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“Rocky” And “The Fonz!” How Henry Winkler Helped Sylvester Stallone’s Dream Come True!

By johnrieber on June 8, 2025 • ( 8 )

Rocky And The Fonz!

Hollywood is such a mysterious place: stars are made, careers are derailed, and for most, the spotlight never shines on them. So when I read this story – of which I knew the Muhammad Ali part – I discovered something else as well!

A big “thank you” to the FB site Historic Haven · Follow it for more great stories like this!

Sylvester Stallone was a “wannabe” Actor in the early 70’s, with small roles in Woody Allen’s “Bananas” and “The Lords Of Flatbush”, where he worked with Henry Winkler.

As “Historic Haven” shared:

“Stallone had just been turned down for yet another minor TV role when Winkler, then a breakout star thanks to *Happy Days*, noticed him sitting alone outside a casting office. Stallone looked exhausted, defeated, with a worn folder under his arm. But when he started talking about the script he’d written, something changed. Winkler later said, “There was a light in his eyes—he believed in that story more than anything else.”

That story was “Rocky”. Stallone had written it in just a few days after watching the infamous 1975 Muhammad Ali – Chuck Wepner heavyweight boxing match.

If you don’t know what happened, Ali was the world heavyweight champion, and Wepner was a small-time boxer who was seen as an easy paycheck for the champ. But as Stallone explained years later:

“Chuck Wepner, a battling, bruising club fighter who had never made the big time, was having his shot. It wasn’t at all regarded as a serious battle. But as the fight progressed, this miracle unfolded. He hung in there. People went absolutely crazy. Wepner was knocked out in the 15th and final round, almost lasting the distance. We had witnessed an incredible triumph of the human spirit and we loved it. That night, Rocky Balboa was born. People looked on him as the all-American tragedy, a man without much mentality and few social graces. But he has deep emotion and spirituality and good patriotism. And he has a good nature, although nature has not been particularly good to him. I have always seen him as a 20th Century gladiator in a pair of sneakers. Like so many of us, he is out of sync with the times. To all this, I injected doses of my own personal life, of my frustration at not getting anywhere.”

Stallone pitched his story of a smalltime boxer taking on the world heavyweight champ all over town, and some interest surfaced, but only if they could recast the lead with someone like Ryan O’Neal, who was a major star at the time. Stallone held firm to his dream of playing Rocky himself, so no one was buying it.

Henry Winkler’s Passion…

Here’s what happened next, as reported in “Historic Haven”:

“Winkler, moved by Stallone’s passion and the raw honesty of the script, read it that same night. The next day, he called his agent, Jackie Lewis, and told her, “This guy has something. It’s rough, but it’s real. He’s real.” Lewis agreed to meet Stallone, took him on as a client, and began shopping the script around seriously. That move eventually led to producers Irwin Winkler and Robert Chartoff, who saw the film’s potential. United Artists showed interest—but only with a big-name actor. Again, Stallone refused. Eventually, the producers convinced the studio to take a risk, with a reduced budget and Stallone in the lead.“

Stallone later told Variety, the show business bible of that time:

“Henry was the first person in Hollywood who didn’t just pat me on the back—he actually did something. He got me in the door. Without him, ‘Rocky’ doesn’t happen.”

And the rest was history. The film was Best Picture of 1976, and Sylvester Stallone was a star. And the best part?

“Henry Winkler never made a big deal of it. He didn’t seek attention or take credit for launching one of the most successful franchises in film history. But the people close to him knew. During a 1988 appearance on *The Arsenio Hall Show*, Winkler mentioned Stallone briefly, saying, “I just thought the world needed to see what was inside that guy.” That quiet belief echoed louder than any headline.”

Years later, during press for “Rocky Balboa”, Stallone said, “Henry didn’t just help me—he believed in me when there was absolutely no reason to.”

Here’s to the underdog in all of us!

Stallone was nominated for an Oscar for his screenplay…as well as Best Actor…

Sly also wrote a relative into the movie – Butkus his dog – credited in the film as “Butkus Stallone”!

The acclaimed Director of “Rocky” died a few years ago – he had an incredible career, including the first “Karate Kid” movie!

See my homage to John G. Avildsen by clicking here:

RIP “Rocky” Director John G. Avildsen! Brilliant Movies Like “Save The Tiger” And “The Karate Kid!” Troma Too!

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