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Tag: Sylvester Stallone

  • Sly Stallone, Cole Hauser team up for new series on North Texas gambling boss

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    Benny Binion, left, with rodeo champions in Las Vegas in 1968.

    Benny Binion, left, with rodeo champions in Las Vegas in 1968.

    Special Collections and Archives, University Libraries, University of Nevada, Las Vegas.

    Fort Worth

    Two of the biggest stars in the Taylor Sheridan universe are teaming up on a new series about Benny Binion, a notoriously colorful character who ruled over illegal gambling in the Dallas-Fort Worth area during the Depression era.

    Sylvester Stallone, who stars in “Tulsa King” as a present-day mob captain operating in Oklahoma, and Cole Hauser, who played ranch foreman and bruiser Rip Wheeler on “Yellowstone,” are partnering on the project, Deadline reported Monday.

    The series is an adaption of the 2014 book by Doug J. Swanson, “Blood Aces: The Wild Ride of Benny Binion, the Texas Gangster Who Created Vegas Poker.”

    Stallone is executive producing, with Hauser set to star as Binion in the MGM Television series. No details were shared on where the series will film or when it will release.

    The book charts the rise of Binion — nicknamed “The Cowboy” — as he built a moonshine and gambling empire from Dallas to Fort Worth, leaving behind a few bodies along the way. He fled to Las Vegas in the 1940s, established Binion’s Horseshoe casino and spent time in federal prison over tax evasion. He ran his casino with Texas-style frontier justice, and started whats now the World Series of Poker.

    An undated photo of Benny Binion at a poker table in Las Vegas.
    An undated photo of Benny Binion at a poker table in Las Vegas. Special Collections, University Libraries, University of Nevada, Las Vegas.

    “By nearly every report, Binion was a warmhearted family man who happened to savor his reputation as a coldblooded killer,” the New York Times wrote in a 2005 story with the headline, “The Baddest Good Guy You’d Ever Seen.”

    Longtime fans of Billy Bob’s Texas may remember that its founder, Billy Bob Barnett, erected a 12-foot bronze statue of his good friend Binion outside the honky-tonk’s entrance. The statue has been in Vegas since 1988.

    Binion died of heart failure on Christmas Day in 1989 at 85 years old.

    Billy Bob Barnett, founder of Billy Bob’s Texas, erected a 12-foot bronze statue of Benny “The Cowboy” Binion outside the honky-tonk in the Fort Worth Stockyards. The $150,000 monument was moved to Las Vegas in 1988 after the club closed and later reopened under new ownership.
    Billy Bob Barnett, founder of Billy Bob’s Texas, erected a 12-foot bronze statue of Benny “The Cowboy” Binion outside the honky-tonk in the Fort Worth Stockyards. The $150,000 monument was moved to Las Vegas in 1988 after the club closed and later reopened under new ownership. Norm Tindell Fort Worth Star-Telegram

    Swanson, a former Dallas Morning News journalist and current University of Pittsburgh professor, said this is the fifth time the book has been optioned since release. But this time, he’s encouraged that something will come to fruition given the major names attached.

    “Can’t argue that these dudes haven’t been around and put out a lot of great work,” Swanson told the Star-Telegram on Thursday. “I’m really happy and encouraged by that. Nothing to feel bad about at this point.”

    🔥 In case you missed it…

    ‘Blood Aces’ coming to the small screen

    Swanson is unsure how Stallone and Hauser found the book, but said he received a call from his agent in May 2025 saying that the duo was interested in an adaption.

    From there, as most things go in Hollywood, there were plenty of negotiations back and forth from agents and lawyers. Swanson said he was mostly on the outside of things, just waiting for someone to send him a contract.

    Under that contract, Swanson is listed a co-executive producer, which means that he will be available to answer any questions from the show’s staff. That’s as far as his reign goes; he will not be giving Hauser tips on how to portray Binion.

    “That ain’t happening,” Swanson joked.

    Benny Binion, left, with some of the rodeo champions in Las Vegas, 1968.
    Benny Binion, left, with some of the rodeo champions in Las Vegas, 1968. Special Collections and Archives, University Libraries, University of Nevada, Las Vegas.

    “Blood Aces” was first optioned for adaption by Relativity Media right after it released.

    The company filed for bankruptcy shortly after that and Swanson said it took a couple of years to get the rights back. Next up was Friendly Films, which produced USA Network’s “Queen of the South,” but after a few years that didn’t work out either.

    There were some smaller production companies in the mix after that, but this time around, the Stallone-Hauser combo seems to be the strongest thus far.

    “The one with the greatest track record and the biggest star power,” Swanson said.

    Benny Binion, former Dallas policy racketeer and Las Vegas casino owner, takes the witness stand in Dallas on Dec. 17, 1953, before Judge Henry King. He pleaded guilty to one count of an eight-count indictment related to gambling that netted $1 million a year in Dallas.
    Benny Binion, former Dallas policy racketeer and Las Vegas casino owner, takes the witness stand in Dallas on Dec. 17, 1953, before Judge Henry King. He pleaded guilty to one count of an eight-count indictment related to gambling that netted $1 million a year in Dallas. Blair Justice Fort Worth Star-Telegram

    Benny Binion’s North Texas reign

    Swanson’s journey with Binion began when he covered police for the Dallas Times Herald in the early 1980s.

    Sometimes there were murmurs around the police station from older officers about what Binion got up to back in the day. Swanson said he filed that away and didn’t pick up the story again until the early 2010s, when he was looking for something to write about.

    To Swanson’s surprise, Binion was a major criminal figure around the Metroplex in the 1930s and early 1940s.

    “He was a big deal, and then he just got run out of town,” Swanson said.

    Binion controlled much of the gambling in Dallas and was part owner of the Top O’ Hill Terrace illegal casino in Arlington. He also had some action in Fort Worth on Jacksboro Highway.

    After a new sheriff and district attorney were elected in Dallas County, Binion fled to Las Vegas.

    There were a few casinos around Las Vegas when Binion arrived, but he turned them into a major industry. He also created the World Series of Poker, which has been ongoing since the 1970s.

    Even when he was writing the book, Swanson envisioned the Binion story as a television show. Now, Stallone and Hauser are rolling the dice.

    Related Stories from Fort Worth Star-Telegram

    Brayden Garcia

    Fort Worth Star-Telegram

    Brayden Garcia is a service journalism reporter at the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. He is part of a team of local journalists who answer reader questions and write about life in North Texas. Brayden mainly writes about weather and all things Taylor Sheridan-related.

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    Brayden Garcia

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  • Sylvester Stallone & Yellowstone Star Team up for New Gritty Series

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    Sylvester Stallone and Yellowstone star Cole Hauser are joining forces for a new gritty television project. The upcoming series, in development with MGM Television, promises to explore the rise of a larger-than-life figure tied to the early days of Las Vegas and the high-stakes world that came with it.

    MGM Television developing a Benny Binion series with Sylvester Stallone and Cole Hauser

    MGM Television is developing Blood Aces, a series adaptation of Doug J. Swanson’s nonfiction book Blood Aces: The Wild Ride of Benny Binion, the Texas Gangster Who Created Vegas Poker, according to Deadline.

    The project is a collaboration between Sylvester Stallone’s Balboa Productions, Cole Hauser’s American Outlaw Entertainment, and MGM Television. Hauser will play Benny Binion, a Fort Worth hustler who became a Las Vegas casino mogul and founded the World Series of Poker.

