This is the TRUE story of a man who never gave up on his dream, and kept on trying despite constant disappointment.
Growing up, the man always knew that he wanted to become an actor. It was his dream.
He moved to New York to pursue an acting career, and he auditioned over 1500 times in various agencies which he each visited over 7 times..
He got rejected again and again.
"You don't talk properly, and your face is not symmetrical either", he was being told.
Then one day he was waiting at an agency in the afternoon, but the Manager didn't want to talk to him.
He stayed in the office overnight, and when the Manager returned the next day and saw that man still sitting at the entrance, he gave the man his first acting job.
But after that, he still didn't break through with his career.
He kept being rejected, was broke, couldn't even afford heating in his apartment, and kept going to auditions and trying to pursue his dream.
"I have to keep going. If I stop now and get a regular job in the meantime, I know that I will get used to the routine and then stop going after my dream. I have to be tough and keep going!", he said to himself.
One day when it was particularly cold, he went into the Public Library because it was nice and warm there.
He sat on a char and noticed that someone had left a Book by Edgar Allan Poe there.
So he started reading it and got so inspired that he decided to start writing some screenplays.
He had written before in college, but always knew that acting was more of his passion.
So he started writing Screenplays, but they all got rejected as well.
He kept struggling, kept being pushed back, but didn't give up.
And then came the worst day of his life:
He was so broke that the only thing he had left to sell was his dog.
He loved his dog more than anything in the world, it was his best friend.
But still, he didn't even had money to feed it and didn't have any other choice, so he just stood in front of a liquor store and tried to sell his dog to people passing by for $ 50.
After a while, a man walked by and agreed to buy the dog for $ 25.
That day, the man went home crying.
A short while later, he was watching a boxing match between Weppner and Muhammad Ali.
Weppner was an underdog, a newbie fighting against a Boxing Star, but he didn't let that intimidate him and kept attacking although he got beat up by Ali numerous times.
The man was so deeply inspired by this character that never gave up, and got the idea for a screenplay.
He started writing it down, didn't sleep, and wrote for over 20 hours straight.
After that, the whole Screenplay for the movie "ROCKY" was finished.
After that, he was so excited and knew exactly what he had to do.
He tried to sell the script to various agencies, but always got rejected again.
People were telling him that "the story was too predictable and sappy", and "nobody would want to watch it".
This kept going on for months.
Then finally, an agency showed interested and wanted to buy the script for $ 125,000 .
The man, who was still totally broke at the time, told them that he would only sell the script under the condition that he would play the main character.
"You?! You're not an actor, you're a writer!", was their answer. They wanted to hire a professional actor who was already famous.
"No, this is my story and I am Rocky!", was his response.
So he denied the deal.
The agency later offered him $250,000 and even $325,000 for the script but still didn't want to let the man star in it - and he refused again.
Finally, they agreed to a compromise and promised to let him be the main character, but only pay him $35,000 for the role.
The man agreed.
This man was Sylvester Stallone.
The first thing he wanted to do with this money was to get back his dog.
He waited outside that same liquor store for 3 days straight, hoping that the man who bought the dog would return.
Eventually he did on the 3rd day.
Stallone explained the situation, but the man responded: "No, it's my dog now. I won't sell it back to you for any amount!"
They kept negotiating and in the end, Stallone managed to buy back the dog.
In return, he ended up paying $15,000 Dollars, and also managed to give the man a role in "Rocky".
Sylvester Stallone and his real dog Butkus, who also starred in Rocky
As we all know, the movie ROCKY turned out to be a huge success, and even got rewarded with an Oscar.
As Sylvester Stallone was accepting the award, he read out all the things that agencies had told him about the movie being "not good enough" when they had rejected his script.
This story shows that you can really make your dreams come true if you keep striving towards your goal, change your approach if you fail, and then keep going until you have achieved it!
But don't sell your dog on the way to success ;)
Much Love
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© Sirwinchester
wow. that man has achieved (and experienced) so much!
This is the kind of story we all need to hear every once in a while. Life ain't easy, and if you want something worth having get ready for a fight.
But you can enjoy every step, every punch, even the ones you take, if you know in your heart you're following your principles. I really appreciate you sharing this.
Oh yeah!!! This story has given me so much energy this morning; I did not realise Sly Stallone had gone through that much hardship. You forgot the bit where Rocky got an Academy Award!!!
Seriously, thanks @sirwinchester, I needed a bit of a pep up this morn :-D
Cg
thanks for the feedback - yes it's really an inspiring story.
At the night where he won the Oscar, he read out all the agencies / people that had denied his script and said that nobody would watch the story!
Awesome, that must have felt sweet :-)
Cg
I watched THE ROCKY at a musical here in Hamburg and was deeply impressed by the story. I can't believe that he actually got rejected, but nevertheless he didn't give up . This is so inspiring. Thank you for sharing it and the motivation kick again
I'm sure the musical is amazing!
