Anthony Ippolito, who portrays a young Sylvester Stallone in I Play Rocky, has discussed meeting the actor before filming the biographical drama.
At the Toronto International Film Festival, Ippolito told The Hollywood Reporter that conversations with Stallone about his childhood, early career and the creation of Rocky offered valuable insight. Ippolito plays the title role in Peter Farrelly’s film, which dramatizes the difficult production of the 1976 boxing movie that went on to win three Academy Awards, including Best Picture.
Ippolito said he had studied Stallone for more than a year before meeting him, making the experience feel intense. He focused on listening closely to Stallone’s perspective, noting that both Rocky and the actor himself embodied underdog stories in very different ways.
According to Ippolito, the pair discussed Stallone’s difficult childhood and the obstacles he overcame, including paralysis affecting the lower left side of his face after a nerve was severed during childbirth. The resulting voice and appearance became defining features when Rocky reached theaters in the 1970s.
Ippolito said the paralysis made Stallone’s pursuit of acting particularly challenging. He described the actor’s perseverance as remarkable and suggested that the film’s lasting celebration decades later is a testament to its enduring appeal.
Farrelly also described the resistance Stallone faced while trying to bring Rocky to the screen. The studio repeatedly created obstacles and considered replacing him, even though Stallone had written the screenplay and insisted on playing Rocky Balboa.
Distributed by United Artists and later MGM, Rocky became one of the most financially successful sports-film franchises, earning more than $1.7 billion worldwide.
Farrelly said he had known fragments of the production’s history but not the full sequence of events. He recalled that the studio opposed Stallone and continued making his work difficult after filming began, hoping to replace him if the production fell behind schedule.
Farrelly said Stallone’s reaction to I Play Rocky is what matters most to the cast and crew. The Rambo star has seen the film and approved of the finished project.
Farrelly said seeing Stallone watch the film alone brought him relief, though he was initially nervous because the movie generally connects most strongly with an audience. He said the opening, which depicts Stallone at his lowest point, is especially difficult to watch.
