If you thought “Rocky” was a remarkable underdog story, wait until you learn how it was made.
“I Play Rocky,” from director Peter Farrelly (“Green Book”), recounts the story of how Sylvester Stallone got his start in Hollywood. As a struggling actor in the 1970s, Stallone wrote the “Rocky” screenplay as a way to give himself a starring role. After gaining the attention of producers Irwin Winkler and Robert Chartoff, who had a first-look deal with MGM, Stallone then had to battle the producers and the studio to allow him to play Rocky Balboa.
“Rocky” would go on to win the best picture Oscar and launch a massive franchise, and Stallone went from an unknown to a global superstar overnight. But as Farrelly chronicles in his movie, the making of “Rocky” was far from smooth sailing: it was shot on a shoestring budget, and Stallone suffered injuries throughout the production.
“I Play Rocky” is heightened by top-notch performances from Anthony Ippolito as Stallone, Anna Sophia Robb as Stallone’s first wife, Sasha Czack, and Matt Dillon as Stallone’s father.
Here’s how the actors compare to the real-life people they play in “I Play Rocky.”
Anthony Ippolito plays Sylvester Stallone.
Stallone was the lifeblood of “Rocky.” He wrote the script and would only agree to sell it to Winkler and Chartoff on the condition that he played Balboa, turning down over $200,000 for him to sell the script without starring in it. By betting on himself, he would make not just Balboa a household name but himself, as well.
Ippolito is a 27-year-old from Long Island who is just beginning his career in Hollywood. Before “I Play Rocky,” his biggest credit was playing Al Pacino in the 2022 Paramount+ miniseries “The Offer,” which chronicled the making of “The Godfather.”
From his voice to the way he moves on screen, his performance as Stallone is astoundingly accurate.
AnnaSophia Robb plays Sasha Czack, Stallone’s first wife.
Czack dated Stallone back when he was a struggling actor. They married in 1974, two years before “Rocky” was released and became a sensation. Czack was also the still photographer on the “Rocky” set. She and Stallone divorced in 1985.
Robb has been acting since she was a child. She played Violet Beauregarde in Tim Burton’s 2005 “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.” Other credits include “Soul Surfer” (2011), “The Way, Way Back” (2013), and “Rebel Ridge” (2024).
She portrays Czack as Stallone’s emotional rock and biggest cheerleader. She types out Stallone’s handwritten pages of the “Rocky” script and keeps him upbeat throughout the challenging “Rocky” shoot.
Matt Dillon plays Frank Stallone Sr., Sly’s father.
Frank Stallone Sr. was a barber and aspiring actor. His only acting credit was playing the timekeeper in the boxing match between Balboa and Apollo Creed at the end of “Rocky.”
Dillon is an acclaimed actor whose credits range from classics like “The Outsiders” (1983), “Drugstore Cowboy” (1989), and “Wild Things” (1998) to modern auteur movies like “Crash” (2005″), “The House that Jack Built” (2018), and “Asteroid City” (2023). This is not his first time working on a Peter Farrelly movie. He starred in the 1998 comedy classic “There’s Something About Mary,” which Farrelly made with his brother, Bobby.
Dillon plays Stallone Sr. as a tough father who often talks down to his son. Sylvester has said his relationship with his father was fraught, and revealed in his 2023 Netflix documentary, “Sly,” that his father was “physical” toward him and his older brother.
P.J. Byrne plays “Rocky” producer Irwin Winkler.
Winkler is a Hollywood producer who formed the production company Chartoff-Winkler Productions with Robert Chartoff. The company made hit movies like “Point Blank” and “They Shoot Horses, Don’t They?” in the 1960s. After winning the best picture Oscar for “Rocky,” they produced “Raging Bull” (1980) and “The Right Stuff” (1983) before dissolving their company in 1985, though they were both producers on all the “Rocky” sequels. Since then, Winkler has produced “Goodfellas” (1990) and “The Irishman” (2019).
Byrne has played memorable roles in “The Wolf of Wall Street” (2013), “Rampage” (2018), and the current TV series “The Rainmaker.”
He portrays Winkler as a tough but fair producer who isn’t immediately sold on Stallone playing Balboa, but when he finally comes around, he’s loyal to Stallone.
Toby Kebbell plays “Rocky” producer Robert Chartoff.
Chartoff is the other half of Chartoff-Winkler Productions. After the company dissolved in 1985, Chartoff’s credits included “The Tempest” (2010) and “Ender’s Game” (2013). He died in 2015.
Kebbell is an English actor who has worked steadily in Hollywood since the early 2000s. His credits include “War Horse” (2011), “Dawn of the Planet of the Apes” (2014), “Ben-Hur” (2016), and “Kong: Skull Island” (2017). He played Dr. Doom in the ill-fated “Fantastic Four” (2015).
Kebbell plays Chartoff as the softer half of the Chartoff-Winkler duo. He’s the one who suggests they lower the film’s budget so they can have final say on casting.
Stephan James plays Carl Weathers, who starred as Apollo Creed in “Rocky.”
Before his acting career, Carl Weathers was a football player who signed with the Oakland Raiders in 1970 and played seven games. After a short stint playing in the Canadian Football League in 1973, he retired from football.
Playing the bombastic Creed in “Rocky” was Weathers’ breakout role. He would go on to enjoy a long acting career, starring in three “Rocky” sequels, hits like “Predator” (1987) and “Happy Gilmore” (1996), and “The Mandalorian” TV series, for which he was nominated for an Emmy. Weathers died in 2024.
James is best known for starring in the acclaimed 2018 movie, “If Beale Street Could Talk.”
James plays Weathers with a lot of bravado, though it’s eventually revealed he has as limited a boxing ability as Stallone.
Jay Duplass plays “Rocky” director John G. Avildsen.
Avildsen won the best director Oscar for “Rocky.” He went on to direct “The Karate Kid” (1984) and the next two sequels. He also returned to the “Rocky” franchise to direct “Rocky V” (1990). Avildsen died in 2017.
Jay and his younger brother Mark started their careers as major figures in the “mumblecore” indie film movement, a DIY style that often featured non-actors and non-traditional plots. Jay’s acting credits include “The Mindy Project,” “Transparent,” and “Industry.”
Duplass portrays Avildsen as a fast-talking, fast-moving filmmaker who is determined to make “Rocky” less a boxing story and more a character study.
Kiki Seto plays Talia Shire, who starred as Adrian in “Rocky.”
Shire was one of the few established actors on the “Rocky” set. She had played Connie Corleone in “The Godfather” (1972) and “The Godfather Part II (1974), which earned her an Oscar nomination for best supporting actress. She would go on to earn an Oscar nomination for best actress for playing Adrian and would reprise the role in four more “Rocky” sequels.
“I Play Rocky” marks Seto’s first feature film role.
Seto has limited scenes, but makes the most of them. Seto’s highlight in the movie is when she reveals to Stallone and Avildsen before a scene at an ice rink that she doesn’t know how to ice skate.
“I Play Rocky” is in theaters now.
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