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Sylvester Stallone turns 80 as the passion he's kept hidden for decades is finally on display

One of his earliest works, Finding Rocky (1975), even served as the emotional blueprint for the character that would launch his career.

JULY 7, 2026 8:24 PM EDTJUL 7, 2026, 8:24 PM EDT

Sylvester Stallone is celebrating his 80th birthday by focusing on a passion that predates his Hollywood career.

While the Oscar-nominated actor is best known for creating iconic characters like Rocky Balboa and John Rambo, art has remained a constant throughout his life. From sketching characters before stepping onto a film set to spending hours in his private studio in Florida, painting has become one of the defining parts of his life away from the spotlight.

According to People, Stallone continues to embrace a creative routine that balances acting, golf and daily painting from his Palm Beach home.

"He's still golfing and he's still acting," a source said of the 'Tulsa King' star, who lives in a "gorgeous compound in Palm Beach, Fla."

Stallone recently showcased six decades of artwork

A second source added, "At 80, Stallone is a man who concentrates on his art. He has an incredible studio built at his house and drawing and painting is his life. If he has a character to play, he sketches it out first. He had an amazing retrospective of his work in January and painting is truly his first love. Something he's been doing since he was 11."

Painting has been Sylvester Stallone's 'first love' since childhood:

Long before becoming one of Hollywood's biggest action stars, Stallone discovered painting as a creative and emotional outlet. He began experimenting with art around the age of nine and later described it as a way to navigate a difficult childhood.

Many of Stallone's paintings feature symbolic references to fame, time and the emotional weight of public life.

Although he briefly attended formal art classes, he largely taught himself by studying masterpieces at New York's Museum of Modern Art, where he spent countless hours observing the techniques of artists he admired.

His influences range from late 19th-century Romantic painters to sculptor Auguste Rodin and Colombian artist Fernando Botero, helping shape a bold visual style that blends Abstract Expressionism with Surrealist influences.

Fernando Botero sitting at his studio in front of a painting — Sylvester Stallone has cited Colombian artist Fernando Botero as one of the major influences behind his bold painting style.

Painting also became part of his creative process as an actor. Before portraying a new character, including his role in Tulsa King, Stallone often sketches the character first, using drawings to explore their personality, posture and emotional state before filming begins.

His artwork remained private for nearly 60 years:

Despite building one of the most recognizable careers in entertainment, Stallone intentionally kept his artwork separate from his public image for decades.

Painting remains Stallone's "first love," with the actor often sketching his characters before filming begins.

That changed earlier this year when Art Palm Beach presented 'Evolution,' his first full retrospective as a visual artist, showcasing paintings created over the course of six decades.

In a press release for the exhibition, the gallery highlighted how unusual that decision had been. "That's the interesting part: someone who built one of the most recognized personal brands in entertainment deliberately kept a six-decade creative practice separate from it. No merch tie-ins, no licensing play, no Instagram content strategy. Just the work, in private, for sixty years," the release said.

The hidden meanings behind Sylvester Stallone's paintings:

Stallone's paintings often contain recurring symbols inspired by mythology, fame and the passage of time.

The actor's bold artistic style blends Abstract Expressionism with Surrealist influences inspired by the masters he admired.

One of his most recognizable motifs is the clock, which represents different stages of life and a career. Earlier hours symbolize youth and optimism, while clocks approaching midnight reflect aging, mortality and the emotional toll of life in the entertainment industry.

Sylvester Stallone wears his best to his daughter's graduation in Miami Beach — Stallone continues to embrace a creative routine that balances acting, golf and daily painting from his Palm Beach home.

His canvases also feature towering mythological figures such as Hercules, Spartacus, and gladiators. Not as celebrations of strength, but as metaphors for the weight of public expectations placed on larger-than-life figures.

Another recurring element is the inclusion of handwritten numbers, dates and words carved directly into thick layers of paint with a palette knife. These markings act as personal emotional markers, preserving fleeting memories and feelings within each work.

At 80, Sylvester Stallone continues to prove his creativity extends far beyond the silver screen.

Many of his portraits also show faces turned away or hidden in shadow while leaving a single eye sharply visible, symbolizing the contrast between the public persona people see and the private emotions kept hidden beneath the surface.

One of his earliest works, Finding Rocky (1975), even served as the emotional blueprint for the character that would launch his career. Unable to afford professional supplies at the time, Stallone created the painting using inexpensive materials and carved Rocky's now-famous sorrowful eyes into thick paint with a screwdriver.

Between acting, painting and spending time with wife Jennifer Flavin and their three daughters, Stallone continues to pursue the artistic passion he has quietly nurtured since childhood. Proving that even at 80, his creativity extends far beyond the silver screen.