Sage Stallone on His 'Rocky V' Film Debut

Sage Stallone on His 'Rocky V' Film Debut

Sylvester Stallone's son Sage, perhaps best known for his role as Rocky Balboa Jr. in Rocky V, was found dead on Friday at the age of 36. Now we're taking a look back at the young actor's debut film, launching a career that ended much too soon.

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"I was born during Rocky, and I remember when I watched the movie and when I saw [my dad] acting, I thought it was real," said Sage. "When I saw him getting beat up in the ring, I was like, 'No, daddy!'"

While the Rocky movies may have put an emotional toll on Sage initially, that same franchise is what brought him into the spotlight when only a teenager.

"He was very very true," Sylvester Stallone said of his son's debut role, which he had to audition for. "I'm quite proud of him."

In the video, it's clear that the loving father-son bond depicted on screen came from their real life relationship, as they hug, joke and play fight on the set.