An Inspiring Story

I heard this story from Bo Sanchez last Sunday while watching Kerygma TV.

I hope it inspires us to dream and be bold and make our dreams happen.

Sylvester Stallone at a young age already dreamed of becoming an actor but he was always turned down by film directors, producers and casting agents because of his slurred speech.

Determined to follow his dreams, he met a producer and begged for a role in one of the movies the producer is making. Sylvester would be the first person the producer would see in his office first thing in the morning and the last person he would see at the end of the day, and because of this persistence, the producer gave him a small role in a film.

But after that small acting stint, no other movie offers followed.

Undeterred and committed to make his dream of becoming an actor, he wrote a script tailored made for him.

Sylvester approached several producers but no one was interested in his screenplay until he met one producer who was willing to pay him seventy-five thousand dollars for the script. He had to turn it down because he will not be actor in the film.

A few days after, the same producer visited him at home buying the script for two hundred fifty thousand dollars but still with the condition that he will not have to star in the said movie. Sylvester did not sell the script.

The producer bargained with Sylvester until it reached one million dollars. But again he had to turn it down because he will not be the actor in the movie. And this happened when he really needed the money. He was cash strapped at the time; he had to sell his dog for fifty dollars just to have money.

Finally, the producer agreed that he will star in the film but would only pay thirty five thousand dollars for the screenplay and Sylvester agreed.

That movie was Rocky. It made big in the box office and earned ten academy award nominations including best picture and best actor.