    Published in 2014, Swanson’s book traces Binion’s path from Texas horse trader to mob-connected casino owner. It includes government documents that were once classified. The series will show his violent tactics, legal manipulation, and influence on modern poker. Producers are currently meeting with potential showrunners.

    Sylvester Stallone stated, “Douglas J. Swanson’s book captures the incredible life of Benny Binion, a New West icon who was a conduit connecting many worlds, some glamorous, some dangerous, some shady, but all intriguing, while helping to build the foundation for both Las Vegas as we know it and the explosive worldwide popularity of poker.”

    Cole Hauser said, “Benny Binion is one of the great Western American characters and success stories of the 20th century, loaded with ambition, vision, balls, and like all controversial characters, many flaws. His legacy is undeniable. How he built it is an incredible story which we can’t wait to tell.”

    Executive producers include Stallone and D. Matt Geller for Balboa Productions, Hauser and Randall Batinkoff for American Outlaw Entertainment, and Jai Stefan. MGM Television’s Head of Scripted Series Lindsay Sloane noted, “This project brings together bold, cinematic storytelling and a deeply compelling central performance to explore the origins of modern poker and the high-stakes world that shaped it.”

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    Vritti Johar

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  • Alan Ritchson Returns to Queensland to Begin Filming Sylvester Stallone-Produced Navy SEAL Pic for Amazon MGM Studios

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    Alan Ritchson is returning to Queensland, Australia to begin production on an untitled Amazon MGM Studios feature about decorated Navy SEAL hero Mike Thornton, Screen Queensland has revealed.

    Principal photography kicks off this month at Village Roadshow Studios on the Gold Coast. The project marks Ritchson’s return to the region following his recent action thriller “Runner,” which filmed in Brisbane and the Gold Coast in 2025.

    Australian director Patrick Hughes is helming the project, which chronicles Thornton’s real-life survival story in the South China Sea that earned him a Congressional Medal of Honor. Ritchson, known for his roles in “Reacher” and “Fast X,” stars alongside Joe Cole (“Subversion,” “A Prayer Before Dawn”) and Hoa Xuande (“The Sympathizer,” “Avatar: The Last Airbender”).

    Sylvester Stallone and D. Matt Geller are producing under Balboa Productions, alongside Hidden Pictures’ Todd Lieberman and Alex Young, Ritchson’s AllyCat Entertainment, and Alan Rautbort. Executive producers are Valerie Bleth Sharp and Mike Thornton. The screenplay was written by Mark Semos (“SEAL Team,” “Y: Marshals”), Ritchson and Jason Hall (“American Sniper,” “Thank You for Your Service”).

    The film is supported by the Australian government through the Location Offset, the Queensland government through Screen Queensland’s Production Attraction Strategy and the City of Gold Coast’s Screen Attraction Program.

    The production was secured for Queensland through Screen Queensland’s Production Strategy and the federal government’s Location Offset.

    Acting Minister for the Arts Tim Nicholls said the project demonstrates strong momentum for screen production in the state heading into 2026 under the Crisafulli Government.

    “This latest project for Amazon MGM Studios will create employment for around 260 local cast and crew while injecting an estimated AUD50 million ($33.5 million) into the Queensland economy and supporting numerous small businesses,” Nicholls said in a statement, adding that the government remains committed to keeping Queensland as the country’s top destination for screen production.

    Screen Queensland CEO Jacqui Feeney highlighted the state’s expertise with military and water-based productions as key factors in the production’s return to Queensland.

    “Queensland crews have an internationally renowned reputation for delivering complex action films and series and it’s fantastic to start the new year with such an ambitious production coming into Village Roadshow Studios,” Feeney said.

    Hughes said he was excited to bring the project back to Australia. “The Gold Coast offers world-class crews, facilities, and locations, making it an ideal home for a production of this scale,” the “Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard” director said. “I’m thrilled to be working with Screen Queensland to bring this film to life.”

    The Mike Thornton project joins a growing slate of Queensland-based films for Amazon MGM Studios, including “Balls Up,” “The Bluff,” “Voltron” and “Subversion.”

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    Naman Ramachandran

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  • Trump awards medals to the Kennedy Center honorees in an Oval Office ceremony

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    WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump on Saturday presented the 2025 Kennedy Center honorees with their medals during a ceremony in the Oval Office, hailing the slate of artists he was deeply involved in choosing as “perhaps the most accomplished and renowned class” ever assembled.

    This year’s recipients are actor Sylvester Stallone, singers Gloria Gaynor and George Strait, the rock band Kiss and actor-singer Michael Crawford.

    Trump said they are a group of “incredible people” who represent the “very best in American arts and culture” and that, “I know most of them and I’ve been a fan of all of them.”

    “This is a group of icons whose work and accomplishments have inspired, uplifted and unified millions and millions of Americans,” said a tuxedo-clad Trump. “This is perhaps the most accomplished and renowned class of Kennedy Center Honorees ever assembled.”

    Trump’s takeover of the Kennedy Center

    Trump ignored the Kennedy Center and its premier awards program during his first term as president. But the Republican has instituted a series of changes since returning to office in January, most notably ousting its board of trustees and replacing them with GOP supporters who voted him in as chairman of the board.

    Trump also has criticized the center’s programming and its physical appearance, and has vowed to overhaul both.

    The president placed around each honoree’s neck a new medal that was designed, created and donated by jeweler Tiffany & Co., according to the Kennedy Center and Trump.

    It’s a gold disc etched on one side with the Kennedy Center’s image and rainbow colors. The honoree’s name appears on the reverse side with the date of the ceremony. The medallion hangs from a navy blue ribbon and replaces a large rainbow ribbon decorated with three gold plates that rested on the honoree’s shoulders and chest and had been used since the first honors program in 1978.

    Trump honors the honorees

    Strait, wearing a cowboy hat, was first to receive his medal. When the country singer started to take off the hat, Trump said, “If you want to leave it on, you can. I think we can get it through.” But Strait took it off.

    The president said Crawford was a “great star of Broadway” for his lead role in the long-running “Phantom of the Opera.” Of Gaynor, he said, “We have the disco queen, and she was indeed, and nobody did it like Gloria Gaynor.”

    Trump was effusive about his friend Stallone, calling him a “wonderful” and “spectacular” person and “one of the true, great movie stars” and “one of the great legends.”

    Kiss is an “incredible rock band,” he said.

    Songs by honorees Gaynor and Kiss played in the Rose Garden just outside the Oval Office as members of the White House press corps waited nearby for Trump to begin the ceremony.

    The president said in August that he was “about 98% involved” in choosing the 2025 honorees when he personally announced them at the Kennedy Center, the first slate chosen under his leadership. The honorees traditionally had been announced by press release.

    It was unclear how they were chosen. Before Trump, it fell to a bipartisan selection committee.

    “These are among the greatest artists, actors and performers of their generation. The greatest that we’ve seen,” Trump said. “We can hardly imagine the country music phenomena without its king of country, or American disco without its first lady, or Broadway without its phantom — and that was a phantom, let me tell you — or rock and roll without its hottest band in the world, and that’s what they are, or Hollywood without one of its greatest visionaries.”

    “Each of you has made an indelible mark on American life and together you have defined entire genres and set new standards for the performing arts,” Trump said.

