Trigger warning: This article contains mentions of anxiety and an eating disorder. Reader’s discretion is advised.Veteran icon Sylvester Stallone, best known for action and thriller films like ‘Rambo’, ‘Rocky’, ‘The Expendables’ and ‘Demolition Man’, recently opened up about his off-screen struggles. During one of his latest interviews, the star got candid about his long battle with anxiety and how he even suffered from an eating disorder during one of his movie shoots.
Sylvester Stallone details his battle with anxiety
The beloved movie star recently sat down for an interview with The New York Times, where he got candid about his life and how everything has been for him behind what the cameras know about him. While watching footage of him from years ago, Stallone revealed that he has been dealing with anxiety for a long time now; however, his first encounter was terrifying for him.Providing more details on the matter, he shared, “The first time was when I was 36, and I was watching dailies, and then all of a sudden I stood up, and the hair on my neck went up, and I started getting hot, and I go, I’m dying, this is it, I’m on my way out. And bang, down I went. Took a knee, crawled, rolled over, and now I’m in this dark movie theatre.” He further shared that he had these episodes again and again for a long time, which mentally affected him a lot. He also added that they ‘come out of nowhere’ and he still sometimes deals with them.“When I’m in a crowd, I’d be with my wife at an art exhibition, and the room is filling up. It’s getting more and more, and then I’d go, ‘I’m going down,’ and she’d be like, ‘Let’s get out of here.’ And literally I just make it to the alley, boom, get down on one knee”, the ‘Creed’ actor shared.
Sylvester Stallone admits that he had bulimia
At one point in his life, the veteran actor shared that he even battled an eating disorder. He revealed that during his time filming ‘Rambo’, he underwent a lot of physical changes in accordance with the high demands of the film. He shared that he put a lot of effort into changing his physical appearance, however, after a while, it became an “obsession” for him.He added, “Really bad. It got to the point where I became bulimic.” The 80-year-old provided more details and added, “I couldn’t hold anything down. Or I didn’t want to keep it down because I became so obsessed with staying at that point of fitness, literally an obsessive body-worship kind of thing.” He was also at his lowest point while filming ‘Rocky 3’ since his body fat had fallen below the apt level required for men. Stallone revealed that his body fat index was down to 2.6%, while a minimum of 8% is required for men in this age bracket of 20–69.He concluded, “I’ve abused my body. Everything is held together with baling wire, but I still want to stay in good shape.”
What is Bulimia?
According to Cleveland Clinic, “Bulimia nervosa, also called bulimia, is a serious type of eating disorder. It’s characterised by eating a large amount of food in a short amount of time (binging), followed by getting rid of the food (purging). You may feel like you have no control over what you eat.”
Sylvester Stallone comments on whether he would be able to survive in today’s Hollywood industry
A lot of stars have expressed how their careers would not have picked up if they were trying it out in today’s Hollywood industry, and Stallone seems to be joining the sentiment. In another recent interview that the star did with CBS Sunday Morning, he opened up about how he would have a hard time in the industry if he were starting in present-day Hollywood. He also drew comparisons on ‘The Godfather’, sharing whether the film would even have been cast today or not. When asked by host Tracy Smith on whether he would have made it in the industry, Stallone outright said no.He added, “No. It’s a whole different mindset. The actors look different; they act different. The subject matter, I couldn’t relate to. No, I would be in trouble.” He also looked back on his career and revealed what he thinks would have happened to him if he had not become successful with the release of ‘Rocky’. He shared, “I would have been in a cell somewhere. Or in husbandry with horses and animals. I was about the same intelligence as a horse. I was going to be a horse person; I related to the animals.”
Sylvester Stallone’s latest work
On the work front, Stallone is set to work as an executive producer for the upcoming ‘John Rambo’ prequel film. Other than that, he is best known for his leading role in the ongoing OTT series, ‘Tulsa King’.
