Sylvester Stallone Became an Actor After Starring as Lead in a P*rn That Paid Him Only $200
Before Sylvester Stallone achieved stardom, he, much like countless aspiring actors, found himself in the challenging position of trying to make ends meet. Stallone’s journey to fame was far from glamorous. At the tender age of 24, he faced the grueling reality of being a struggling actor desperate to pay his bills. During this trying time, Stallone took on a role that would become an unexpected chapter in his acting career.
He starred in a movie that would not only be his inaugural venture into the film industry but also a choice that paid him very little. This first foray into the world of acting was in a low-budget, 1970 softcore adult film known as The Party at Kitty and Stud’s. The film provided Stallone with his initial opportunity to grace the silver screen, although the project was far from the kind of work he would later be celebrated for.
The Unconventional Start of Sylvester Stallone’s Hollywood Career
In the unconventional 1970s, a young Sylvester Stallone, eager for any opportunity, took his first leading role in the low-budget adult film The Party at Kitty and Stud’s. At that point in his life, he was ready to embrace any work that would enable him to live a good life. This unique chapter in Stallone’s early career unfolded in the film The Party at Kitty and Stud’s, a piece of cinematic history that delved into the intimate and not-safe-for-work aspects of the lives of two lovers in New York City.
In the film, Stallone assumed the role of Stud, and Henrietta Holm played the character Kitty. The production, by all accounts, was meager in budget and production values. It’s worth noting that Stallone’s compensation for his involvement in this project was a modest $200, an amount that would pale in comparison to the significant paychecks he would later command as his career took off. Stallone told Playboy (via Far Out Magazine),
“It was either do that movie or rob someone because I was at the end – at the very end – of my rope. Instead of doing something desperate, I worked two days for $200 and got myself out of the bus station.”
In a twist of fate, after Sylvester Stallone skyrocketed to stardom, the creators of the film saw an opportunity to capitalize on their initial investment. They decided to repackage and re-release the film, now titled The Italian Stallion. This choice was likely an attempt to leverage the actor’s nickname from his iconic role in Rocky and potentially attract a larger audience.
Sylvester Stallone’s Debut in Softcore P*rnography
As the tumultuous sixties drew to a close, a period celebrated for its s*xual liberation and experimentation, the realm of p*rnography remained largely concealed, a clandestine world that rarely made its presence felt in mainstream society. It was against this backdrop that Sylvester Stallone found himself reluctantly embarking on an unanticipated chapter in his nascent career. For Stallone, participation in The Party at Kitty and Stud’s was far from a choice born of enthusiasm.
In fact, he harbored a deep personal disdain for the film, with the script being a particular source of disgust. The film, classified as softcore p*rnography, exists within a genre that often blurs the boundaries and varies in explicitness, depending on the sources and perspectives of viewers. The distinction between softcore and hardcore essentially boils down to the degree of graphic s*xual acts depicted on screen.
The Party at Kitty and Stud’s is, in fact, a rather uninspiring and clumsily executed example of softcore adult filmmaking. Its reputation has been somewhat inflated by its connection to Sylvester Stallone, but in truth, it remains a testament to his early struggles and the lengths he went to pursue his dreams when faced with limited options.
