Sylvester Stallone Hid His Struggles. At 80, He’s Coming Clean. | The Interview

Sylvester Stallone has loomed large in our popular imagination for 50 years, ever since he exploded onto the screen playing the iconic underdog boxer Rocky Balboa in a film he wrote and that went on to win the Academy Award for best picture. In the 1980s, Stallone became the face of a new era of action movies in which he (and his one-time nemesis Arnold Schwarzenegger) modeled a very specific type of masculinity: physically imposing, morally unambiguous and emotionally aloof. Now 80, and with a new memoir, titled “The Steps," Stallone is ready to examine his own life, his work and the impact it has had on our culture. Stallone joined Lulu-Garcia Navarro on “The Interview” for a candid and at times shocking conversation. The actor explained how his disturbing childhood motivated the tough-guy image he showed the world. He also reflected on his Hollywood missteps and the pain he caused to his loved ones, his body and himself. Read more: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/09/26/magazine/sylvester-stallone-interview.html [00:00:00] Sylvester Stallone’s new memoir [00:02:59] A rough entry into the world, with neglectful parents [00:09:22] Living with his abusive dad [00:15:33] His experience in a psych ward [00:20:09] Moving to N.Y.C. and writing obsessively [00:23:23] Balancing explosive emotions with a thirst for art [00:27:27] Why he wrote Rocky for himself [00:29:32] Why he tried to let his dad and mom back in [00:34:42] The first time he suffered anxiety [00:36:58] His experience as a parent [00:41:45] Rocky's overnight fame [00:45:10] His rivalry with Arnold Schwarzenegger [00:50:29] A complicated relationship with his body [00:56:19] Has he forgiven his parents? [00:59:30] What was his most underappreciated performance? [01:01:50] Having to constantly prove himself to Hollywood [01:06:10] What Rocky and Rambo mean to him [01:13:54] His hopes for the future “The Interview” features conversations with the world’s most fascinating people. Each week, co-hosts David Marchese and Lulu Garcia-Navarro talk to compelling, influential figures in culture, politics, business, sports and beyond — illuminating who they are, why they do what they do and how they impact the rest of us. Subscribe to “The Interview”: https://www.youtube.com/@theinterviewpodcast Discover the journalism Times subscribers get daily, free for your first month in The New York Times app. Download here: https://nytimes.onelink.me/Xpht/a6wzplra