The Only Major Actors Still Alive From Rocky
It's been almost 50 years since "Rocky" first arrived in 1976, and in that time the franchise has changed dramatically. The "Rocky" saga has now grown beyond original star Sylvester Stallone, with Michael B. Jordan's "Creed III" barely mentioning the man who birthed the now legendary film series. Whatever you think about that, everyone can surely recognize the staying power of the "Rocky" movies, which have formed part of our pop cultural history for the better part of a half century.
None of this could have happened without the first entry in the saga, of course. "Rocky" introduced the world to the scrappy Southpaw from South Philly, who led a film that was remarkable for its realism and affecting performances. Much of that was down to Stallone who, having written the script during a particularly challenging time in his personal life, insisted on starring in the film, only to wow audiences worldwide with his heartfelt and charismatic performance.
But it wasn't just Stallone carrying "Rocky." The burgeoning actor was supported by a stellar cast that included screen legend Burgess Meredith as Rocky's trainer Mickey Goldmill, Talia Shire as his love interest Adrian Pennino, and Burt Young as the young boxer's best friend Paulie Pennino. Then, of course, there was the great Carl Weathers as antagonist Apollo Creed — the boxing star with whom Rocky goes the distance during the final fight.
Unfortunately, in the decades since the film debuted, we've lost a lot of the actors who made "Rocky" what it was. That said, there are several of the film's stars that remain. As the Italian Stallion famously said, "It ain't about how hard you hit, it's about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward." Here's everyone who's still moving forward almost 50 years after "Rocky" debuted.
Sylvester Stallone (Rocky Balboa)
In retrospect "Rocky" seemed to embody a deeply personal aspect of Sylvester Stallone himself — which makes sense considering the whole thing was his brainchild. Almost half a century after portraying the determined boxer from South Philly, Stallone just simply won't be defeated and represents the epitome of his character's famous quote about getting hit and "moving forward."
We hardly need a detailed refresher on Sly's career. Following the surprise success of his little boxing movie, the man became one of the biggest action stars in the world. This famously led to a bitter rivalry with Hollywood's other biggest action star, Arnold Schwarzenegger, resulting in a piece of machiavellian brilliance on the Austrian actor's part when he tricked his rival into starring in the flop "Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot." But as we all know, Stallone simply won't stay down, and didn't let slip-ups like this affect his career trajectory.
Take "Rocky Balboa," for instance. Yet another example of Stallone's indomitable spirit, this 2006 film saw the then 59-year-old star return to the role that made his career some 16 years after the last entry in the franchise. Once again, he proved the doubters wrong, delivering a moving performance in a stirring and heartfelt return to the world of Rocky. Since then, he's continued to work on the franchise, while capitalizing on his action star caché with the "Expendables" saga. Meanwhile, he's currently starring in the Paramount+ crime series "Tulsa King" and will soon star in the upcoming action thriller "Armored." What's more, while he's seemingly no longer a part of the franchise he helped build, the 77-year-old Stallone wants the "Rocky" rights back, and if there's one thing he's proven thus far, it's that you should never fully count him out.
Talia Shire (Adrian Pennino)
Rocky's timid yet strong girlfriend (who'd later become his wife), Adrian stood by the plucky underdog when he was at his lowest, immediately endearing herself to the audience. Adrian would be a part of the subsequent four movies and featured in flashbacks for 2006's "Rocky Balboa," essentially making her almost as important to the story as the Italian Stallion himself.
This wasn't Shire's first experience being part of a hugely successful franchise, either. The actress had previously played Connie Corleone in "The Godfather" (1972) and "The Godfather Part II" (1974), and would go on to reprise the role in 1990's "The Godfather Part III." She was nominated for a Best Actress in a Drama Golden Globe and a Best Actress Oscar for her work in "Rocky," following her nomination for Best Supporting Actress in "The Godfather Part II."
Since then, Shire has continued to work as well as raising three sons, one of which is actor Jason Schwartzman, with whom the actress will appear in her brother Francis Ford Coppola's upcoming self-financed epic "Megalopolis." Shire's post-"Rocky" filmography also includes roles in David O. Russell's 2004 effort "I Heart Huckabees" and in her grandniece Gia Coppola's 2013 film "Palo Alto." But there's no doubt Adrian Pennino remains the actress's best-known role. Sylvester Stallone himself remains impressed enough with her performance that he thinks the now 77-year-old Shire deserves a lot more credit for the success of "Rocky," and he couldn't be more right.