    Trump also attended an annual State Department dinner for the honorees on Saturday. In years past, the honorees received their medallions there but Trump moved that to the White House.

    Trump said during pre-dinner remarks that the honorees are more than celebrities.

    “It gives me tremendous pleasure to congratulate them once again and say thank you for your incredible career,” he said. “Thank you for gracing us with this wisdom and just genius that you have.”

    Trump to host the Kennedy Center Honors

    Meanwhile, the glitzy Kennedy Center Honors program and its series of tribute speeches and performances for each recipient is set to be taped on Sunday at the performing arts center for broadcast later in December on CBS and Paramount+. Trump is to attend the program for the first time as president, accompanied by his wife, first lady Melania Trump.

    The president said in August that he had agreed to host the show. At dinner Saturday, he said he was doing so “at the request of a certain television network.” Trump predicted that the broadcast would garner its highest ratings ever as a result. No president has ever been the host.

    At the White House, Trump said he looked forward to Sunday’s celebration.

    “It’s going to be something that I believe, and I’m going to make a prediction: This will be the highest-rated show that they’ve ever done and they’ve gotten some pretty good ratings, but there’s nothing like what’s going to happen tomorrow night,” Trump said.

    The president also swiped at late-night TV show host Jimmy Kimmel, whose program was briefly suspended earlier this year by ABC following criticism of his comments related to the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk in September.

    Kimmel and Trump are sharp critics of each other, with the president regularly deriding Kimmel’s talent as a host. Kimmel has hosted the Primetime Emmy Awards and the Academy Award multiple times.

    Trump said he should be able to outdo Kimmel.

    “I’ve watched some of the people that host. Jimmy Kimmel was horrible,” Trump said. “If I can’t beat out Jimmy Kimmel in terms of talent, then I don’t think I should be president.”

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  • Rocky Biopic Movie Finds Carl Weathers Actor

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    The upcoming Rocky biopic movie, titled I Play Rocky, has found an actor to portray Carl Weathers.

    In May 2024, it was announced that Peter Farrelly had been tapped to direct I Play Rocky. The movie will detail how Sylvester Stallone fought tooth and nail to play the role of Rocky Balboa for the very first time in 1976’s Rocky, which was directed by John G. Avildsen and won the Best Picture Academy Award.

    It was previously announced that Anthony Ippolito, known for starring in 2022’s Purple Hearts, will play a young Stallone in the film.

    Who is playing Carl Weathers in the Rocky biopic movie?

    Per Deadline, it has now been announced that Stephan James will play Carl Weathers in the Rocky biopic.

    Weathers, who passed away in February 2024, played Apollo Creed in the first four Rocky movies. While Apollo is initially a foe that Rocky has to face in the ring, the two set their differences aside and team up in 1982’s Rocky III, creating a friendship that lasts until Apollo’s death in 1985’s Rocky IV.

    James is known for playing Alonzo “Fonny” Hunt in Barry Jenkins’ If Beale Street Could Talk, which was released in 2018, and Jesse Owens in 2016’s Race. His filmography further includes 2013’s Selma, 2015’s Across the Line, 2019’s 21 Bridges, 2024’s The Piano Lesson, and 2025’s Night Always Comes, among other titles. In television, James starred as Walter Cruz in Amazon’s Homecoming series, while he’s additionally appeared in shows such as Degrassi: The Next Generation, Clue, The L.A. Complex, Shots Fired, #FreeRayshawn, Surface, and Beacon 23.

    The screenplay for I Play Rocky comes from Peter Gamble. Toby Emmerich and Christian Baha are producing the film, while FilmNation Entertainment is handling production services and international sales.

    A release date for I Play Rocky has not yet been set.

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    Brandon Schreur

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  • Sylvester Stallone Wanted to Use AI to Star in a ‘Rambo’ Prequel

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    Even though it’s been four decades since he originated the role, Sylvester Stallone was ready to portray Rambo one more time. 

    During a conversation on The Playlist’s Bingeworthy podcast, the Tulsa King actor revealed that he pitched his potential return to the film franchise. Instead of following up after the events of 2019’s Rambo: Last Blood, Stallone wanted to partake in a prequel project that would feature an 18-year-old John Rambo. And, yes — he wanted to play a young Rambo, with the use of de-aging AI technology.

    “Everyone thought I was crazy,” Stallone said of the pitch.  “AI is sophisticated enough to go through Saigon to see him at 18 years old and basically use the same image. So it isn’t as big a stretch.”

    While Stallone wanted to take on the role again, Noah Centineo is reportedly set to play the character in a Rambo prequel film. Of another actor taking on one of his iconic characters, Stallone warned that it’s incredibly tough to take on an already originated role, similarly to when he starred in the 2000 Get Carter remake. 

    “It’s very, very hard. He may do a stellar job, but you’re overcoming this because I went through it with Get Carter,” he added. “Everyone loves the original, and then you’re always fighting that prejudice.” 

    Of the potential for a Rambo prequel, Stallone told The Hollywood Reporter in 2022 that he believed the movie was “getting close,” while offering a few ideas he had for the project.

    “I think it’s going to happen,” he said. “I wanted to do it like a Ken Burns documentary on Vietnam, where you drop young Rambo in there and he’s this outgoing guy, football captain, and then you see why he becomes Rambo. But what they want to do is a modern-day story where I pass the torch. That’s getting close.” 

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    McKinley Franklin

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  • Sylvester Stallone Pitched Himself For AI De-Aged ‘Rambo’ Prequel: “Isn’t As Big A Stretch”

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    More than 40 years after originating the role in First Blood (1982), Sylvester Stallone doesn’t seem all that ready to say goodbye to Rambo.

    With Noah Centineo in talks for a Rambo prequel, the 3x Oscar nominee and one of Trump‘s Special Ambassadors for Hollywood recently revealed that he pitched his own “sophisticated” AI de-aged portrayal for an installment about a teen Rambo.

    “Everyone thought I was crazy,” said Stallone on The Playlist‘s Bingeworthy podcast. “AI is sophisticated enough to go through Saigon to see him at 18 years old and basically use the same image. So it isn’t as big a stretch.”

    Amid Centineo’s potential casting in Millennium Media’s package for John Rambo, directed by Jalmari Helander from a script by Rory Haines and Sohrab Noshirvani, Deadline reported that Stallone was aware but not involved.

    Stallone cautioned anyone taking on the role during his podcast appearance. “It’s very, very hard. He may do a stellar job, but you’re overcoming this because I went through it with Get Carter. Everyone loves the original, and then you’re always fighting that prejudice,” he explained.

    Sylvester Stallone attends the ‘Tulsa King’ Season 3 premiere on Sept. 16, 2025 in New York City.

    Kristina Bumphrey/Variety

    The prequel’s plot is under wraps, but it will explore the origin story of a young John Rambo during the Vietnam War. Created by David Morell in his novel First Blood (1972), Stallone play the veteran Green Beret in five movies, generating more than $800 million worldwide; the most recent, 2019’s Rambo: Last Blood, produced by Millennium and Sly’s Balboa, made $92M at the box office.

    Sources tell Deadline the plan is to shoot the Rambo prequel at the top of 2026 in Thailand. Releasing the last two pics in the franchise, Lionsgate is the front-runner to land the package.

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    Glenn Garner

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  • Sylvester Stallone says Kennedy Center honor is ‘something I still can’t fathom’

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    NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!

