Sylvester Stallone’s ‘The Godfather’ Rejection Led to ‘Rocky’

The Big Picture

• Stallone struggled in the early ’70s, even sleeping at bus terminals for acting opportunities.
• Denied a role as an extra in
  The Godfather
  Stallone was told he “wasn’t Italian enough.”
• Rejection inspired Stallone to write
  Rocky
  leaning into himself for creative autonomy.

They say art mimics real life. No one knows this more than Sylvester Stallone. The creation of Rocky and its titular character, the story of the sympathetic working-class underdog who gets the chance to become a world boxing champion, was not born out of thin air. Stallone mirrored his life as a struggling actor who felt alienated by the system because of his perceived shortcomings when writing Rocky. Everyone thought Rocky was just a lowly loan shark and a haphazard fighter. Pre-Rockywhen Stallone was trying to make a name for himself in the film industry, everyone thought he was uncastable due to his peculiar speaking manner and appearance. Studios were so averse to Stallone’s presence that he was rejected the opportunity to appear in The Godfathernot as a principal actor, mind you, but a role as an extra.

Sylvester Stallone Struggled in the Early 1970s

There was a time when studios would’ve done anything to get Sylvester Stallone to sign on for a picture. From the late ’70s through the end of the 20th century, Stallone was one of the most bankable stars in Hollywood, backed by the foundation of two franchises centering around him: Rambo and Rocky. Before he ever laced up the boxing gloves or fought an entire army by himself, Stallone was just trying to get noticed by studios and executives. His nadir in the early ’70s forced him to consider a career changebut his commitment to becoming an actor carried him along, even when he stooped to new lows of professional survival. In one interview, Stallone recalls a stretch where he slept four nights at the Port Authority Bus Terminal to get first rights and casting calls. For Stallone, there was hardly any glory in being an actor in Hollywood, as most of his screen appearances were uncredited cameos, including in What’s Up, Doc?, M*A*S*Hand Woody Allen‘s Bananas.

Stallone was willing to begin at the bottom rung of the ladder during this period, and still, some studios thought he wasn’t fit to be a background player. Filming The Godfatheras documented in print and on television, was an ordeal. Considering that Francis Ford Coppola directed one of the masterful works in the history of the medium, his standard of excellence was quite high. However, when it comes to casting extras, even for The Godfatherthe level of scrutiny ought to be negligible. If anyone was trained to receive bad career news at this time, it was Stallone, but nothing could have shocked him quite like the denial of being an extra. Stallone, who had dreams of playing a gangster, personally called Paramount, the studio behind The Godfatherinquiring about the possibility of being an extra in the iconic opening wedding scene. According to Stallone, speaking to Empire magazine, they said, “We don’t know if you’re the type of guy.” “I’m not the type?” an indignant Stallone proclaimed. “To play in the background, hiding behind a fucking wedding cake?” he continued. On SiriusXMthe actor explained that he was told he “Wasn’t Italian enough,” according to the studio.

Among the many immaculate artistic achievements in The Godfatherthe wedding sequence held in the backyard of the Corleone house is perhaps the most exceptional. The extended scene economically characterizes all the main figures in this illicit universe, and the dichotomy of the elegance and blissful spirit of Connie (Talia Shire) and Carlo’s (Gianni Russo) wedding and the seedy and dark criminal machinations inside Vito Corleone’s (Marlon Brando) office captures the essence of the mafia. With all that text to chew on, there is not much room for the viewer to dissect the appearance of each of the wedding guests. The boisterous energy of the music, dancing, and chatting among the eclectic group of Italian-Americans is an overwhelming sensation.

In addition to his bid as an extra, Stallone auditioned for the roles of Paulie Gatto and Carlo Rizzi in The Godfather. “I’ve always wanted to play a gangster,” the actor said, evoking the spirit of Henry Hill in Goodfellas. “Don’t ask me why, but there’s a romanticism about these kinds of characters,” he elaborated. Stallone’s casting in The Godfather would have been prophetic, as Carlo is the husband of Connie, played by Talia Shire, who would later portray Rocky’s love of his life, Adrian. Stallone was finally allowed to scratch that creative itch with his 2022 Paramount Plus series, Tulsa Kingabout an ex-con mafia captain exiled to Oklahoma.

‘Rocky’ Was Inspired by Stallone’s ‘The Godfather’ Rejection

Aided by Francis Ford Coppola’s personal account of Italian culture and his documentary-like style of photography, the wedding sequence feels pulled from real life. Casting the right faces as extras is critical to rounding out the authenticity. If you were a fastidious casting director looking for Italian-Americans, wouldn’t Sylvester Stallone’s request to offer his services be a blessing? After all, Rocky Balboa was so emblematic of Italian heritage that his nickname in the ring was “The Italian Stallion.” For most aspiring actors, this level of defeat would irreversibly derail one’s spirits, but for Stallone, this unfortunate event inspired him to adapt to the situation. Immediately following his rejection, Stallone wrote the screenplay for Rockyknowing that his only chance at going the distance was if he wrote unique roles for himself. The actor, whose film would eventually win the Oscar for Best Picture, bought into himself so courageously that he refused to sell the screenplay unless he was guaranteed to star as the titular prizefighter.

Stallone further pushed his initiative for creative autonomy while filming his pre-Rocky breakout role in The Lords of Flatbush. In the Netflix documentary SlyStallone was actively re-writing the script of the 1974 film about a group of teenage greasers. He had accepted the unfortunate reality that Hollywood executives wrote him off, deeming him “uncastable.” “I was always cast as a thug,” the actor said in Sly. “Okay, that’s true, I am. But I’m also nice. I’m kind of a soft touch.” Once Stallone took complete control of his career, he never looked back. Following the triumphant success of RockyStallone became a prolific director. The subsequent Rocky sequels were realized under his vision as writer-director. However, a period existed where no one believed Stallone was qualified enough to act as an extra in The Godfatherand Rocky Balboa was once thought of as a no-good loan shark with no skill in the ring. Rocky and Sylvester Stallone proved everyone wrong and went the distance against Apollo Creed and the film industry, respectively.

Rocky is available to watch on Max in the U.S.

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