This veteran Hollywood star encountered rejection both in his career and at home. However, he overcame these hardships and revealed the one powerful factor he believes “saved” his life.
Growing up in a household lacking affection and encouragement, this celebrity endured emotional neglect from his parents. Despite these difficulties, he persevered and rose to become a highly successful and respected figure in the entertainment world.
There were several marriages and blended relationships in the actor’s complex family. Frank Sr. and Jackie, who divorced in 1957, had him and his younger brother, Frank Jr. His mother remarried after the divorce, and in 1964 she gave birth to a daughter named Toni Ann.
The celebrity’s father married many times, adding three more children to the family—Bryan, Carla, and Dante, who was born in 1997. Bryan and Carla decide to live a secluded life.
Despite coming from a broken home, the actor’s early struggles extended beyond his relationships with his brothers. “I grew up in a really bad household, it was tough,” he revealed. […] Everyone was really dissatisfied with themselves. My father and mother were definitely not parents.
His parents dropped him off at a boarding house in Jackson Heights, where he spent four and a half to five years of his boyhood. He called the location “transient.” He felt alone in the house, which was run by an older woman.
At the age of four, the New York native had no one to relate to during that pivotal period of his life and remembers sitting at a table with people who didn’t talk to him.
The actor’s early experiences had a significant impact on him, making him lonely and making it difficult for him to form connections. The severity of this mistreatment was further brought to light by his mother’s comments.
The celebrity recalled her saying, “‘You didn’t get lost when you bounced down those steps,'” or “‘The only reason you’re here is because the hanger didn’t work.”
The actor claims that his mother’s difficult past, which was revealed by these upsetting comments, contributed to her incapacity to express love. She had been sent to a “very cruel orphanage,” he explained.
He thought her ability to show affection was “short-circuited” as a result of this tragedy. He also absorbed her aversion to physical contact, which made his relationships and interactions with other people even more difficult.
His time at school was impacted by the absence of love and stability at home. The actor was often informed he didn’t belong, which led to his expulsion from 13 different schools throughout his early years.
He later enrolled in military schools, including ones for problematic kids, as a result of his unconventional behavior. His younger self, he described, was just “adventurous.”
When he reached his lowest point as an adult, his problems persisted. He had very little money when he got to New York City, and because he couldn’t afford housing, he was forced to sleep in a bus terminal.
As he pursued acting opportunities, he feared being stuck as a “professional extra” since he “didn’t fit a certain mold” or the image of a traditionally handsome leading man.
The actor, who openly discussed having plastic surgery, explained that nerve damage from birth left the left side of his face partially paralyzed. Later on, substantial weight loss led to sagging on that side of his face, which he chose to correct with surgery.
He noted that people often misunderstand the scar but expressed no judgment toward plastic surgery. The actor commented, “Why not do it? You have body work done on your car.”
He clung to whatever stability he could find as a result of his hardships, which included sleeping in bus stops and fighting against opinions about his appearance.
He relied on a single coat during those difficult times to endure the severe winters in New York. He considered its importance in an interview, saying, “That coat saved my life.”
Even though the garment kept him warm, he persisted because of his willpower. Many deemed him uncastable, and his career progressed slowly. But the constant rejection simply made him more determined to put in even more effort.
He couldn’t accept a normal life because of his unrelenting ambition. He revealed, “I had this sort of fixation on doing something heroic or special.” When he thinks back on his path, he cherishes the rejections and disappointments he encountered,
In the end, that unwavering resolve helped him achieve extraordinary success. One of the most recognizable action stars today is Sylvester Stallone, whose father died at the age of 91. He is generally praised for his renowned “Rocky” franchise.
However, the physical demands of his work took a toll. After fracturing his neck while filming “The Expendables,” he had two shoulder surgeries, four back surgeries, and a spinal fusion.
He avoided sports like basketball and golf because he felt so much pressure to maintain his athletic image. Sylvester’s performance also drew a lot of criticism, which culminated in 2000 when he won a Razzie for Worst Actor of the Century.
“When you become synonymous with blunt-force trauma, you’re not really leaving,” he said of his work.
In December 1974, he wed actress Sasha Czack, the first of his three marriages.
Despite their February 1985 divorce, the couple had two sons together: Sage and Seargeoh, the latter of whom was diagnosed with autism.
He has been married three times, with his first marriage to actress Sasha Czack in December 1974.
The couple divorced in February 1985 but had two sons together, Sage and Seargeoh, with the latter being diagnosed with autism.