    Sylvester Stallone is still in shock after receiving a Kennedy Center honor for doing work he would “do for free” if he had to.

    The “Tulsa King” star told Fox News Digital that receiving this prestigious award was never something he planned for himself.

    “I try to put it into words. It’s such a shock and revelation. It’s something I didn’t expect, ever. And now I don’t know what to do,” he said.

    Sylvester Stallone will be honored with a Kennedy Center award this December. (Getty Images)

    Stallone explained that he’s in the process of writing a book, “How Rocky Happened: 1969 to the Oscars,” and has been going down memory lane, remembering all the “insanity” that came from filming the famed “Rocky” movies. 

    TRUMP AND MELANIA TO HEADLINE POWER-PLAYER PACKED KENNEDY CENTER OPENING NIGHT

    “When you get this Kennedy Center honor, it’s just something I still, at this age, can’t fathom that you actually get a prize for what you do that you would do for free. You know what I mean? I’ve been so lucky. I’ve been blessed, everything. And on top of that, you’re gonna give me a chocolate sundae? Come on. Jesus,” Stallone said.

    “When you get this Kennedy Center honor, it’s just something I still, at this age, can’t fathom that you actually get a prize for what you do that you would do for free.”

    — Sylvester Stallone

    In August, President Donald Trump announced the stars set to be honored at the highly anticipated ceremony in December. Aside from Stallone, the honorees this year are country legend George Strait, rock band KISS, English actor Michael Crawford and iconic singer Gloria Gaynor, known for her hits, including “I Will Survive.”

    Trump, now chairman of the Kennedy Center, is ramping up efforts to reshape the honors program — pushing for a glitzier, star-studded celebration.

    WATCH: Sylvester Stallone says Kennedy Center honor is ‘something I still can’t fathom’

    “The 48th Kennedy Center Honorees are outstanding people, incredible, we can’t wait… in a few short months since I became chairman of the board, the Kennedy Center, we’ve completely reversed the decline of this cherished national institution,” he said in his speech. 

    When reporters asked Trump how involved he was in selecting the 2025 honorees, he didn’t hold back.

    Trump talks to reporters

    President Donald Trump is chairman of the Kennedy Center. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)

    “I was about 98% involved… they all came through me,” he said. 

    LIKE WHAT YOU’RE READING? CLICK HERE FOR MORE ENTERTAINMENT NEWS

    Trump explained he personally greenlit each honoree, and made it known that some didn’t make the cut.

    “I turned down plenty, they were too woke… I had a couple of wokesters. No, we have great people. This is very different than it used to be.”

    Trump ended his “very long answer” by saying he “was very involved” in the selection of the Kennedy Center Honorees.

    Donald Trump

    President Donald Trump at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. (Getty Images)

    During Stallone’s interview with Fox News Digital, he discussed his hit show “Tulsa King” and explained that it’s the closest role he’s played that shows his true self.

    “It’s as close as I’m ever going to come to showing who I am, my real personality. That’s how I would react. It was an experiment. 

    “This is pretty much me as a gangster,” Stallone said.

    Sylvester Stallone in Rocky

    Sylvester Stallone led all of the “Rocky” movies. (Sunset Boulevard/Corbis via Getty Images)

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    He also said the pressure is high to keep up with high-quality seasons as “Tulsa King” progresses and compared the TV show to the “Rocky” films.

    WATCH: Sylvester Stallone talks season 3 of ‘Tulsa King’

    “It’s pretty tense, it is. It’s unnerving because, just like with ‘Rockys’, how do you top the last round that did better than the one before that? And that comes with, here we go again, the team. You gotta have that great team behind you. But the thing is, it’s true. You don’t win the big games without a great team,” Stallone told Fox News Digital.

    Sylvester Stallone

    Sylvester Stallone’s “Tulsa King” is gearing up for its season 3 premiere. (Photo by Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Paramount+)

    “Tulsa King” season three premieres on Sunday, September 21, on Paramount+.

    Fox News Digital’s Stephanie Giang-Paunon contributed to this report.

    CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

    Janelle Ash is an entertainment writer for Fox News Digital. Story tips can be sent to janelle.ash@fox.com. 

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  • Watch: Trump announces Kennedy Center Honorees, takes questions

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    President Trump visited the Kennedy Center Wednesday to announce this year’s honorees: Country-music artist George Strait, singer Gloria Gaynor, actor and singer Michael Crawford, actor Sylvester Stallone and the rock band KISS. Following the announcement, Mr. Trump took questions on several topics.

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  • Unbelievable facts

    Unbelievable facts

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    After being denied the use of Another One Bites the Dust for Rocky III, Sylvester Stallone contacted…

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  • Casting agency quits Sylvester Stallone’s ‘Tulsa King,’ claiming star insulted extras

    Casting agency quits Sylvester Stallone’s ‘Tulsa King,’ claiming star insulted extras

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    A casting agency in Atlanta has cut ties with the production of “Tulsa King” over claims that Sylvester Stallone, the star of the Paramount+ series, made disparaging remarks about background actors during a recent shoot for the mob drama’s second season.

    Rose Locke Casting announced Sunday on Facebook that it had “chosen to part ways” with the series after Stallone and an unnamed director called some of the extras “ugly,” referring to one of them as a “tub of lard” and another as a “fat guy with a cane,” Deadline reported Monday. The casting agency also claimed Stallone, 77, made the suggestion that the production should bring in “pretty young girls to be around me” instead of the actors who were hired.

    The accusations reportedly stemmed from last week’s filming of a bar scene in the series, which follows Stallone as a New York City mafia capo sent to Tulsa to establish criminal operations there after completing a lengthy prison term. The series premiered in 2022 and was renewed for a second season, becoming Stallone’s biggest role since he reprised his iconic Rocky Balboa character in the first two installments of the “Creed” trilogy. Production began at the beginning of the month.

    “Tulsa King” director and executive producer Craig Zisk told TMZ that there was a conflict over how the scene was cast, but he denied that Stallone or anyone else insulted the background actors. Zisk claimed the actors were supposed to be between 25 and 35 years old, but the extras on set were instead older than expected. The actors were included in the scenes, Zisk said, but he confronted casting supervisor Rose Locke to require that she begin submitting headshots of extras for approval before hiring them.

    Locke reportedly didn’t want to work that way and quit about an hour later.

    Stallone has not publicly responded to the accusations against him.

    Some of the claims about Stallone’s comments were discussed on private Facebook pages used by background actors.

    “What the f— is up with these f—ing ugly background …” Stallone was accused of saying to a director, according to the moderator of one Facebook page who urged Georgia actors not to seek work on “Tulsa King.”

    On another Facebook page for actors in South Carolina, moderator Dee Dee McDaniel Simmons said she didn’t want to believe what she had been hearing.

    “At first I had hoped it was just a bad rumor started by 1 person who may have felt some type of way; but there have been countless people who were on set and have stated what they saw, how they were treated, etc.,” McDaniel Simmons wrote. “Sadly it seems Sly Stallone and crew made things miserable for the background artists and many have said the set was completely unprofessional and a total mess.”

    An email Locke had sent to her team — shared by writer Julie Benson, who’s not connected to “Tulsa King” — said the resignation was due to a “clear toxic environment” on the set of the show.

    Zisk said Stallone’s wife, former model Jennifer Flavin, was on the set last week and that Stallone didn’t say anything about “pretty women” being cast as background actors.

