Sylvester Stallone, the iconic Hollywood action hero, shared insights into the inspiration and origins of his legendary character Rocky Balboa during an appearance at the Toronto Film Festival.

Stallone's presence at the festival coincided with the premiere of the Netflix documentary 'Sly,' which traces his illustrious career.

Stallone revealed that his fascination with the idea of overcoming odds was sparked at the age of 12 when he watched the 1958 adventure fantasy film 'Hercules,' starring Steve Reeves.

While dialogues were essential in movies of that era, it was the physical embodiment of triumphing over adversity that deeply moved Stallone.

Growing up, he was also influenced by comic books, which ignited his imagination for action-hero fantasies.

"Coming to the rescue, not so much as a superhero, just as a guy who was forced to," Stallone explained, reflecting on his early artistic inspirations.

After college, Stallone worked as an usher in a cinema house, providing him with a unique education in moviemaking. Watching films repeatedly allowed him to grasp the magic of filmmaking, recognizing iconic scenes and discovering his passion for storytelling.

"I just wrote about what I knew. I was writing about this little kind of mentally challenged guy who happened to have a lot of heart," Stallone revealed, referring to the development of the Rocky Balboa character.

The original 'Rocky' film, set in Philadelphia and centred on an underdog boxer, was a pivotal moment in Stallone's career. Despite initial resistance in Hollywood, Stallone persevered and used his experience as an usher as a form of screenwriting 101.

Stallone emphasized that 'Rocky' and the character Rocky Balboa represented the pinnacle of his career, as it was a movie that no one in Hollywood initially wanted to make. "Nobody wanted to make it. It was my best writing too," he acknowledged.

Throughout his illustrious career, spanning over 50 films and grossing approximately $3 billion at the box office, Stallone has continuously adapted and thrived in the entertainment industry. He attributed his longevity to recognizing his strengths and weaknesses as an artist and embracing his true calling as an action hero.

As Stallone continues to make his mark on the entertainment world, including his recent venture into television with the Paramount+ series 'Tulsa King,' audiences around the world eagerly await his next artistic endeavours.