SylvesterGardenzioStallone,bornJuly6,1946),nicknamedSlyStallone,isanAmericanactor,screenwriterandfilmdirector.StalloneiswellknownforhisHollywoodactionroles.TwonotablecharactershehasportrayedaretheboxerRockyBalboaandsoldierJohnRambo.Hewroteeveryepisodeofthetwoeponymousfranchises,anddirectedsomeoftheirinstallments.SylvesterStallonehasestablishedworldwiderecognitionasanactor,writeranddirectorsinceheplayedthetitleroleinhisownscreenplayofRocky,whichwontheAcademyAwardin1976forBestPicture. Sincethatseminalmotionpicture,Rockygrewtoafranchiseoffivesequelsandin2006StalloneconcludedtheserieswithRockyBalboa,acriticalandaudiencesuccesswhichresolutelyconfirmedbothStalloneandRockyasiconicculturalsymbols.Inaddition,tocommemorateacharacterwhichhasbecomeasrealasanylivingpersontofilm-goingaudiencesaroundtheworld,astatueofRockyBalboawasplacedatthefootofthenow-famousstepsofthePhiladelphiaArtMuseumatadedicationceremonypresidedoverbytheMayor. Recently,Stallone wrote,directedandstarredinRambo,whichcontinued thesagaofVietnamvetJohnRambotwentyfiveyearsafterthedebutofFirstBlood. Forthislatestinstallment,StallonetookthecompanyonlocationtotheinnerjunglesofBurmabasingthecompellingstoryinacountrywherecrimesagainsthumanity,civilwarandgenocidehaveexistedforover60years–andnooneisdoinganythingaboutit. Recently,Stallonereleasedhismostambitiousprojecttodate,theactionthrillerTheExpendables,whichhehaswritten,directsandstarsin,andforwhichhehashiredanallstarcastincludingJasonStatham,MickeyRourke,JetLi,EricRoberts,DolphLungrenandSteveAustin–aswellasBruceWillisandArnoldSchwarzenegger.Thefilmopenedatnumberoneattheboxoffice–makinghimtheonlyactortoopenanumberonefilmacrossfivedecades.Slytookthecompanyonlocationtotheinteriorof BrazilandthecitystreetsNewOrleans,filmingoverjustafewshortmonths. BorninNewYorkCity,StalloneattendedschoolinsuburbanPhiladelphiawherehefirststartedactingandalsobecameastarfootballplayer.HethenspenttwoyearsinstructingattheAmericanCollegeofSwitzerlandinGeneva. ReturningtotheUnitedStates,heenrolledasadramamajorattheUniversityofMiamiandalsobegantowrite.StalloneleftcollegetopursueanactingcareerinNewYorkCity,butthejobsdidnotcomeeasily.By1973,StallonehadauditionedforalmosteverycastingagentinNewYorkandhadgoneonthousandsofactingcalls,withlittlesuccess.