Rocky
1976 film by John G. Avildsen · Released 1976
Rocky is a 1976 American sports drama film directed by John G. Avildsen and written by and starring Sylvester Stallone. It is the first installment in the Rocky film series and also stars Talia Shire, Burt Young, Carl Weathers, and Burgess Meredith. In the film, Rocky Balboa (Stallone), a poor small-time club fighter and loanshark debt collector from Philadelphia, gets an unlikely once in a lifetime shot at the world heavyweight championship held by Apollo Creed (Weathers). Rocky entered development in March 1975, after Stallone wrote the screenplay in three days.
Cast ages when filming began (1976)
- Talia Shire, as Adrianna "Adrian" Pennino: 29–30
- Carl Weathers, as Apollo Creed: 27–28
- Burt Young, as Paulie Pennino: 35–36
- Burgess Meredith, as Michael "Mickey" Goldmill: 68–69
- Sylvester Stallone, as Robert "Rocky" Balboa: 29–30
- Tony Burton, as Tony "Duke" Evers: 38–39
- Thayer David, as George "Miles" Jergens: 48–49
- Joe Spinell, as Tony Gazzo: 39–40
- Joe Frazier, as Himself: 31–32
- Stan Shaw, as "Big Dipper" Brown: 23–24
- Michael Dorn: 23–24
- Lloyd Kaufman: 30–31
- Frank Stallone, as Streetcorner Singer: 25–26