    Deadline reported that one of the extras said it “hurt his soul” to be described negatively by Stallone.

    Stallone’s longevity has been fortified by the staying power of the “Rocky” series and many of his earlier films. He was in Philadelphia in December to celebrate the city’s first “Rocky Day,” joining fans who traveled from far and wide to attend the event and see the fictional boxing hero’s statue outside the Art Museum. City officials now plan to expand the “Rocky” celebration into a festival.

    Rose Locke Casting said it will finish out its commitments with the “Tulsa King” production until Friday.

    “We send well wishes to whomever takes over the show,” the agency said. “We thank all of you great background artists for your continued support.”

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    Michael Tanenbaum

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  • Philly is planning an expanded ‘Rocky’ festival to drive global tourism

    Philly is planning an expanded ‘Rocky’ festival to drive global tourism

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    Devoted fans of the “Rocky” franchise stunned Philadelphia planners in December when the city held its first Rocky Day outside the Philadelphia Museum of Art.

    Sylvester Stallone, the writer and star of the classic films, was greeted by.thousands of people – including some from distant countries – who had come to celebrate boxing’s greatest fictional hero. They took pictures in front of the Rocky statue at the foot of the museum’s iconic steps and bought merchandise from the new Rocky Shop, a shipping container adjoined to the nearby visitor center.

    The success of Rocky Day so far exceeded the city’s expectations that there are now plans taking shape for a larger Rocky festival later this year, one that likely will become an annual tradition.

    “It was bonkers,” said Kathryn Ott Lovell, president and CEO of the Philadelphia Visitors Center Corp., the nonprofit that markets the city and connects tourists with local experiences.

    The Dec. 3 event — held on the 47th anniversary of the original film’s release — wasn’t expected to be much more than a press conference and a ribbon-cutting for the Rocky Shop. Even factoring in the appearance from Stallone, who had also visited in 2018 to promote “Creed II,” Ott Lovell and her colleagues think they downplayed the potential for “Rocky” to generate more tourism in Philly. There was a downpour on Rocky Day, but that didn’t stop people from showing up.

    “I think ‘Rocky’ has always been sort of a marketing gimmick for us in the tourism industry,” Ott Lovell said. “It’s like cheesesteaks and Ben Franklin, but I think Rocky Day helped demonstrate that ‘Rocky’ is actually a draw for tourism. People are coming to the city to have a ‘Rocky’ experience.”

    The story of Rocky Balboa is generally beloved in Philly — it encapsulates the city’s underdog ethos — but the lore attached to the film’s backdrop isn’t necessarily enthralling to the average resident. The bronze Rocky statue, made as a prop that first appeared in “Rocky III,” even generated some controversy over where it should be kept when the city accepted it as a gift from Stallone. It spent some time outside the former Spectrum in South Philly before it was permanently placed outside the art museum in 2006.

    Since then, the statue has been a year-round magnet for tourists. Its pop culture appeal contrasts somewhat oddly with the more elevated art museum, whose leaders have only recently warmed to leveraging Rocky’s mystique as a way to increase visitation.

    Many of the Rocky Day attendees in December traveled internationally from places including Venezuela, Chile, France and Germany. Ott Lovell said Philly is “a mythical place” to “Rocky” fans who identify the city with the Oscar-winning film and its five sequels. For some, Rocky Day showed that scenes from movies are pilgrimage sites. 

    “I think what we don’t understand is that what Sylvester Stallone created was a fairy tale — a fable,” she said. “He wrote an allegory and that’s what this is to the rest of the world. It’s not just a Hollywood movie. It holds a much deeper meaning and it is symbolic of what the American dream is.”

    On Wednesday, PVCC held its first meeting to begin planning this year’s Rocky festival, which could be held over several days or weeks. A date has not yet been set, but it will overlap with Rocky Day. Specifics need to be ironed out, but the event could involve developing organized tours at notable locations from the movies.

    “What we hear from visitors is that (the art museum) is just one stop on their ‘Rocky’ tour,” Ott Lovell said. “People are actually creating their own tour to go to Mighty Mick’s Gym, to go the Victor Cafe, to go see Adrian’s grave at Laurel Hill Cemetery or go to the Italian Market. People are doing this on their own.”

    The festival also could involve participation from Philly businesses that embrace “Rocky” themes and promotions for travelers. Ott Lovell expects the next two years to build up to a huge occasion celebrating the 50th anniversary of “Rocky” in 2026, which will be a banner year for tourism in Philadelphia with the nation’s 250th birthday celebration and the FIFA World Cup coming to town.

    Ott Lovell joined PVCC last July after previously serving as director of Philadelphia Parks & Recreation and working with the Fairmount Park Conservancy before that. She played an instrumental role in developing the project — now in its early stages — to redesign the Benjamin Franklin Parkway into a greener, more walkable public space in the years ahead. The current plan would connect Eakins Oval to the Parkway and art museum to create one giant, landscaped park capable of hosting future events like the Rocky festival.

    Ott Lovell said she wants to take a more parks-centric approach to cultivating tourist attractions in Philly. 

    “What we’re doing with the visitor center and Rocky Shop at the base of the art museum steps is just a proof of concept,” she said. “We definitely need to think more ambitiously about a much larger visitor center that can provide the important resources and amenities for all the people who want to have that experience. There’s a much larger conversation and narrative that we need to shift here around the value and the power of public space in terms of attracting visitation and tourism.”

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    Michael Tanenbaum

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  • Sylvester Stallone posts emotional tribute to ‘Rocky’ co-star Carl Weathers: ‘I’m so torn up’

    Sylvester Stallone posts emotional tribute to ‘Rocky’ co-star Carl Weathers: ‘I’m so torn up’

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    Sylvester Stallone has opened up and shared an emotional tribute to the late Carl Weathers.

    Weathers, who played Rocky’s nemesis-turned-ally Apollo Creed in the first four “Rocky” films, died Thursday at the age of 76.

    “Today is an incredibly sad day for me,” Stallone said in a video posted to Instagram. “I mean, I’m so torn up I can’t even tell you. I’m just trying to hold it in because Carl Weathers was such an integral part of my life, my success, everything about it. And I give him incredible credit and kudos, because, when he walked into that room, and I saw him for the first time, I saw greatness. But I didn’t realize how great.”

    “I never could have accomplished what we did with Rocky without him,” Stallone continued. “He was absolutely brilliant. His voice, his size, his power, his athletic ability, but more importantly, his heart, his soul.”

    Stallone then went on to point out the painting he was standing in front, which shows he and Weathers fighting in the ring as their respective characters in the iconic film franchise.

    “It was probably the last moment we were ever in the ring together, and I’ll never forget it,” Stallone said. “He was magic. And I was so fortunate to be part of his life. So, Apollo, keep punching.”

    In addition to his role as Apollo Creed, Weathers was known for his roles in the original “Predator,” “Happy Gilmore” and, most recently, starring in all three seasons of “The Mandalorian.”

    A true athlete, Weathers began his adult life playing football, first for San Diego State and then one season as a linebacker the Oakland Raiders during the 1970 NFL season.

    But he would return to acting (he was a theater major in college) after he hung up his cleats.

