“I was a meat head”: Sylvester Stallone Starred In James Mangold’s $63M Flop Movie To Get Rid Of His Rocky Image
In an industry like Hollywood, acing a genre is a double-edged sword for the actors. On one hand, it can cement you as the leading man of the particular genre. But on the other getting pigeonholed and not getting to do a variety of films is a serious concern.
Greats like Sylvester Stallone aren’t exempt from the fear of monotony either. The actor made it big back in the 80s by playing action-heavy roles like Rocky, Rambo, and The Expendables franchise. Stallone wasn’t happy that he was largely perceived as an action figure and not a serious actor. He decided to change that.
Sylvester Stallone Wanted to be Considered as A Serious Actor
Sylvester Stallone is primarily known for starring in action dramas, thanks to the immense success of his film Rocky back in 1976. The film touched millions of hearts with the story that makes the audience witness the becoming of Rocky Balboa, a boxer who started out as an underdog but made it big.
Stallone wrote the film which went on to become one of the most impactful franchises in the history of Hollywood. And established Stallone as the leading man of the action genre. But as Stallone moved forward with his career, he realized that that was not good enough for him.
Moreover, the Oscar nominee was getting a lot of criticism about the films he chose to star in. The main proportion of his films had a lot of action elements. And he was being criticized for the same. His acting skills were questioned and Stallone was bothered by all of it.
In an interview with Empire, Stallone opened up on his feelings at the time saying:
“I was at that point where again the criticism started to bother me, that I was a meat head – this despite Rocky only having six minutes of physicality and the rest just talking.”
Stallone had had enough and decided to do something about it.
Read More: “My legacy is all about…”: Sylvester Stallone Wants All His Fans to Learn One Thing from His Movies
The Real Reason Sylvester Stallone Did Cop Land
In an attempt to salvage his largely pigeonholed image, Stallone ventured on to do a movie that was not action and needed more work as an actor. In his search, he came across James Mangold’s 1997 drama, Cop Land. The film was based on a corruption scandal in the police force and certainly required for nuanced performance of the scenes.
Stallone was so adamant about changing his public perception that he budgeted the film from his pocket.
As he told Empire:
“I basically put up my salary to fund the movie because I wanted to prove the point that I wasn’t just a meat head. I wanted to work with really good actors, with all these wonderful actors. It served a purpose.”
That was a gamble Stallone lost as the film was a flop. However, his main motive was completed as the film changed the course of Stallone’s career.
Read More: 5 Action Heroes Who Did Not Want to Be Part of Sylvester Stallone’s The Expendables Movies
Source: Empire
