Sylvester Stallone breaks down over painful Oscar night memory despite monumental 'Rocky' success

Sylvester Stallone

Sylvester Stallone breaks down over painful Oscar night memory despite monumental 'Rocky' success

Actor describes 1977 Academy Awards ceremony as 'volcanic moment' that turned 'very sad'

Lori A Bashian Fox News

Published

December 18, 2025 9:34pm EST

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Sylvester Stallone says Kennedy Center honor is 'something I still can’t fathom'

Sylvester Stallone opened up to Fox News Digital about receiving his Kennedy Center honor. He said he never expected to receive the honor and is still shocked.

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Sylvester Stallone is reflecting on his relationship with his parents.

The 79-year-old star spoke about the success of "Rocky," which won three Academy Awards – including best picture – during a recent interview with CBS News.

Looking back on his triumphant night in 1977, Stallone admitted that initially winning felt like "a volcanic moment, and then it was very sad." He went on to share that his parents chose not to attend the ceremony, despite the fact that the film, which Stallone wrote and starred in, had been nominated for 10 awards.

"You want people that you love that denied you – now you're here, you're at the Oscars, and they don't want to go," he said, as he started getting emotional. "You realize that, at that moment, that you're never ever going to come to terms with this. And it's like, what more do you need? Really, what f---ing more do you need to do to say, 'I'm here. I did this.'"

Sylvester Stallone accepting the award for best picture in 1977.

Stallone recalled what it felt like to win the Academy Award in 1977 for "Rocky." (ABC Photo Archives/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images)

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Earlier in the interview, the actor shared that when his parents got divorced when he was 11 years old, he went to live with his father, who was described in the interview as "emotionally and physically abusive."

"You realize that, at that moment, that you're never ever going to come to terms with this. And it's like, what more do you need? Really, what f---ing more do you need to do to say, 'I'm here. I did this.'"
— Sylvester Stallone

Stallone explained that living with his dad "was hard to navigate," especially for a "rebellious" kid like himself. He said he came to expect beatings, adding: "My father, when he used to whistle, I knew it was coming."

"Parents should really wise up. Kids are the same as soft clay. They really are. You mold them, and you dent them, and you hurt them, or you drop them off the table, and they're not the same shape anymore," he said. "I still walk around with it. And I wish I couldn't. And I pray, and I do everything, but it's always there."

He admitted there is "always some residual thing there" stemming from the hurt he felt from his parents, even though he sees himself as "a tough guy."

Sylvester Stallone looks off in the distance during a panel

Stallone said parents should "wise up." (Getty Images)

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Not only is he a tough guy in real life, he has also played his fair share of tough guys on screen. He is currently filming the fourth season of his hit Paramount + action series, "Tulsa King."

WATCH: SYLVESTER STALLONE TALKS SEASON 3 OF ‘TULSA KING’

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"It's as close as I'm ever going to come to showing who I am, my real personality. That's how I would react. It was an experiment," he told Fox News Digital in September. "This is pretty much me as a gangster."

The "Rambo" star received a Kennedy Center honor in early December, with President Trump announcing Stallone as one of this year's recipients in August.

During an interview with Fox News Digital in September, Stallone said hearing he would receive the honor was "a shock and revelation," adding it was never he expected, "and now I don't know what to do."

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WATCH: SYLVESTER STALLONE SAYS KENNEDY CENTER HONOR IS ‘SOMETHING I STILL CAN’T FATHOM'

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"When you get this Kennedy Center honor , it's just something I still, at this age, can't fathom that you actually get a prize for what you do that you would do for free. You know what I mean? I've been so lucky. I've been blessed, everything. And on top of that, you're gonna give me a chocolate sundae? Come on. Jesus," he said.

Donald Trump awarding Sylvester Stallone with the Kennedy Center honor in December 2025.

Stallone received a Kennedy Center honor in December. (Aaron Schwartz/Getty Images)

The other honorees included country legend George Strait, rock band KISS, English actor Michael Crawford and iconic singer Gloria Gaynor, known for her hits, including "I Will Survive."

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Lori Bashian is an entertainment writer for Fox News Digital.

Sylvester Stallone breaks down over painful Oscar night memory despite monumental 'Rocky' success