Stallone never expected to make it in Hollywood

May 28, 2019 06:00 am

CANNES : Movie superstar Sylvester Stallone told cinemagoers in Cannes on Friday that he never expected to make it in the film industry due to an accident at birth that caused him to slur his words.

The 72-year-old US actor rocketed to fame in 1976 with his Oscar-winning boxing movie Rocky and went on to become one of Hollywood's biggest action stars through the Rocky and Rambo film franchises.

Stallone said that when he was starting out, his speech impediment caused by his facial paralysis had stumped filmmakers and fellow actors such as Arnold Schwarzenegger.

"I knew it was bad when Arnold Schwarzenegger said, 'You have an accent,'" Stallone added.

"I go, 'I have an accent? Excuse me, what?' It's true. Arnold and I should open up a school for speech lessons. It would be perfect. If we can make it, anyone can."

Audiences were shown early clips for Rambo V: Last Blood, billed as the final instalment of the saga that is set for release in the US in September. - REUTERS