Quick summary
- Sylvester Stallone told Andy Cohen on SiriusXM that his favourite Rocky sequels are Rocky II and Rocky Balboa (Rocky VI), according to CinemaBlend.
- He called Rocky Balboa “some of my best writing by far”.
- Far Out Magazine reports that Stallone’s wife called him a “coward” for twice turning down the idea that became Creed.
- Tulsa King Season 4, Episode 5 arrives on Paramount+ on Friday 13 November, and a fifth season is already confirmed.
Asked to pick a favourite among the Rocky sequels, Sylvester Stallone chose two: Rocky II and Rocky Balboa. He gave the answer in a recent interview on Andy Cohen‘s SiriusXM channel, as reported by CinemaBlend on 13 November. It lands in a busy week for the 80-year-old, with Tulsa King back on screen and the biopic I Am Rocky arriving in the same month.
Why Stallone picked Rocky II and Rocky Balboa
CinemaBlend quotes Stallone explaining that Rocky II matters to him because “that’s when he gets married” and “really, like, wins”. In that film Rocky marries Adrian, played by Talia Shire, and the franchise is as much about their relationship as it is about boxing.
His second choice, Rocky Balboa from 2006, is the more personal one. The story picks up years after Rocky V, with the retired fighter running a restaurant in his hometown of Philadelphia. Stallone said it deals with grief and loss, and that it is “not how hard you hit” but “about life”. He called it some of his best writing “by far”.
CinemaBlend’s writer agrees, pointing to the strained relationship between Rocky and his son, played by Milo Ventimiglia, as the emotional core. The outlet notes that the series now spans nine films: six Rocky movies and three Creed films. The original turned 50 this year, and all of them are streaming on Prime.
The Creed role his wife told him to take
Stallone’s attachment to the character also explains why he hesitated when the franchise came calling again. According to Far Out Magazine, filmmakers Ryan Coogler and Aaron Covington approached him in 2012 with a story that would follow Apollo Creed’s son, Adonis, with Rocky Balboa as his trainer.
Stallone believed Rocky Balboa had been the character’s final chapter. He said no when he learned Rocky would die of ALS in the story. The writers reworked the script so Rocky had non-Hodgkin lymphoma and survived treatment, and he turned it down a second time, Far Out reports.
That is when his wife stepped in. Stallone recalled suggesting a rewrite in which a neighbour or Paulie was ill instead. She rejected the idea. “This is what people go through, every day,” she told him, adding that the choice was not about vanity or masculinity and that he would be “a coward” to dodge it.
“That was a first,” Stallone said. “I’m not normally called that, but it’s true.” He agreed to return, the role was confirmed in July 2013, and his performance in Creed earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor, per Far Out.
Tulsa King keeps going
Stallone’s current screen home is Tulsa King. Comic Book Resources reports that Season 4, Episode 5, titled “Dinosaurs”, premieres on Paramount+ on Friday 13 November. In it, Dwight “The General” Manfredi tries to find out who wants him dead. CBR’s exclusive clip shows him settling business in a park.
Paramount+ renewed the series for a fifth season before Season 4 began. CBR says Season 5 sends Dwight back to New York, and Scarlet Rose Stallone, who plays Spencer, becomes a series regular. A spin-off called Frisco King is also in development, with Samuel L. Jackson in his first leading TV role.
What happens next
Fans can catch Tulsa King weekly on Paramount+ while the Rocky catalogue stays on Prime for the anniversary. Season 5 is set to film in New York State. For more on the actor’s year, see our pieces on how Stallone won the role of Rocky, Stallone at 80, and our I Play Rocky review roundup. Everything else is on the Sylvester Stallone tag page.
Frequently asked questions
What are Sylvester Stallone’s favourite Rocky movies?
He named Rocky II and Rocky Balboa (Rocky VI). He told Andy Cohen that Rocky II is where the character marries Adrian and “really wins”, and that Rocky Balboa contains some of his best writing.
Why did Stallone turn down Creed at first?
Far Out Magazine reports that he thought Rocky Balboa was the character’s definitive ending, and he disliked early versions in which Rocky dies of ALS or battles lymphoma. His wife persuaded him to accept.
Did Stallone win an Oscar for Creed?
No. He received a Best Supporting Actor nomination for Creed, according to Far Out Magazine.
When does Tulsa King Season 4, Episode 5 air?
It premieres on Paramount+ on Friday 13 November, according to Comic Book Resources.
