Stallone reveals steroid use and bulimia during Rocky III filming

Sylvester Stallone told the New York Times that he cycled steroids and developed bulimia while training for the 1982 film "Rocky III," saying he reduced his body fat to 2.6 percent and became obsessed with maintaining that level. > "It isn’t as though you’re a junkie, but if you’re going to work out and try to stay in shape for six months straight, and you’re eating yogurt and pudding, it’s not happening," he said, adding that a six-week steroid cycle was viewed as necessary for the role. Stallone said the pressure to stay in peak physical condition was common among actors at the time. He later described a shift in his body standards after starring in the 1997 film "Cop Land," which he called "somewhat liberated," though he noted it led to a decline in his standing with Hollywood. The 80-year-old actor, who has not headlined a major blockbuster since "Expendables 4" in 2023, recently released a documentary biography titled "Sly" and continues to appear in projects such as the Paramount+ series "Tulsa King." He also mentioned being named a special Hollywood ambassador by President Donald Trump, a role he said he did not anticipate and expressed skepticism about its practicality.