Sylvester Stallone’s 5 movie cameos explained

Sylvester Stallone Cameos are very rare, but they certainly leave an impact whenever they happen. Stallone was a struggling actor for much of the 1970s, but once he broke with Rockyhe became one of the biggest stars in the world. Of Rocky To the various other Stallone action films that arrived during the 1980s and 1990s, he tended to always get billed first. That’s why Stallone’s cameos were rare during this era as he avoided supporting roles.

In more recent years Sly has made guest appearances on Guardians of the Galaxy sequences and Expendables 4 – despite the latter being one of Stallone’s main action franchises. Still, there aren’t many examples of stars appearing uncredited in a single scene, and those that do exist are bizarre.

5

Cannonball! (1976)

Directed by Paul Bartel (Eating Raoul)

Before RockyStallone’s most famous project was Death Race 2000. This darkly comedic action film is set in a dark future and centers on the titular transcontinental race, where participants earn points by running over civilians. The film became a cult favorite, with Stallone playing a rare villainous role as “Machine Gun” Joe. He soon reunited with director Paul Bartel for a truly bizarre appearance in a scene in its sequel, Cannonball!

Playing as a (slightly) more serious Death Race 2000the film casts David Carradine as the titular driver, taking part in a race from Los Angeles to New York. Stallone’s cameo features him and director Martin Scorsese (!) as a KFC-munching mobster who threatens a character played by Bartel himself. Stallone was not credited for his Cannonball! cameo, with the film arriving just a few months before Rocky changed his career.

4

Staying Alive (1983)

Directed by Sylvester Stallone

Almost all of the films directed by Stallone have been sequels to his own work. This made him a curious choice to lead the Saturday Night Fever sequence Staying alivewhich involved John Travolta’s Tony swapping disco for Broadway. Stallone made a silent cameo Staying alive as “Man on the Street”, who Tony bumps into and the two exchange glances briefly.

In short, Stallone’s cameo doesn’t mean much, although it’s a nice easter egg. On paper, there was a logic to achieving Rocky creator Stallone to direct another underdog story. That being said, Staying alive it was far from being the “Dance Rocky” that Stallone imaginedand he was miscast as director. The resulting sequel was a tawdry mess that aged poorly — though it still grossed over $127 million (via Mojo Box Office).

3

An Alan Smithee Film: Burn Hollywood Burn (1997)

Directed by Alan Smithee (aka Arthur Hiller)

Long before The Expendables, Burn Hollywood Burn almost united Stallone, Willis and Schwarzenegger for the first time. At least that’s how Stallone was convinced. In a AICN Q&A star revealed that he was told that Arnold Schwarzenegger and Bruce Willis were involved in cameos in the film. It wasn’t until he arrived to film his cameo that he discovered that Jackie Chan and Whoopi Goldberg were playing the other roles.

An Alan Smithee Film: Burn Hollywood Burn was conceived as a scathing satire of the film industry and involves a director named Alan Smithee (Eric Idle) ripping off a terrible action film he directed. The film has a funny premise that unfortunately translates into a dull comedy that plays out like a fake documentary. To his credit, Stallone is committed to submitting – but that’s not enough to save the film.

2

Taxi 3 (2003)

Directed by Gérard Krawczyk

Stallone’s strangest cameo cast him as a Bond-style thief in the opening sequence of Taxi 3the third entry in the popular French series. The third sequence begins with Stallone’s mysterious character hitching a ride with franchise protagonist Daniel (Samy Naceri), who uses his modified car to escape the gang chasing Stallone’s passenger. This scene culminates with Stallone’s character being picked up by a helicopter, which kicks off a 007-inspired title sequence.

It’s a fun and silly scene, with Stallone’s appearance coming as a total surprise to viewers in 2003. Of course, Stallone does not speak French and is voiced during the prologue by Alain Dorvalwhich gave voice to other Stallone outings such as First Blood and To stop! Or my mother will shoot.

1

Kambakkht Ishq (2009)

Directed by Sabbir Khan (Adbhut)

Written and directed by Sabbir Khan, the poorly received Bollywood rom-com Kambakkht Ishq features a series of special appearances. These include Denise Richard and Brandon Routh, but obviously, the biggest name is Stallone himself. The story follows an Indian stuntman (played by Akshay Kumar) on his way to Hollywood and falls in love with Kareena Kapoor’s medical student, Simrita. The two are complete opposites, so naturally, sparks fly.

Sylvester Stallone has two great moments in Kambakkht Ishqincluding a fight scene where he rescues Simrita from Kapoor from a gang; he also presented Kumar’s character with a stuntman award. Still, his cameo isn’t enough to recommend the film, which is far from being as funny or romantic as it appears to be.