The Life of Hollywood Action Hero Sylvester Stallone

With Rocky III in 1982, Stallone pushed the series into a slicker, more muscular era. He wrote, directed, and starred again, this time placing Rocky Balboa against Clubber Lang, played by Mr. T, whose fierce screen presence gave the film a new kind of energy.

The movie helped transform Stallone’s image from scrappy underdog to polished 1980s action figure. Rocky was no longer just a local fighter from Philadelphia; he was a global pop-culture hero. Soon, Stallone would create another character just as defining.