A story about Sylvester Stallone reveals that the actor who played the fearless Rocky character was afraid to meet Elvis Presley in the 1970s. The action icon and the King of Rock’n’roll never crossed paths, but an interview from 2010 explains that a meeting nearly happened. Just when Stallone’s career was taking off, he had the opportunity to spend some time with one of the biggest celebrities of all time.
Writing and starring in Rocky was a career-making move for Stallone. Released in 1976, the critically acclaimed movie was the recipient of three Academy Awards (including Best Picture), not to mention seven other Oscar nominations. Its success opened up new career paths for the actor, who emerged as a big star in Hollywood. Rocky changed everything for Stallone, considering that he was a struggling, unknown actor at the time of its release. Per the star’s own admission, Stallone was “broke” before Rocky. Thanks to his decision not to sell his Rocky script and his insistence on playing the lead (in the place of an A-list actor), Stallone was able to become a household name.
As a result of all the newfound attention from Rocky, Stallone received a phone call from Elvis Presley himself. According to Stallone, Presley invited him to Memphis. The singer’s intention was to rent a theater there and hold a private screening of Rocky, but Stallone turned down the invitation. He says he didn’t go simply because he was shy. While Stallone being nervous about meeting one of the biggest pop culture icons in the world is of course understandable, it’s interesting at the same time, on account of how a big deal such an encounter would have been. Though Presley was far from the height of his career in 1976, he was still a beloved musical sensation and a massive star. Obviously, getting to meet Presley was considered a great honor.
The Rocky star never received a second chance at meeting the singer. Stallone recalled that he was in the midst of making F.I.S.T. when he heard the news of Elvis Presley’s death in August 1977. And apparently, this wasn’t Stallone’s only missed opportunity concerning a larger-than-life celebrity. The actor claimed that he also missed out on meeting Charlie Chaplin. The silent film star and comedy pioneer saw his iconic, Little Tramp character in Stallone’s Rocky and was impressed by his performance. He invited Stallone to his home in Switzerland but the actor never went.
Similar to the situation with Presley, Charlie Chaplin died before Stallone got around to meeting with him. Sylvester Stallone attributes these events to a viewpoint he developed later, which is to grab opportunities whenever they’re offered. Sadly, an Elvis Presley-Sylvester Stallone meeting never happened, but he did at least send a copy of the film to the singer. The actor has said in the past that though the two didn’t see it together, Presley did get to watch Rocky with his friends sometime before his death.
