Sylvester Stallonehas been an A-lister in Hollywood for more than half a century with the actor starring in No. 1 movies at the box office for six consecutive decades. Recently, Stallone debuted in his latest role as the voice of King Shark in James Gunn’sThe Suicide Squad. The movie hit No. 1 when it premiered last week, marking the first movie to do so in the 2020s for the veteran actor.
As it stands now,The Suicide Squadis the 20th movie starring Stallone to hit the No. 1 spot at the box office. The achievement also means Stallone has beenstarring in blockbuster hitsfor the past six decades. It all began in the 1970s with Stallone’s very starring role inRocky, which he also wrote. Spawning a highly successful movie series,Rockyscored $225 million in 1976 dollars, which equates to more than $1.02 billion in today’s money.
The 1980s portion of Stallone’s career might be best represented by the introduction of John Rambo in 1982’sFirst Blood, another smash success at the box office that spawned an ongoing franchise. It follows Stallone as a Vietnam vet looking to get something to eat in a small Washington town only for a confrontation with the local law to evolve into a manhunt in the woods. Stallone reprised the role for 2019’sRambo: Last Blood.
1993 was another particularly great year for Sly. Though it almost started to appear that his star was falling the year before withStop! Or My Mom Will Shoot, Stallone was back at the top of the box office with the release ofCliffhanger, an action-adventure following a mountain climber caught up in a heist in the middle of the Rocky Mountains. He soon after appeared in the futuristic action movieDemolition Manwhich also debuted at No. 1.
In 2001, Stallone starred in Renny Harlin’sDriven, playing a veteran racer coming out of retirement to serve as a mentor for an aspiring auto racing champion. Though it fell short of box office expectations, it still reached No. 1, the first movie of Stallone’s to do so since 1997’sCop Land. It also continued his No. 1 streak through the decades alive, which he followed up withSpy Kids 3-D: Game Overin 2003.
Stallone kicked off the 2010s in a big way with the release of the action ensemble movieThe Expendablesin 2010. The hit movie would also spawn several sequels with 2012’sThe Expendables 2also hitting No. 1. It’s very possible that this series could give Stallone his next No. 1 hit as well, as the actor and filmmaker appears to be working onThe Expendables 4. He recently shared an image of a ring he says was made for the sequel and there arerumors of the project shooting this fall.
For now, you can see Stallone’s performance as King Shark in the No. 1 movieThe Suicide Squad. In addition to playing in theaters, the movie is also streaming at no additional cost on HBO Max. This news comes to us fromDeadline.
