Follow us on Google News
Get the latest updates directly in your Google News feed
Sylvester Stallone’s iconicRockyfranchise is considered one of the greatest underdog stories of all time, and cemented the Italian Stallion’s place as Hollywood’s celebrated action stars. While the films relied heavily on the shoulders of Stallone’s charismatic and inspirational titular protagonist, the franchise’s evolution must also be credited to another important character Apollo Creed played by Carl Weathers.
Along with various other memorable characters who directly and indirectly pushed Rocky Balboa to attain glory, Weathers’ Apollo Creed is considered to be the pivot that moved theRockysaga forward leading to theCreedspinoff films featuring Michael B. Jordan. Interestingly, Weathers bagged this crucial part in a rather unconventional way by actually insulting Stallone during the initial script reading.
Also Read:The Sylvester Stallone Rambo Movie Even a War Expert Calls “A Tragic Deal” of Fake Information
How Carl Weathers’ Rudeness Won Him The Role In Sylvester Stallone’sRocky
Getting a breakthrough role in a huge film involves a lot of hard work, persistence, and a fair amount of luck by being at the right place at the right time.Carl Weatherswho played Apollo Creed inSylvester Stallone’sRocky, was definitely in the right place, but won the coveted part in the most unconventional manner. TheDangerous Passionactor was called upon to read the initial draft of the script with Stallone who was also the writer of the film.
Following the session, Weathers was not satisfied with how the reading went, and proceeded to express his awkwardness by shockingly insultingThe Expendablesstar with instinctive brutal candor. In an interview withThe Hollywood Reporter, he recalled the cringeworthy moment when he realized the impact of his words.
“So I just blurted out, ‘I could do a lot better if you got me a real actor to work with.’ So I just insulted the star of the movie without really knowing it and not intending to,”
As luck would have it, Weathers’ scathing honesty worked in his favor. Despite being the target of the insult, Sylvester Stallone was impressed with the straightforward demeanor of theAction Jacksonstar, and felt that it would work perfectly for the character of Apollo Creed inRocky. The rest, as they say, is history.
Also Read:Sylvester Stallone Reveals His Annual Earning Before His Rocky Fame and The Figure Will Leave You Speechless
Sylvester Stallone’s Least FavoriteRockyFilm
Over 6 films between 1976 and 2006, Sylvester Stallone’sRockyseries inspired audiences worldwide with its intense tale of underdog glory. Being the creative brain behind the story, the series was Stallone’s baby that grew and blossomed over the years. Despite the fact that choosing between one’s children is probably one of the most impossible tasks that any parent can have, the action star still managed to rate the films from best to worst. In an appearance onFriday Night with Jonathan Ross,Stallone was clear about his choice for the worstRockyfilm.
” Five? Oh, Zero. It was that bad. It was goose egg. I was definitely not there.”
TheCreedactor stated that the failure ofRocky 5ignited his desire to do another film as he did not want to end the franchise with the reputation of having made a bad movie. Years later, Stallone’s wish was fulfilled when he went on to doRocky Balboa, a film that is emotionally close to his heart by the actor’s own confession.
Sharanya Sankar
Senior Writer
Articles Published :1230
Sharanya Sankar, Writer for FandomwireHaving completed her Masters degree in Journalism and Mass Communication, Sharanya has a solid foundation in writing which is also one of her passions. She has worked previously with Book My show for a couple of years where she gained experience reviewing films and writing feature articles. Sharanya’s articles on film and pop culture have also been published on Film Companion, a popular film-based website. Apart from movies and pop culture, her interests include music and sports. She has contributed over 650 articles to Fandomwire so far.
