Fun Facts about Rocky to Celebrate Sylvester Stallone's Oscar Nomination

The 2016 Oscars are right around the corner premiering on ABC Sunday February 28th at 7pmEST and Philadelphia’s beloved “Rocky”, Sylvester Stallone, is nominated for best performance by an actor in a supporting role for his work in the latest Rocky installment, Creed. Creed, starring Michael B. Jordan, playing the son of Rocky’s once sparring partner and forever close friend, Apollo Creed, was filmed right here in Philly and released in November of 2015.

This is Sylvester Stallone’s third Academy Award Nomination and first in 40 years having been nominated in 1976 for best actor in a leading role and best writing for the original Rocky film. Here are some fun facts about Philadelphia’s favorite Italian Stallion.

Sylvester Stallone was so poor before his screenplay for Rocky was picked up that he had to sell his dog to make ends meet.
During the filming of the first Rocky, Stallone convinced the family who then owned his bullmastif to give him back so that he could be in the movie. That dog is Butkus who appears in two of the Rocky films.
Creed is the first in the Rocky series franchise to not have the name “Rocky” in the title and the first to not be written by Stallone himself.
Though Stallone did not write Creed he did have a hand in certain details, for example he insisted the Michael B. Jordan wear the American Flag boxers that were so famously worn by his father, Apollo, in Rocky, and then by Rocky in Rocky III and Rocky IV.
The training facility used in the movie Creed is called Mighty Mick’s in honor of Rocky’s original trainer, Micky, played by Burgess Meredith. The training scenes were filmed in Port Richmond at the former Delphi Boxing Acadamy.
The original Rocky movie was filmed with only a $1 million budget, it became the highest grossing film in 1976.
Creed was officially released on November 25th 2015, 40 years to the day after the events in the original Rocky movie took place.
The original Rocky movie won for best picture, best director, and best editing in the 49th Annual Academy awards in 1977. It was the first sports movie to win for best picture.

So be sure to tune in to see if Sylvester Stallone will walk home with his first Academy Award after 40 years of playing Philly’s most iconic character.