Sylvester Stallone, from adult films to 'Rocky Balboa'

Graphic artist Ard Gelinck has shown it so nicely on his Instagram account: Sylvester Stallone, best known for his roles in 'Rambo' and 'Rocky,' has gone through a great transformation over the past decades.

(Montage: Instagram, @ardgelinck)

Join us as we take a look at his rise to fame. Year by year, Sly Stallone has transformed; from baby to teen, to a young man, a father, and a superstar.

Sylvester Stallone was born on July 6th, 1946, in Manhattan, New York. The doctor had to use forceps to deliver him, which resulted in his distinctive droopy lip. In addition, the forceps weren't used correctly and a nerve got severed. This caused Stallone's lip, chin, and part of his tongue to be paralyzed.

(Photo: Instagram, @officialslystallone)

As a result of his birth injuries, classmates gave Stallone the nickname 'Sylvia.' Teachers suspected that his brain was "dormant." Naturally, this greatly affected Sylvester's self-esteem as a child.

(Photo: Instagram, @officialslystallone)

When Stallone was a teen, he attended Charlotte Hall Military Academy in St. Mary's Country, Maryland. Here we see a yearbook photo of Sly when he was just 15 years old.

(Photo: Facebook, @Mechanicsville Volunteer Fire Department, INC)

Stallone turned to bodybuilding and acting to help overcome his low self-esteem. Here we see him around 1968-1969 in New York City, as he was trying to get his acting career off the ground.

(Photo: Instagram, @officialslystallone)

It wasn't easy getting started as an actor in NYC. At one point, Stallone was sleeping in a bus shelter and had to take a role in a risqué adult film to make ends meet. Stallone made $200 for two days of work on 'The Party at Kitty and Stud's,' bearing it all.

Luckily for Sly, in 1972, an agent saw him in a play. He helped the actor score a role in the 1973 thriller 'No Place to Hide.' Its director was Robert Allen Schnitzer.

Stallone became well-known thanks to the 1974 film 'The Lords of Flatbush.' As you can see, the Fonz from 'Happy Days,' Henry Winkler, was also part of the Brooklyn gang. In 1974, Sylvester Stallone decided to move from New York to Hollywood.

Following his starring role in 'The Lords of Flatbush,' Sly worked consistently, even if the roles were small. Whether it was films or guest roles on shows such as 'Kojak,' Stallone was now a bonafide actor. Here we see him in 'Death Race 2000,' where he had a supporting role.

The role that would change Stallone's life was that of Rocky Balboa in 1976. After seeing the Muhammad Ali -Chuck Wepner match in March 1975, Stallone felt inspired to write the screenplay for 'Rocky.' It took him only three days to do so, and it give him the life-altering opportunity of becoming a mega-star.

For somebody who many claimed was 'dimwitted' growing up, it must have been very satisfying to receive critical acclaim for his film. In 1977 'Rocky' won Oscars for Best Picture, Best Directing, and Best Film Editing.

Sylvester Stallone was now famous across the globe. From the 70s through the 90s, he would experience the best years of his career, producing and starring in countless films which included, of course, the 'Rocky' sequels and the 'Rambo' saga.

The 'Rambo' franchise exploded in the 80s and even led to video games and a cartoon series. Although they say that Stallone hates the cartoon series they made about the films!

In 1983, Sylvester Stallone directed the only film he did not star in: 'Staying Alive.' The film starred John Travolta and was a sequel to 'Saturday Night Fever.' Despite critics tearing the film apart, it was hugely successful on a commercial level.

Stallone starred in several 'Rambo' and 'Rocky' instalments over the course of the 1980s and 1990. Here he is in a scene from 'Rocky V' with his son Sage. He also tried other titles, like 'Cobra,' 'Over the Top,' and 'Tango & Cash' - the latter with Kurt Russell - but they were never as successful as the former two.

Stallone never kept his and Arnold Schwarzenegger's rivalry a secret. They were the most significant action stars of the 80s, so it is understandable they had a love/hate relationship. Bruce Willis, right on the photo, also competed in that category. According to Page Six Stallone has said that he "wanted to strangle Arnold every day!"

The early 2000s were a down point for the actor. From kids' films to reality TV shows like 'The Contender,' Stallone tried his hand at nearly every opportunity that came his way. But it seemed his best days were behind him.

However, from 2006 onward, things have been going Sly's way. First, the release of 'Rocky Balboa' in 2006 was a massive success. Next came the resurrection of 'Rambo' with the fourth installment of the saga in 2008. The title of that film was simply 'Rambo,' and it was a box-office success.

Since his comeback with 'Rocky Balboa' and the fourth instalment of 'Rambo,' Stallone has been back on top and working non-stop. A constant array of action films have been keeping the actor busy, from 'The Expendables' saga (photo), to 'Bullet in the Head,' and 'Creed.'

He reached a milestone when turning 75, but Stallone showed no signs of slowing down! His production company 'Balboa Productions' continued to have multiple projects underway while more acting opportunities were coming his way.

In August 2022, a superhero movie starring Sylvester Stallone as 'The Samaritan' and his twin brother 'Nemesis' premiered on Amazon Prime Video. The actor also had 'The Expendables 4' (2022) and 'Guardians of the Galaxy III' (2023) coming up.

The new releases were overshadowed by bad personal news. In August 2022, it became known that Sylvester Stallone and former model Jennifer Flavin were getting divorced. They had been married for 25 years.

The actor has three daughters with Flavin, his third wife. He's always described his family as the main drive behind everything he does.

Sly also enjoys spending quality time with his favorite animals - his pet dogs.

(Photo: Instagram, @officialslystallone)

As you can see, Sylvester Stallone is an ordinary man with an extraordinary career. He's changed a lot over time, but it doesn't seem like he is retiring any time soon.