    “There are so many people that came before me who I admired and whose success I wanted to emulate, and just kind of hit the benchmarks they hit in terms of success, who created a pathway that I’ve been able to walk and find success as a result. And hopefully I can inspire someone else to do good work as well,” he told the Detroit News in 2023. “I guess I’m just a lucky guy.”

    As 2023 comes to an end, Access Hollywood is remembering the stars who died this year, including Tina Turner, Lisa Marie Presley, Angus Cloud and more.

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    Brendan Brightman

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  • Cliffhanger Director Renny Harlin Hopes Sequel Won’t Rely on CGI

    Cliffhanger Director Renny Harlin Hopes Sequel Won’t Rely on CGI

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    Director Renny Harlin won’t be involved in the upcoming Cliffhanger reboot, but he does hope the film sticks to the use of practical effects when they make it.

    Speaking to ComingSoon, Harlin was asked about the fact that the 1993 film is getting remade. Harlin revealed he had actually been trying to get another film made “for decades.” While he isn’t sure what is happening now, he does hope that there isn’t an over-reliance on CGI, however.

    “To be honest, I’ve tried for decades. I always felt the movie was hugely successful, and it was crazy that there wasn’t a sequel. There was more story to tell,” said Harlin.

    “Now, of course, it’s a long time later, so I have no idea what kind of a story they are planning to tell or what Sly’s role in it is. But I wish them the best of luck. I hope they don’t try to replace what we did with a lot of CG. Because I think the audience will be able to tell that we did everything for real. We shot at 12,000-foot peaks in the Italian Alps. It was real stuff, like the opening sequence with the girl falling. It was done for real. That was at 8,000 feet, that wire,” the director continued.

    “It’s so easy for the studios to say now, ‘We’ll do everything blue screen and create everything digitally.’ I hope they don’t do that because it deserves a sequel with the same spirit of the original.”

    What to Expect in the Cliffhanger Reboot?

    The Cliffhanger reboot will be directed and executive produced by Ric Roman Waugh, and adapted from a screenplay written by Mark Bianculli. Waugh is best known for his directorial efforts in Gerard Butler-led action films Angel Has Fallen and Greenland.

    “Growing up with the biggest action films of the ’80s and ’90s, working on many of them myself, Cliffhanger was by far one of my favorite spectacles,” Waugh said in a statement. “To be at the helm of the next chapter, scaling the Italian Alps with the legend himself, Sylvester Stallone, is a dream come true. It’s going to be a great challenge and blast taking this franchise to new heights, a responsibility I don’t take lightly.”

    The original Cliffhanger was directed by Harlin from a script co-written by Stallone. It revolved around Stallone’s Walker, a mountain climber haunted by past mistakes. In the film, Walker gets involved in a high-stakes heist as a group of international thieves try to locate their missing loot after their plane crashes into the mountain.

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    Anthony Nash

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  • Sylvester Stallone's Wife Reveals Why They Fled California For Florida – 'I'm Very Happy'

    Sylvester Stallone's Wife Reveals Why They Fled California For Florida – 'I'm Very Happy'

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    Opinion

    Source: Access Hollywood YouTube

    Source: New York Brands YouTube

    Over the past few years, there has been a mass exodus from the liberal state of California, with even A-list stars jumping ship in search of a better life. Back in 2021, the former Rocky star Sylvester Stallone became the latest celebrity to do this when he picked up and moved to Florida with his wife Jennifer Flavin and their daughters.

    Now, his wife is speaking out to say that she has no regrets about making this move.

    Flavin ‘Really Happy’ With Move

    “It’s an incredible move, I have to say I’m really happy with our move and our change,” Flavin, 55, recently told Fox News.

    “I was born and raised there, two of our kids were born there, but now everyone’s out, our daughters moved to the East Coast … so there wasn’t really anything left for me in California,” she continued. “A few of our best friends also moved, so I think it’s [a] good change, just making new friends, living a totally different lifestyle, I love it, I’m really happy.”

    Stallone, 77, himself also addressed the move at the beginning of his Netflix documentary Sly.

    “I wasn’t moving because ‘Oh, wow, I wanted another beautiful view,’” he explained. “Any time changing that paradigm which you become used to, it’s literally to jump-start that process again.”

    Though many celebrities have said that they have left California because of the crime there, Flavin was quick to say that this is not why her family made the move.

    “There’s crime everywhere, there’s crime in Florida, too, so I didn’t move because of crime,” she said. “You can find it anywhere you look, even in small towns.”

    “I think California is probably the most beautiful state in the United States, I absolutely love it, but I just needed a change,” she added. “I felt like I’ve been there long enough, and life is short, so I wanted to make a change and not just be sitting in one house the rest of my life.”

    https://twitter.com/Johnnybrownsmus/status/1732022943406755945

    Dean Cain Flees California

    This comes after the former “Superman” star Dean Cain fled California to start a new life in Nevada.

    “I love California. It’s the most beautiful state,” Cain, 57, explained to Fox News earlier this year. “Everything’s wonderful about it except for the policies. The policies are just terrible. The fiscal policies, the soft-on-crime policies, the homelessness policies.”

    “The things that our leaders in California have been doing have driven out anybody who can really afford to get out,” he continued. “People are flocking out of there in droves.”

    Related: ‘Superman’ Dean Cain Flees Liberal California – ‘People Are Flocking Out Of There In Droves’

    Scott Baio Ditches California For Florida

    The former “Happy Days” star Scott Baio also recently fled California to move to Florida due to rising homelessness and crime.

    “I see people… When I drive with my kid, I gotta turn her head away. She’s 14 years old. I see people defecating on the sidewalk,” Baio lamented during a call with the Clay & Buck show. “You see people in parks shooting up. There’s people passed out everywhere. I mean it. It’s not the isolated. It’s all over the place. And I’m about ready to get out of the state. So, you know, just so you guys know, that it’s no joke out here.”

    “I think, probably since Governor Newsom, it’s really gotten bad, and maybe a little before that. So, maybe four or five years ago,” he continued. “It’s just… It’s out of control, guys. Listen, I’ve been here for 45, almost 50 years. I’ve seen this place go from an absolute paradise into a cesspool…”

    Related: Trump Supporting Actor Scott Baio Threatens to Move to Utah to ‘Unseat’ Mitt Romney

    In the end, it’s easy to see why so many people are fleeing the radically liberal state of California. If the leftists running California want to keep the likes of stars like Stallone, Cain, and Baio in their state, they might want to start rethinking some of their policies.

    Now is the time to support and share the sources you trust.
    The Political Insider ranks #3 on Feedspot’s “100 Best Political Blogs and Websites.”

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    James Conrad

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  • Jacob Elordi’s Diamond-Set Cartier Tank Has Us Swooning

    Jacob Elordi’s Diamond-Set Cartier Tank Has Us Swooning

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    Want more insider watch coverage? Get Box + Papers, GQ’s newsletter devoted to the watch world, sent to your inbox every Friday. Sign up here.

    This isn’t the first time Gen Z superstar Jacob Elordi rocked a Cartier Tank in public, and we doubt it’ll be the last.

    The Euphoria star, previously spotted wearing a Tank Normale in 18-karat yellow gold, seems to have a soft spot for the iconic dress watch. Though he was once an ambassador for TAG Heuer, it’s the Tank that he’s worn to two separate appearances while promoting Sofia Coppola’s new film Priscilla, in which he plays Elvis. This week, he pulled out yet another beautiful model, a diamond-studded Tank Must, on The Today Show, proving that the moderately sized, slim-wearing watch is alive and well among today’s young collectors.

