Sylvester Stallone recalls being sent to a ‘snake pit’ at 16

Los Angeles: Hollywood star Sylvester Stallone has opened up about one of the most difficult chapters of his life, recalling his experiences at a tough school when he was 16, where punishment meant being sent to a place known as the “Snake Pit”.

Stallone took to Instagram, where he shared a video talking about going to a “tough school” at the age of 16, which exposed him to frightening situations that he would never otherwise have encountered. He wrote in the caption: This was one of the hardest parts of The Steps to write. I was 16 years old and at a rough school where punishment could mean being sent to a place we called the ‘Snake Pit.’”

In the clip, where he said: “One of the hardest chapters in this book to write is what happened to me when I was 16. I went to a very, very tough school, basically almost a kind of reform school. And when you were punished, they took you to a certain building called the snake pit.”

He added that persevering through those hard moments made him feel he would be ready to face any obstacle that came his way. Stallone said: “And there you are exposed to things that you’ll never be exposed to, scary things. And I thought if I could persevere, empower through this kind of stuff, I’ll be ready to face any kind of challenge that ever comes my way. And then it happens.”

Talking about the Hollywood legend, he made his screen debut in the 1970 with “The Party at Kitty and Stud’s”. Before becoming an icon, Stallone took on a few uncredited roles in films like Downhill Racer and Bananas. However, his breakthrough and official launch into mainstream cinema came in 1974 with his starring role in “The Lords of Flatbush”.

Shortly after, he wrote and starred in the 1976 blockbuster “Rocky”, which established him as a global icon. Regarded as an icon of action cinema, Stallone after Rocky portrayed the PTSD-plagued soldier John Rambo in First Blood, a role he would play across five Rambo films.

He then featured in films such as Cobra, Tango and Cash, Cliffhanger, Demolition Man, and The Specialist. At the height of his career, Stallone was known for his rivalry with Arnold Schwarzenegger. He was then seen in The Expendables film franchise. In 2013, he starred in the successful film Escape Plan and appeared in its sequels. In 2015, he returned to Rocky again with Creed, in which a retired Rocky mentors former rival Apollo Creed’s son Adonis Creed.