In 1983, after facing the vulnerable Apollo Creed twice and before facing the colossal Ivan Drago, Rocky Balboa stepped into the ring against another formidable opponent: the ruthless Clubber Lang, played by Mr. T.
Like his character, Sylvester Stallone prepared for the third opus of the rock saga like never before, after a draconian diet and the most demanding physical training.
- ‘I was lucky to be a part of his life’: Sylvester Stallone’s poignant tribute to Carl Weathers, his co-star in the Rocky saga.
25 cups of coffee a day!
Indeed, as the actor and director of the film said in an interview with The The Wall Street Journal (in June 2023), he forced himself to eat extremely low-fat meals, washed down with several liters of caffeine!
“I drank 25 cups of coffee a day while filming Rocky III”he confided. “(…) For any breakfast, I would have two oatmeal and brown rice cakes and 10 cups of coffee because I wanted to keep my body fat below 2.8%.”
“It was for a good cause.”
This dietary discipline, to put it mildly, associated with heavy physical training, was not without consequences for Stallone’s mind and especially for his memory:
“I forgot my phone number”he says. “I was just eating tuna. My memory was messed up, it was completely gone. I had all kinds of devastating physical side effects. But it was for a good reason.”
Rocky III is not the only opus of the famous saga in which Stallone pushed his limits. Indeed, in the next episode, he was knocked out by a powerful right hand from Dolph Lundgren and was hospitalized in intensive care for eight days before he was able to return to the ring.
(Re)discover our video dedicated to Stallone…
Source: Allocine
Rose James is a Gossipify movie and series reviewer known for her in-depth analysis and unique perspective on the latest releases. With a background in film studies, she provides engaging and informative reviews, and keeps readers up to date with industry trends and emerging talents.
