Happy Birthday Sylvester Stallone: Revisiting His Top 5 Movie Roles As Action Superstar Turns 78

American actor Sylvester Stallone who is also known as a popular action star turns 78 today. Let's tale a look at some of his best films of all time!

By Marita Pinto

Published on Jul 06, 2024 | 02:04 PM IST | 116.6K

(Image Courtesy: Instagram/ Sylvester Stallone)

Sylvester Stallone is not just an actor but also a writer, director, producer, movie star, and living legend. As fans call him, he is truly Hollywood's icon. Stallone initially gained fame as a writer and actor for the 1976 Oscar-winning film Rocky, which catapulted him into stardom. He next appeared in the film First Blood, as John Rambole which helped him solidify his status as a movie star.

Hollywood's iconic star Sylvester Stallone turns 78

Stallone has established himself as one of Hollywood's finest film stars and continues to feature in some of the biggest hit movies. Today, the star turns 78 years old with a bag of super-hit films in his career. Let's take a look at some of his best films!

Revisiting Sylvester Stallone's Top 5 Movie Roles

1. Rocky Balboa In Rocky Franchise

Robert Redford or Burt Reynolds would have been the perfect sports underdog in a different universe. But in the end, Stallone's determination to portray the part he wrote himself led him to nominations for Best Original Screenplay and Best Actor Academy Awards.

Stallone appears fully capable of exploring the self-doubt that characterizes the down-on-his-luck fighter who is motivated to achieve despite the hardships and challenges he must overcome. Sylvester Stallone will always be known as the Philadelphia boxing champion Rocky Balboa.

2. John Rambo in Rambo franchise

It all started with one movie, which had a lot of action, little words, and heartbreaking visuals. And thus, the classic action franchise. John Rambo, who was co-written by Stallone, is a veteran of the Vietnam War who feels deceived by the society he returns to and finds it impossible to let go of the murder and carnage he caused.

Sly performed the part flawlessly, returning to it in multiple follow-ups and bringing his skills with and without weapons to life on each occasion. Not only did 2008's "Rambo" carry on the tradition with a great deal of bloodshed, but it was also Stallone's most somber performance since the first one.

3. Gabe Walker in Cliffhanger

Stallone plays Gabe Walker in this Alpine suspense thriller, which he also co-wrote. Walker is an ex-mountain climber who is continually troubled by the memory of not saving his girlfriend, Jane Turner, from a cliff fall. When he receives a call to assist in rescuing victims of an aircraft disaster on a neighboring mountain, he has another opportunity at redemption. The film met both critical and economic success.

4. Sheriff Freddy Heflin in Cop Land

It's safe to say that Stallone was passionate about this movie because he put on nearly 40 pounds and took a role that paid the lowest salary a union actor could accept. He embodies the part of an elderly, overweight sheriff, and every frame of the end result reflects this dedication.

Stallone is more than comparable to character artists like Harvey Keitel, Ray Liotta, and Robert DeNiro in this cop genre, where he plays an overweight town sheriff who tracks down and attempts to stop widespread police corruption in his community.

5. Lt. Ray Tango in Tango & Cash

Narcotics investigators Ray Tango (Stallone) and Gabriel Cash (Kurt Russell) are incompatible with one another despite being incredibly successful. Crime Lord Yves Perret played by Jack Palance) gets furious at the loss of income that Tango and Cash have caused him, and frames the two for murder.

The two have no way of escaping being discovered in possession of the murder weapon at the scene. They seem to have to rely on one another if they hope to clear their reputations and apprehend the villainous Perret, as they have been thrown into prison alongside the majority of the criminals they assisted in convicting. When you look at the chemistry Stallone had with his co-star, you have the last theatrical release of a classic American action movie and a crucial addition to the actor's résume.

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