[Picture: Sylvester Stallone] Sylvester Gardenzio Stallone is a two-time Academy Award-nominated American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter. One of the biggest boxoffice draws in the world from the '70s to the early '90s, Stallone is an international icon of machismo and Hollywood action heroism. He is responsible for creating two characters who have become a part of the American cultural lexicon: Rocky Balboa, the no-name boxer who overcame all odds to become a champion, and John Rambo, the courageous soldier who specialized in violent rescues and revenge. Stallone has established himself as both a dramatic actor and one of the greatest action stars of all time. During the 1980s, he enjoyed phenomenal popularity and was the biggest movie star in the world with the Rocky an...more >>d Rambo franchises. Stallone's culturally influential films changed pop culture history and he has largely enjoyed a career on the Hollywood A list for over 30 years.