    NBC/Getty Images

    Jacob Elordis DiamondSet Cartier Tank Has Us Swooning

    Unlike the solid-gold Normale, the Tank Must is more of a bare-bones, entry-level model. This particular version, however, adds diamonds to the watch’s famous brancards, turning a somewhat pedestrian reference into a stealthy flex with 42 brilliant-cut stones and a synthetic cabochon crown. Powered by a high-autonomy quartz movement, it might not have the Normale’s horological cachet, but it should certainly appeal to watch lovers both casual and serious—and it’s fairly widely available for $6,850.

    In case you missed the Must craze: Back in the 1970s, Cartier released an affordable line of paired-down fare—watches, perfumes, and more—that offered the maison’s class at a more palatable price. These (now vintage) Must de Cartier Tanks used gold vermeil cases and quartz movements, and until recently, could often be had for under $1,000 on online watch exchanges. However, Cartier surprised the watch world back in 2021, relaunching the Must line with a series of colorful dials, solar-powered movements, and even a “leather” band made from recycled apple cores.

    Nowadays, it’s cool to own a Must—though, to be fair, a solid-gold Tank still reigns supreme among both the watch and the fashion set. Elordi’s choice thus smacks of horological and sartorial awareness, with the diamonds helping it ride the line between classic Cartier and the brand’s push into more affordable territory (again). However you look at it, it’s a cool watch—and a great choice for an actor who’s cutting his teeth playing iconic figures whose impact on the zeitgeist can’t be overstated.

    Actor and filmmaker Sylvester Stallone attends a game between the Detroit Pistons and Miami Heat

    Megan Briggs/Getty Images

    Jacob Elordis DiamondSet Cartier Tank Has Us Swooning

    Sylvester Stalone’s Rolex Cosmograph Daytona Ref. 6265

    While Sly may be most readily associated with Panerai—whose conversion from military to civilian watchmaker he helped bring about—the Rocky actor is a dedicated Rolex collector, and has been spotted wearing everything from modern GMT-Master IIs to vintage Daytonas. Speaking of which: Just this week he was snapped courtside at an NBA game rocking a to-die-for vintage reference 6265 with tropical subdials. In production from roughly 1971 through 1987, the 6265 features screw-down pushers, the Valjoux 727 hand-wound movement, either a stainless steel or a solid-gold case, and one of several dial configurations—including the famous “Paul Newman” dial from Singer. This version, with its brown chronograph totalizers, is arguably even cooler.

    Comedian Kumail Nanjiani performs at The Ice House Comedy Club

    Michael S. Schwartz/Getty Images

    Jacob Elordis DiamondSet Cartier Tank Has Us Swooning

    Kumail Nanjiani’s Rolex GMT-Master Ref. 1675/3 “Root Beer”

    Kumail Nanjiani is no stranger to a good watch, having worn a frosted AP Royal Oak in Eternals and a Patek Philippe Aquanaut ref. 5167R on Hot Ones. This week, while performing at The Ice House Comedy Club in Pasadena, CA, the Pakistani-American funnyman rocked a deep cut from the Rolex catalog, a GMT-Master ref. 1675/3 from the 1980s. Nicknamed the “Root Beer” for its multi-color black-and-brown bezel, the 1675/3 is somewhat of a divisive watch, with some absolutely in love with its unique colorway and “nipple” dial, and others feeling that its two-tone aesthetic makes it look like something a used car salesman would rock in a kitschy commercial. On Nanjiani’s wrist, however, matched to a blue knit polo and worn with confidence, it looks classy and refined.

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    Oren Hartov

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  • In ‘Sly,’ Documentary Filmmaker Thom Zimny Gets in the Ring with Stallone, His Art, and His Demons

    In ‘Sly,’ Documentary Filmmaker Thom Zimny Gets in the Ring with Stallone, His Art, and His Demons

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    Mention the name “Sylvester Stallone” to a casual fan, and it’s probably unlikely that the first word they associate with the Rocky and Rambo star is “artist.” But in Sly, a new documentary about Stallone coming to Netflix this Friday, director Thom Zimny wants to make the case for Stallone, The Artist.

    “I was looking at him as an artist from day one,” Zimny says during a recent interview. “I never came to him with a certain POV that defined who he was.”

    Sly, which premiered earlier this year at the Toronto International Film Festival, paints a portrait of Stallone through his work on screen and off, as a star, writer, and director in franchises like Rocky, Rambo, and, yes, even The Expendables. Zimny portrays his subject as a cinematic rebel who carved out a place in Hollywood by creating his own material—and grappled, in his work, with his contentious and at times abusive relationship with Frank Sr., his father.

    At the center of the film is Stallone himself, who talks with Zimny in his home office, sometimes going through tapes on which he recorded old interviews. (The house, full of memorabilia, was being packed up at the time, because Stallone had sold it to Adele.) There are talking heads—Quentin Tarantino and Wesley Morris provide film history perspective, while the likes of Arnold Schwarzenegger and Henry Winkler talk about their personal relationships with the man in question—but mostly this is the Sly show. (Well, there’s also, you guessed it, Frank Stallone.)

    Zimny has tackled towering figures in pop culture before. He’s worked extensively with Bruce Springsteen and directed films and TV series about Elvis, Johnny Cash, and Willie Nelson. Stallone and his producing partner Braden Aftergood had seen some of Zimny’s work, and reached out to him as they were discussing doing a doc on his life. Zimny was a fan, he says, but he had no take on Stallone going into their first meetings.

    “One of his initial conversations with me, he mentioned his father, and I realized suddenly that his father was a big part of of the work,” Zimny says. “This story turned out to be one of the biggest stories to tackle because his life was so rich, and there’s so much to unpack with his childhood and adolescence and rejection. It was pretty daunting in the editing process at times, because there were so many connections between Sly’s body of work and his actual life.”

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    Esther Zuckerman

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  • Burt Young, best known as Rocky’s handler in the “Rocky” movies, dead at 83

    Burt Young, best known as Rocky’s handler in the “Rocky” movies, dead at 83

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    Burt Young, the Oscar-nominated actor who played Paulie, the rough-hewn, mumbling-and-grumbling best friend, corner-man and brother-in-law of Sylvester Stallone in the “Rocky” franchise, has died.

    Young died Oct. 8 in Los Angeles, his daughter, Anne Morea Steingieser, told The New York Times on Wednesday. No cause of death was given. He was 83.

    FILE PHOTO: Oscar-nominated 'Rocky' actor Burt Young dead at 83
    Sylvester Stallone with co-star Burt Young before the premiere of the film “Rocky Balboa” in Philadelphia on Dec. 18, 2006.

    Tim Shaffer / REUTERS


    Young had roles in acclaimed films and television shows including “Chinatown,” “Once Upon a Time in America” and “The Sopranos.”

    But he was always best known for playing Paulie Pennino in six “Rocky” movies. The short, paunchy, balding Young was the sort of actor who always seemed to play middle-aged no matter his age.

    Evolution of “Paulie”   

    When Paulie first appears in 1976’s “Rocky,” he’s an angry, foul-mouthed meat packer who is abusive to his sister Adrian (Talia Shire), with whom he shares a small apartment in Philadelphia. He berates the shy, meek Adrian for refusing at first to go on a Thanksgiving-night date with his buddy and co-worker Rocky Balboa, and destroys a turkey she has in the oven.

