybuilding, Steve Reeves believed that the sport was about being healthy. Recently, a video resurfaced sharing his opinion of athletes who rely too heavily on using steroids and suggested that if they didn’t have the genetics they should look into other activities such as ‘catching butterflies.’
As of late, Sylvester Stallone remains a busy man, with a jam-packed schedule. At 76 years old, he left the world in awe after launching strongman legend Eddie Hall over a bar in The Expendables 4, showcasing incredible strength and endurance. Hall has routinely weighed well over 300 pounds so it’s safe to say Stallone’s strength hasn’t left him.
Given Stallone’s era-defining physique, illustrious acting career, and longevity, it’s fascinating to learn that the late Steeve Reeves’ contributions to bodybuilding in part shaped his life.
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