Sylvester Stallone's new memoir, 'The Steps', delves into his personal journey and the creation of his iconic 1976 film, 'Rocky'. The book recounts Stallone's experiences in 1970s New York and California, where he worked as an usher and cleaned zoo cages while trying to launch his scripts.
The memoir portrays Stallone as being 'flat broke and beaten down' when he wrote 'Rocky', a film about an 'underdog boxer'. He reportedly wrote the first draft in three days, pouring out a decade's worth of 'humiliations and frustrations'.
Stallone's account suggests he insisted on playing the lead role in 'Rocky' despite producers offering a fortune for the script alone. The film, made for $900,000, went on to earn $225 million.
While the book is described as an 'entertaining rags-to-riches memoir', some aspects of his origin tale regarding 'Rocky' are seen by others as a 'foundational myth'. Gabe Sumner, former marketing boss for United Artists, reportedly called Stallone's claim of facing down the studio 'horseshit', suggesting it was part of a 'tremendous marketing campaign' for the Oscars.