Before Sylvester Stallone,  Captain America: The Winter Soldier star Robert Redford, was almost cast as  Rocky Balboa in  Rocky!

SUMMARY

Sylvester Stallone wrote the script for  Rocky and wanted to portray the lead role in his film.
United Artists offered him $250,000 just for the script and wanted Robert Redford for the lead role in the film.

The story of  Rocky Balboa being an underdog and rising to fame with his boxing career is truly a masterpiece to witness. With Sylvester Stallone in the lead role, the 1976 film, Rocky, found worldwide fame and love and essentially kickstarted Stallone’s career.

Before the actor was cast in the role, there were several other actors considered for the same. Robert Redford, the veteran actor known for  Captain America: The Winter Soldier was also considered for the role but Stallone stuck to his guns.
Sylvester Stallone in  Rocky (1976)
Robert Redford Was This Close To Portraying Rocky In 1976!

The stage was set. Sylvester Stallone had written the script and studios loved the idea. However, Stallone had a stagnant condition that he would not change at any cost. The actor wanted to portray the role of  Rocky Balboa himself and no one else!

Robert Redford as Alexander Pierce
As the negotiations were going on, United Artists offered Stallone $250,000 just for the script! During that time, the studio was looking at all the various actors that could portray the role of  Rocky Balboa.

One of the prominent names in the list was Robert Redford who starred in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid in 1969.

The actor, known for portraying the role of Alexander Pierce in  Captain America: The Winter Soldier, was a budding actor at that time and the role would have suited his style.

But sticking to his guns, Sylvester Stallone admitted that he did not want anyone to portray the role of  Rocky Balboa other than himself.

Sylvester Stallone Stuck To His Guns For Rocky!

Rocky IV had  Rocky Balboa squaring off against Ivan Drago
As mentioned earlier, the actor was offered a whopping $250,000 for his script of  Rocky. In an interview with Foster’s, Stallone talked about how he stuck to his guns in Hollywood and eventually won the role of Rocky Balboa in the film!

“I had mastered the art of poverty. I was now looking at my dog as a meal. No, I’m kidding. But I think to make it in this business, you have to have this thing called a stubborn gene.”

He further continued,

“I just said, this is it! Yes, it was 250 grand, but the scar and the self loathing and everything else, and watching Ryan O’Neal play  Rocky (laughs) … I don’t know, it was daunting.”

Portraying the role of  Rocky Balboa earned Sylvester Stallone worldwide fame and love and the actor established himself as a force to be reckoned with in Hollywood.

Released in 1976,  Rocky received a rating of 8.1/10 on IMDB and a high rating of 92% on Rotten Tomatoes and is available to stream on Max in the U.S.