Sylvester Stallone How to Feel Invincible (TellMeHow)

Sylvester Stallone is a, screenwriter, director, and producer. Here, Stallone gives an inspiring dialogue about what it takes for people to achieve success and feel "invincible."

Stallone is true hollywood legend and not only are his films, such as the Rocky Series, some of the most inspiring films ever made, his own story to fame is often even more inspiring than some of the characters he portrayed.

Stallone struggled as an actor for several years, coming to New York in 1969 then later to Hollywood. He won his first critical acclaim as an actor, following a co-starring role as 'Stanley Rosiello' in The Lords of Flatbush. Stallone subsequently found work more scarce and largely found work either as an extra or side character in films until he finally achieved his greatest critical and commercial success in 1976 with his most famous role as boxer Rocky Balboa. Not only did he star in role as actor he wrote the entire screenplay.

In the films, Rocky is portrayed as an underdog boxer who fights numerous brutal opponents, and fights for the world heavyweight championship, fighting intially as the underdog to Heavy weight champion Apollo Creed who is expected to win easily. Infamously now, Stallone plays Rocky as the boxer with limited ability but tremendous heart who refuses to lay down and keeps on going in the face of adversity, to 'go the distance' with Creed the much more skilled opponent. ( played by Carl Weathers )

Inspiration for making the movie allegedly came on March 24, 1975 when Stallone saw the Muhammad Ali vs. Chuck Wepner fight. That night Stallone went home, and after three days he had completed the first draft of Rocky. Other possible inspirations for the film may have included Rocky Graziano's autobiography Somebody Up There Likes Me, and the movie of the same name. Stallone attempted to sell the script to multiple studios, with the intention of playing the lead role himself. Irwin Winkler and Robert Chartoff became interested and offered Stallone US$350,000 for the rights, but had their own casting ideas for the lead role, including Robert Redford and Burt Reynolds. Stallone, despite having very little money at the time, could barely afford to eat and pay his living expenses refused to sell unless he played the lead character. He had even resorted to selling his dog to generate funds to feed himself. Despite his financial situation and the offers of hundreds of thousands of pounds he would not agree to releasing his script unless he was playing the main role. Eventually, after a substantial budget cut to compromise, it was agreed he could be the star. He has been reported to have only been paid around $15000-20000 for the part, a substantial amount of which he used to buy back his dog which he had previously sold for a few hundred dollars and ended up buying back for several thousand. The Dog ' buttkiss' also ended up with a role in the movie and the rest is history !

In 1977, at the 49th Academy Awards, Rocky was nominated for ten Oscars, including Best Actor and Best Original Screenplay nominations for Stallone. The film went on to win the Academy Awards for Best Picture, Best Directing, and Best Film Editing.

A Truly inspiring film and story from an inspiring actor who is living proof that if you truly believe in yourself you can indeed feel invincible and achieve your dreams.