Sylvester Stallone, pictured at the Hollywood Palladium on February 10, 2016 in Los Angeles. (Getty)
Sylvester Stallone has built himself quite the career in Hollywood. However, from the moment he was born on July 6, 1946, Sly hasn’t had it easy as he was pulled from his mother’s womb with forceps, giving him the sneering grin we see today.
Stallone persevered against the odds to sell the Rocky script and have himself cast — which could’ve been Robert Redford or Burt Reynolds — as its lead in 1976. Forty years later, the actor’s received an Oscar nomination for his role in Creed,a film he’s gave Michael B. Jordan the driver’s seat in.
While he’s still known and loved as a larger-than-life hero today, he’s often the surprise of many when they find out his age and height.
Here’s what you need to know:
1.He’s 69-Years-Old & Still Going Strong
Although hes nearly 70-years-old, Stallone continues to train extremely hard to prepare for his roles. To prepare for Rocky III — where he sported his most extremely shredded physique — Stallone would do the following workout every single day, according to Fitmole:
20 rounds of sparring
Two hours of weight lifting
Two miles of jogging
A lot of jump roping
For Rocky Balboa — at age 60 — Sly hit the weights for a more “heavier and bulkier” look. The role had his character going toe-to-toe with a much younger boxer played by James Tarver. The site reported that Stallone focused on the following muscle groups for it:
Mondays:
Chest, shoulder, triceps
Abs
Cardio before and after weight training
Wednesdays:
Back and Triceps
Cardio before and after weight training
Fridays:
Full body workout
Abs
Cardio before and after weight training
*The rest of Stallone’s workout routines for various moves can be viewed here.
The actor’s hardcore fitness routine has also rubbed off on his wife of 18 years, Jennifer Flavin. The 47-year-old was shown sporting some well-defined abdominals for Stallone’s 69th birthday. The couple, along with their daughters — Sistine and Scarlet Rose — took in the sun in the south of France on Sly’s yacht.
2.His Height’s Debatable But He’s Shorter Than You’d Expect
Sylvester Stallone attending the Academy Awards nominee luncheon on February 8, 2016 in Beverly Hills, California. (Getty)
Although a Google search answers “How tall is Sylvester Stallone?” with a 5-foot-10 answer, many people who meet the actor realize he’s a lot shorter; 5-foot-8 reportedly. Stallone can also be found listed at 5-foot-9.
Screenwriter William Goldman — who stated that “Most movie stars are short” — spoke in his book about dropping everything he was doing in order to see Stallone, who was stayed at a France hotel for the Cannes Film Festival. After running into Sly at the pool, the scribe described him as “67 inches (5-feet-7), dripping wet.”
In Ralph Keyes’s 1980 book titled, The Height of Your Life, the author concocted a theory about numerous actors — especially the males — are shorter than their fans believe.
“Here’s the deal as I finally figured it out. Entertainment in general is a haven for smaller guys. I think you have to be able to present yourself and be expressive to be an actor, but if you grow up average size or taller, then you don’t grow up with such a need to be forceful or expressive. I think that’s why so many of our actors are smaller guys. It’s no fun being a smaller guy and being given short shrift, so you want people to know that you may be small, but you’re not weak.”
3.His Wife is Listed as 5-Foot-Nine
While Stallone’s wife isn’t exactly towering over the blockbuster movie star, Jennifer Flavin is listed as 5-foot-9, which would make her taller than him.
According to a Personality and Individual Differences journal study, both sexes prefer the woman in being shorter than the man in a relationship. Furthermore, only 23 percent of men and 4 percent of women stated that they were okay with the woman being taller.
Dr. Pepper Schwartz, a University of Washington in Seattle sociology professor and Perfect Match chief relationship expert, spoke to Huffington Post in 2012 about the respective male-female dynamic.
“Women’s cultural vision is being feminine, having a man big enough to make her feel projected. Many women hold this stereotype to a point where it excludes a lot of people they might be interested in otherwise.
Flavin met Stallone at a Beverly Hills restaurant in 1988 and they tied the knot nine years later and has appeared on Good Day Live, American Gladiators and The Contender, a reality boxing TV series. She’s the co-founder of Serious Skin Care where she sells cosmetics and skincare products on HSN.
4.His Father Was a Hairdresser That Lived Until Age 91
Sylvester Stallone and Frank Stallone Jr. at The Expendables 3 premiere on August 11, 2014 in Hollywood, California. (Getty)
If Stallone takes after his father — Frank Stallone Sr. — he’ll be living until his 90s. Stallone Sr. — an Italian-American hairdresser and polo lover — passed away on July 11, 2011 at 91-years-old.
Although Sly’s father didn’t make a living in Hollywood, he did author one book — Stewart Lane — which was published in May 2010. The read centered a couple that attempted reform a dilapitated country. Stallone Sr’s sole acting role was in Rocky as a boxing timekeeper. Sly’s younger brother — Frank Stallone Jr. — could be seen with the actor above.
5.His Mother is Still Alive & Well Over 90
Jackie Stallone — Sylvester Stallones mother — arrives at the British Comedy Awards 2005 on December 14, 2005 in London, England. (Getty)
Evidently, living long runs in Stallone’s genes as his mother — Jackie Stallone — is 94-years-old. Although she suffered a heart attack in 2013, Jackie has since recovered. It occurred only six weeks after the tragic death of Stallone’s son, Sage Stallone. She spoke to Daily Mail on June 19, 2013 about the scary experience, which she attributes to Sage’s death.
“I’ve had three. My answer is screw it, if you’re going to go it’s a good way to go. You go in one piece and gracefully.”