It’s been nearly 50 years since Rocky Balboa ran up the steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art, creating one of cinematic history’s most iconic and inspiring moments. To help celebrate this incredible act of determination, Sylvester Stallone returned to Philadelphia for the first-ever “Rocky Day,” an event commemorating his 1976 Academy Award-winning film and that magical moment when the Italian Stallion cemented his place in the hearts and minds of fans worldwide.
Thousands of people gathered at the Philadelphia Museum of Art steps for the start of the annual holiday celebrating Stallone’s classic film. The event saw Stallone’s family members and friend, actor Chevy Chase, joining the festivities, cheering on the big guy and smiling for cameras.
Addressing the crowd, Stallone spoke from the heart, saying, “I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart — and Rocky’s, too, because we’re very close — to all of you, who believe it or not are the real-life Rockys, because you live your life on your own terms, you try to do the best you can, and you keep punching.”
Many people attending the event dressed in their favorite Rocky-related clothing, including fedoras, robes, sweats, and boxing gloves. Some fans brought their children to the celebration, passing their love of the Italian Stallion onto another generation. One of the best aspects of Rocky is the lessons taught in the film can apply to people from all walks of life. Everyone can strive to fulfill dreams, and Balboa is resoluteness personified.
After addressing the crowd, Stallone cut the ribbon on the newly-established Rocky Shop gift store next to the Rocky Balboa statue at the foot of the art museum steps.
Stallone’s performance as Rocky Balboa is known for inspiring countless actors and filmmakers toward stardom. Recently, Barbie director Greta Gerwig expressed her adoration for Stallone, saying Rocky Balboa helped inspire Ryan Gosling’s Ken in the filmmaker’s billion-dollar blockbuster. “I love Sylvester Stallone,” said Gerwig while speaking with Uproxx. “I love all those Rocky movies. I love him a lot. So it was a really early thing, actually. When Ryan Gosling and I were texting a lot, we kind of both stumbled upon our mutual love of Sly Stallone. And then we were talking about his look in the ’70s and how terrific it was. And he really adorned himself as a man. And we thought, “Well, that’s a good place to start.” I mean, there are just sort of fabulous images of him, particularly in the Rockys.”
While some people feel movie characters stop at the silver screen, Stallone proves Hollywood icons can grow beyond their means. Rocky Balboa has been a fixture in my family for as long as I can remember, and I have no doubt the character will continue to inspire generations to come. Keep punching, everybody.