1977: Sylvester Stallone on making ROCKY | Film 77 | Classic Movie Interviews | BBC Archive

Sylvester Stallone talks to Barry Norman about the arduous task of getting Rocky - his uplifting script about an underdog boxer - made into an Oscar-winning film. Chief among the issues was his desire to star as the film's lead Rocky Balboa, despite being a "small part" actor, while Hollywood studio bosses wanted a big name like James Caan, Burt Reynolds or Ryan O'Neal in the role. Like the film itself, the story of bringing Rocky to the screen is a tale of determination, perseverance and Stallone's uncanny ability to keep getting up after he gets knocked down.