Sylvester Stallone, icon of American cinema, was singlehandedly responsible for giving life to two of the most beloved characters to have ever graced the silver screen: Rocky Balboa and John Rambo. Born in the Hell’s Kitchen neighborhood of Manhattan, Stallone was left paralyzed in parts of face due to complications during his birth.

By all accounts, Stallone also had a difficult childhood. His parents had a volatile relationship and fought all the time. They eventually got divorced. So, after living for a number of years in the Washington, D.C. area, Stallone moved to Philadelphia to live with his mother and her second husband. It was in the City of Brotherly Love that Stallone would attend high school, and first become interested in acting. The teen Stallone may not have known it at the time, but Philadelphia would also go on to become the location for his most memorable film, 1976’s “Rocky.”