In 2026, everybody knows who Sylvester Stallone is. He’s a household name the world over.
But in 1975, Sly was “Mike,” a largely unknown actor trying to make it in Hollywood. Director Peter Farrelly (Green Book) takes us back to those earlier, pre-stardom days in I Play Rocky, a behind-the-scenes look at the unlikely creation of one of the greatest sports movies ever made.
We see Sly (Anthony Ippolito) struggling to support his pregnant wife, Sasha (AnnaSophia Robb, The Way Way Back), and getting nowhere with auditions, told repeatedly he’s both “too Italian” and “not Italian enough” to star in the wave of mob films unleashed by the enormous success of The Godfather and its sequel.
That’s when Sasha suggests Sly take fate into his own hands and write a script that would allow him to prove himself once and for all. The rest, as they say, is history.
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