Sylvester Stallone

Sylvester Stallone is an Academy Award-nominated actor from New York City best known for his iconic roles as Rocky Balboa and John Rambo.

Embarrassingly enough, Stallone's first acting role was in the softcore porno, The Party at Kitty and Stud's in 1970.  The porno was later re-released as Italian Stallion after Rocky playing off Stallone's nickname.

Stallone's real rise to fame came when he played the lead character in Rocky in 1976, a movie he wrote in wrote in three days.  Rocky was nominated for ten Academy Awards and won Best Picture.

After Rocky's success, Stallone went on to have an impressive career in the late 70s and 80s, including a sequel to Rocky which Stallone also wrote and directed.  1982 also marked the debut of another Stallone franchise, Rambo, which Stallone also wrote.

Stallone was also an A list star during the 70s, 80s and 90s and starred in plenty of non-Rocky / Rambo movies including Tango & Cash, Demolition Man, Cliffhanger, Assassins, and Judge Dredd.

In 2006 and 2008, Stallone made a new Rocky Balboa and Rambo movies marking returns to the franchises that haven't been touched in almost 20 years.  Both were successful.