Great story, thanks!
I didn't even know that he wrote the script for rocky himself. what an inspiring story
this was the movie and the role of his life, he really IS rocky!
Great story.
it really is so inspiring!
can't believe that this is real! they could have made another movie out of this story, hahahaa
that's true!
the part with the dog was crazy. I I can't imagine being in such a situation that you can't feed your pet and have to sell it
this man was serious about his goal.. he even rejected $125,000 when he had NO money at all! just because he wanted to play in the movie himself!
that's an awesome example for perseverance
this is a TRUE rags to riches story!
amazing to see how miracles can still happen if you work hard enough towards them ;)
if you never give up, there's little that can stop you!
motivation BOOST!
what an interesting story, thanks for sharing. I wonder where he got his persistence from, he really set a great example
you're right, that would be interesting to know
First time i read the story I have to say that Stallone won my respect completely!! From that moment for me he is just the man!! btw when I go for running i hear very very often the rocky soundtrack :)
I'm sure the soundtrack is great workout motivation!
Stallone is a very inspiring guy, he just kept on pursuing his dream despite al the setbacks!
What an amazing story. I would love to select it for curating SteemTrail if you are willing to change the first tag to story. Upvoted
can you change the first category? I thought that after posting it once, the first category stays like that. But I can change it if that works :)
Best motivation ever! Never give up! Always believe in yourself and your plans!
Great story and truly inspiring. I couldn't and wouldn't ever sell my dog though. Glad he got him back and obtained much success in the process. Upvoted
that's true, selling your pet is a big step. He was very lucky to find the man and get the dog back in the end
After first lines of article I understand that it's about Sylvester Stallone. He is a great actor! Nice post!
that's funny that you knew right away!
Yes he's a great actor with a big fighting spirit
Maaaaaarrrrrrriiiiioooonnnn!
I think you mean Adrieeeeeeennnnnnnneeee!!!!!
Oh yes... right... :-)
This is a sweet fairytale, but this isn't about Silvester Stallone.
Here is what happen in Silvester's acting career before his success with Rocky.
1970–1971: The Party at Kitty and Stud's and Score
While he was in Switzerland, Stallone started his career in films, playing an extra in a restaurant scene (with Robert Redford and Camilla Sparv, in the sports drama, Downhill Racer (1969). Stallone had his first starring role in the soft core pornography feature film The Party at Kitty and Stud's (1970). He was paid US$200 for two days' work.[24] Stallone later explained that he had done the film out of desperation after being evicted from his apartment and finding himself homeless for several days. He has also said that he slept three weeks in the Port Authority Bus Terminal in New York City prior to seeing a casting notice for the film. In the actor's words, "it was either do that movie or rob, someone because I was at the end – the very end – of my rope".[25] The film was released several years later as Italian Stallion, in order to cash in on Stallone's newfound fame (the new title was taken from Stallone's nickname since Rocky and a line from the film).
Stallone at the Ken Norton / Duane Bobick boxing match in 1977 Stallone also starred in the erotic off-Broadway stage play Score which ran for 23 performances at the Martinique Theatre from October 28 to November 15, 1971 and was later made into the 1974 film Score by Radley Metzger.
Stallone also starred in the erotic off-Broadway stage play Score which ran for 23 performances at the Martinique Theatre from October 28 to November 15, 1971 and was later made into the 1974 film Score by Radley Metzger.
1970–1975: Early film roles
In 1970, Stallone appeared in the film No Place to Hide, which was re-cut and retitled Rebel, the second version featuring Stallone as its star. After the style of Woody Allen's What's Up, Tiger Lily?, this film, in 1990, was re-edited from outtakes from the original movie and newly shot matching footage, then redubbed into an award-winning parody of itself titled A Man Called... Rainbo.
Stallone's other first few film roles were minor, and included brief uncredited appearances in The Sidelong Glances of a Pigeon Kicker (1970) as a party guest, Woody Allen's Bananas (1971) as a subway thug, in the psychological thriller Klute (1971) as an extra dancing in a club, and in the Jack Lemmon film The Prisoner of Second Avenue (1975) as a youth. In the Lemmon film, Jack Lemmon's character chases, tackles and mugs Stallone, thinking that Stallone's character is a pickpocket. He had his second starring role in The Lords of Flatbush, in 1974.
In 1975, he played supporting roles in Farewell, My Lovely; Capone; and Death Race 2000. He made guest appearances on the TV series Police Story and Kojak.
thanks for all the additional information!
I wanted to keep this short, but also I didn't know some of the things you included, very interesting.
But thanks for the effort, and you have a cool blog, upvoted your last post
Thank you. My pleasure.
Finally awarded.
Hi!
I've just published my first story. ...I'm just arrived and I'm having a look, here and there...
I liked your post. Thanks.
Keep in touch!
Marco
Captain America what is included. hehe
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