Sylvester Stallone’s ‘Rocky’ Steps Scene was Improvised ‘Before the Police’ Arrived
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NEED TO KNOW
- Sylvester Stallone has enjoyed a career unlike many others, having been in over 100 movies
- The Rocky film series has become one of his most praised and acclaimed works and a major part of the actor’s legacy
- Stallone told Jimmy Fallon about filming the iconic Rocky steps scene and how that moment has resonated with him throughout his life
Sylvester Stallone says one of his most iconic film moments happened on a whim.
Appearing on the Tuesday, Sept. 16 episode of The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, the actor talked about his upcoming memoir, The Steps, to be published in May 2026.
“When I got to Philadelphia and did the movie Rocky, I wasn’t even thinking about the steps. We didn’t have any money to shoot there. We didn’t have the license,” he told host Jimmy Fallon.
“I just got out of the car, I said, ‘Let me just run up the steps, get a shot of it and we’ll get out of here before the police come.’ ”
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They were able to get more than the footage of Stallone, now 79, but it wasn’t a success right off the bat, the actor explained.
“The first take, I said, ‘Let me carry my dog up the steps.’ My dog is a buffalo; it’s a 130 lb. bull mastiff. I get halfway up, my knees buckle,” he laughed. “We’re like, ‘Dog, out. Back in the car, pal.”‘
“Anyway, we did it and it became a very famous scene, but I thought it’s also a great name for a biography about the steps you make in your life to arrive. Because guys, trust me, I had zero going… the thing is, you’ve got to get to a point like, ‘Am I going to win or is life going to win?’ ” he continued.
“It’s a battle. It’s a punch-out. And it’s not easy because you’re always under the gun. No one ever really gets ahead of it, but it’s the fight you put up that gets you where you want to go. So, you just got to keep punching.”
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In addition to his upcoming memoir, Stallone is also gearing up for the Sept. 21 season 3 premiere of his Paramount+ series, Tulsa King.
Credit to Nypost AND Peoples