    The film became a phenomenon, topping the box office for the year and making a star of lead actor and writer Stallone, who paid tribute to Young on Instagram on Wednesday night.

    Along with a photo of the two of them on the set of the first film, Stallone wrote “you were an incredible man and artist, I and the World will miss you very much.”

    “Rocky” was nominated for 10 Oscars, including best supporting actor for Young. It won three, including best picture. Young and co-star Burgess Meredith, who was also nominated, lost to Jason Robards in “All the President’s Men.”

    As the movies went on, Young’s Paulie softened, as the sequels themselves did, and he became their comic relief. In 1985’s “Rocky IV,” he reprograms a robot Rocky gives him into a sexy-voiced servant who dotes on him.

    Paulie was also an eternal pessimist who was constantly convinced that Rocky was going to get clobbered by his increasingly daunting opponents. His surprise at Rocky’s resilience brought big laughs.

    “It was a great ride, and it brought me to the audience in a great way,” Young said in a 2020 interview with Celebrity Parents magazine. “I made him a rough guy with a sensitivity. He’s really a marshmallow even though he yells a lot.”

    Diverse career  

    Born and raised in Queens, New York, Young served in the Marine Corps, fought as a professional boxer and worked as a carpet layer before taking up acting, studying with legendary teacher Lee Strasberg at the Actors Studio.

    On stage, in films and on television, he typically played small-time tough guys or down-on-their luck working class men.

    In a short-but-memorable scene in 1974’s “Chinatown,” he plays a fisherman who throws a fit when Jack Nicholson’s private detective Jake Gittes shows him pictures proving his wife is cheating on him.

    Young also appeared in director Sergio Leone’s 1984 gangster epic “Once Upon a Time in America” with Robert De Niro, the 1986 comedy “Back to School” with Rodney Dangerfield, and the 1989 gritty drama “Last Exit to Brooklyn” with Jennifer Jason Leigh.

    In a striking appearance in season three of “The Sopranos” in 2001, he plays Bobby Baccalieri Sr., an elderly mafioso with lung cancer who pulls off one last hit before a coughing fit leads to him dying in a car accident.

    He guest-starred in many other TV series including “M*A*S*H,” “Miami Vice” and “The Equalizer.”

    Later in life he focused on roles in theater and on painting, a lifelong pursuit that led to gallery shows and sales.

    His wife of 13 years, Gloria, died in 1974.

    Along with his daughter, Young is survived by one grandchild and a brother, Robert.

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  • Sylvester Stallone Is a Father of 5 — Get to Know His Kids

    Sylvester Stallone Is a Father of 5 — Get to Know His Kids

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    Sylvester Stallone is one of the most recognized actors in the industry. His breakout role came in 1976 when he starred in “Rocky,” which was such a big hit that it received 10 Oscar nominations and went on to inspire a whole film franchise. It also led Sylvester to land his role as John J. Rambo in 1982 action film “First Blood,” which, similarly to “Rocky,” resulted in a number of sequels that turned Sylvester into a pop-culture icon. Even decades later, he’s still dominating Hollywood with parts in the Creed, Expendables, and Guardians of the Galaxy franchises. However, one of the actor’s biggest roles in life is being a father to his five kids.

    Sylvester’s family is super supportive of his acting career. His wife, Jennifer Flavin, a successful model and entrepreneur, frequently attends Sylvester’s movie premieres, and so do the couple’s three daughters: Sophia Rose, Sistine Rose, and Scarlet Rose Stallone. Whenever the trio aren’t joining their parents on the red carpet, though, they’re off pursuing their own acting and modeling projects. The family’s reality TV series, “The Family Stallone,” brings them all together to show off what goes down with them at home.

    Leading up to their show’s May 2023 premiere on Paramount+, Sylvester’s wife and three daughters appeared on “Today,” where the trio opened up about what it’s like dating when their dad is famously known to the world as Rocky Balboa and Rambo. “It’s very difficult,” middle daughter Sistine shared. “He’s quite intimidating to most, and most of the time when they come over to meet the parents, they don’t necessarily return, simply because he’s just so scary.” Sylvester defended himself, saying that it’s because “I don’t trust their intentions. Because I know men.”

    The “Tulsa King” star also had an oldest son named Sage Moonblood Stallone, whom he shared with first wife Sasha Czack, who dabbled in acting and filming before he died in 2012. While four of Sylvester’s kids have been in the spotlight, the actor’s second son, Seargeoh Stallone, whom he also shares with Czack, has lived a quiet life out of the public eye.

    Read more about Sylvester’s five children ahead.

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    Michele Mendez

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  • First Look At Sylvester Stallone’s Reality TV Show ‘The Family Stallone’ In Hilarious Paramount+ Teaser

    First Look At Sylvester Stallone’s Reality TV Show ‘The Family Stallone’ In Hilarious Paramount+ Teaser

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    By Becca Longmire.
    Published:
    Last updated:

    Sylvester Stallone’s family’s new reality show is set to air on Paramount+ this spring.

    The streaming service announced on Thursday that the new “The Family Stallone” docuseries, starring the actor, his wife Jennifer Flavin Stallone and daughters Sophia, Sistine and Scarlet, will premiere exclusively on the service in the U.S and Canada.

    The eight-part series will roll out in additional international markets this year.

    A description reads, “After playing some of the most legendary characters in cinematic history, three-time Academy Award nominee Sylvester Stallone is ready to give cameras access to what he would consider the greatest role of his lifetime: dad.

    “This new series starring Stallone’s three daughters, wife and himself offers a seat at the table of one of Hollywood’s most famous families.”

    Stallone recently spoke about the series in a “One-on-One” special with ET Canada.

    “I want to get real with my daughters. I actually want to have footage of that,” he shared.


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    Sylvester Stallone Denies Offering Pamela Anderson A Porsche And Condo To Be His No. 1 Girl

    Explaining why he decided to invite cameras into his home in the first place, Stallone admitted that the series is “uncharted waters.”

    “Growing up, I would love to have seen stars stars like Brando at home making eggs and goofing around. That’s interesting,” he explained.


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    Stallone went on, “They’re actually human. They don’t walk around with sunglasses and people putting makeup on all day and learning lines. They really do silly, repetitive, goofy things that we all do in life. That kind of thing.”

    Following the announcement, viewers got their first look at “The Family Stallone” in a Super Bowl teaser for Paramount+ that included characters from the streamer’s other shows, including “Dora the Explorer”, “Star Trek: Strange New Worlds”, “Reno 911!”, “Beavis and Butt-head”, and others.

    In the clip, those characters — and Stallone’s daughters — look on as he hangs from the rocky “Stallone face” cliff on “Paramount Mountain” — until the stone Stallone sneezes, sending the actual Stallone plummeting to the snowy ground.

    “Ahh!” exclaims “Reno 911!” leader Jim Dangle (Thomas Lennon) while Beavis and Butt-head snicker. “Ummm, he’ll be alright… maybe,” Capt. Pike (Anson Mount) says unconvincingly before beaming somewhere else.

    “He’s fine,” says one of Stallone’s daughters, with another adding, “He does this. This is normal.”

    The final shot sees Stallone lying in the snow, moaning, and then making snow angels while pondering, “I wonder if I need surgery?

    See more in the clip below.

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    Becca Longmire

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