Stallone reveals the meaning of love at 80 despite 'castle of regrets'
In an interview with the NYT before the release of his memoir, the actor admitted that he perceives the last two years of his life as “loan time” and tries to correct the mistakes of the past. Stallone says he didn’t know what true love was until he was 70. n
American actor Sylvester Stallone said in an interview with The New York Times (NYT) that only by the age of 70 he understood what true love is. The interview took place on the eve of the release of his memoir The Steps, in which he recalls his childhood, family and career.
Truly unconditional love, total dedication, reckless love, for which you would jump after a man into a volcano, I learned late. And it's very sad, Stallone, 80, said. He said he had been too busy trying to be successful to prove he wasn’t “another loser in his neighborhood.”.
Speaking about old age and the approach of death, the actor admitted that he was “in panic mode”. He compared his life to a castle made of regrets.
“I built a castle of thousands of regret stones. I'm trying to fix it in my own way and I don't know if there's enough time. There won't be enough time, he said. Stallone added that he is now trying to focus on the people who need him and help them find their own lives and leave a legacy behind.
The actor called the years after reaching average lifespan "loan time." “It is never too late to love, it is never too late to dance with beautiful memories, and not to flounder in the worst of swamps, the swamp of loneliness. This is a premature burial, he said.
After the success of "Rocky," fame, Stallone said, made him vindictive and arrogant. “I became unbearable, turned into a capricious child. Years later, I despised myself. I managed to alienate all the press and people who believed in me.
Stallone also linked his previous attitude towards people with childhood, in which, according to him, there were almost no manifestations of parental love. The actor said that his mother never hugged him, and the relationship with his father was accompanied by outbursts of aggression and rivalry. He eventually forgave his parents, though he called it a “fragile peace treaty.”.
What do we have to do, go around and shout at ghosts, ‘Come back, we’re not done yet’? No, I can't. All I can do is appreciate every second, he said.
In the interview, Stallone also spoke about anxiety attacks, which first appeared at the age of 36. During one of them, he watched the footage in a dark cinema, suddenly felt the heat and decided that he was dying. In the following years, attacks were repeated before television and in crowded rooms.
The actor did not turn to a psychotherapist, because he believes that what he experienced in childhood cannot be completely eliminated. “One can cover it with reasoning, ideology, breathing exercises and meditation. But late at night - one and you're back there, he explained.
Stallone’s memoir, The Steps, will be released on September 29. In the book, the actor talks about the years before the release of Rocky, numerous rejections in Hollywood and work on the script that later made him famous.
Stallone was born on July 6, 1946 in New York City. A breakthrough in his career was the film Rocky in 1976, the script of which he wrote and in which he played the main role. The actor became the third person in the history of the award “Oscar”, simultaneously nominated for acting and screenplay. The film received three awards, including the prize for best film.
Later Stallone played veteran John Rambo in five films, created the series “The Expendables” and returned to the role of Rocky Balboa in the films “Creed”. In 2016, the role in the first “Creed” brought him a third Oscar nomination. Now the actor plays the main role in the series “King of Tulsa”.
Stallone has five children. His eldest son, Sage, who starred with his father in Rocky 5 and Daylight, died in 2012 at the age of 36. Since 1997, Stallone has been married to Jennifer Flavin, the couple have three daughters – Sofia, Sistine and Scarlett.
