Sylvester Stallone in Warner Brothers' 'Bullet to the Head'
Herculean Effort
4. Though his mother, Jacqueline Labofish, starred in one of the first female exercise shows on television, Stallone’s own life-saving fitness compulsion was inspired by the film “Hercules Unchained” starring former Mr. Universe Steve Reeves. “Literally, from the movie theater, on the way home, I passed a junkyard. And I said, ‘Do you mind if I stay here?’ And I started lifted springs, and car parts, and bumpers, and whatever.” Stallone told renowned interviewer James Lipton, “It was extraordinary. It wasn’t just a passing fancy. And it changed my whole life.” As you can see in the photo above, Stallone is still working out religiously.
[Related: Insider Access with Sylvester Stallone & Arnold Schwarzenegger]