Sylvester Stallone Recalls a Moment in His Life When He Felt ‘Useless’ and ‘Worthless’

• Sylvester Stallone has had a successful Hollywood career.
• However, there was one period in his life when he hit rock bottom because of unemployment.
• He prioritized his career over his family and regrets it.

Sylvester Stallone is one of Hollywood's legendary celebrities who has achieved worldwide fame and A-list status. Yet, the movie star has had one of the lowest points in his career where he felt indifferent about his life despite his achievements.

Sylvester began his acting career in 1976 and has since starred in over 50 films, which have collectively grossed about $3 billion at the box office.

The iconic star is reportedly one of the few actors to have starred in a film that topped the weekend box office in "six" consecutive years. In a candid November 2022 interview, Sylvester, best known for the "Rocky" franchise, was asked what is the most he was ever paid for a movie role.

The New York native explained that he was filming "Rambo III" at the time, and he and his team believed it would be a hit before it came out. Sylvester divulged that he was paid a lot of money for starring in the film.

Afterward, the producers suggested they make "Rambo IV," for which he was offered a $34 million paycheck. "I go, 'Let's not jump the gun here …,'" he revealed.

However, despite his achievements, he's had some regrets. The filmmaker has spoken frankly about what he could have done differently in the past, including balancing his successful career with his family life.

Sylvester Once Felt 'Useless' & 'Worthless' in His Life

As a rising actor in show business, Sylvester admitted that he put his Hollywood career ahead of his family. He now regrets his decision, and he expressed:

“[...]That is a tragic mistake which won't happen again."

Sylvester, who is married to former model Jennifer Flavin, with whom he shares three daughters, Sistine, Sophia, and Scarlet Stallone, recently discussed one of his lowest points.

He appeared on Sistine and Sophia's "UNWAXED Podcast" recently, where he revealed what he once went through because of his career. In the podcast, Sistine disclosed that her famous father spent almost 7 to 8 years unemployed, and he had a hard time because of that.

According to her, between 2003 and 2004, Sylvester would spend several hours a day cooped up in the theater watching films. He felt lost and wanted to redefine himself again; hence, he sought guidance. The family patriarch recalled:

"It's the only solace I could find. I felt so useless. Really useless."

Despite the experience, Sylvester said the challenging period made him a better performer and more sensitive. He realized that is how life is; it has its ups and downs. Still, he added:

"I felt so worthless. And I was so embarrassed to be your father."

Sylvester had hit rock bottom, and he divulged that people he thought were his friends turned their backs on him. He believed he was done for because he could not secure acting roles. That was when he realized that family was more important.

However, he has since made a comeback with projects such as the "Expendables" films, "Creed" spin-offs, "Guardian of the Galaxy," and his first TV show, "Tulsa King." The three-time Academy Award nominee said he wasted a lot of time pushing his career. "Now I realize there are only so many bullets left in the gun."

Sylvester, who is also a dad to sons Seargeoh Stallone and Sage Stallone – with ex-wife Sasha Czack – said he regrets missing out on not spending time with the kids as they grew up.

Sadly, his eldest child, Sage, tragically died of heart disease in July 2012 at age 36. Sage was also an actor like his dad, who cast him in his "Rocky V" movie as his on-screen son. In his Netflix documentary, Sylvester said the storyline hit close to home because it was inspired by his real-life role as a parent to Sage.

The father of five said he used things he wished he could have done in reality and turned them into art. He drew his life experiences and transformed them theatrically.