Sylvester Stallone Reveals He Became Bulimic & Used Steroids During ‘Rocky’ Fame

Sylvester Stallone is opening up about the extreme toll his physique took on his body during the height of his Rocky fame.

The 80-year-old actor revealed in a new interview with The New York Times that he developed bulimia while preparing for Rocky III and also used steroids as he became increasingly obsessed with maintaining his muscular appearance.

Sylvester Stallone Reveals He Became Bulimic During Rocky III

When asked how his relationship with his body evolved throughout his career, Sylvester explained that his physique eventually became a form of “armor.”

He said his approach changed as the Rocky and Rambo characters evolved, and he began intentionally shaping his body to appear more aggressive and athletic.

“Then it became an obsession. Really bad,” he admitted.

Sylvester then revealed for the first time that the fixation developed into bulimia while he was filming 1982’s Rocky III.

“It got to the point where I became bulimic. You heard it here first,” he told the newspaper.

He said he reached 2.6 percent body fat during the movie and became so focused on maintaining that physique that he struggled to keep food down.

“I became so obsessed with staying at that point of fitness, literally an obsessive body-worship kind of thing,” he recalled.

Sylvester Stallone Opens Up About Steroid Use

During the same interview, Sylvester was asked directly whether steroids were part of his fitness regimen.

“Oh, my god, you have to,” he responded.

He said he would cycle the drugs, describing his approach as “six weeks on, six weeks off,” while acknowledging that the choices he made ultimately came at a significant physical cost.

“But that also took a terrible toll,” he said.

Sylvester said making 1997’s Cop Land, in which he played a heavier and physically less imposing character, eventually gave him some relief from the pressure he had placed on his appearance.

He also detailed the physical toll his career has taken, saying he has undergone numerous surgeries over the years.

“I’ve abused my body,” he said, revealing that he has undergone nine back operations, two shoulder operations and three neck fusions.

Sylvester Stallone Says His Physique Came at a “Terrible Price”

Although the action star still maintains his fitness at 80, he said he no longer views his body as the “armor” it once was.

“It’s come at a terrible price,” Sylvester said.

Looking back, he said he would tell his younger self to allow stunt performers to take on more of the physical work.

“If I could do it over again, I would say, ‘Let someone else carry the banner and don’t do your own stunts,'” he explained.

The revealing interview comes just days before the release of Sylvester‘s new memoir, The Steps, which arrives on September 29. His latest comments follow another portion of the interview in which he spoke about a traumatic experience at a residential facility as a teenager.

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