Original-Cin Q&A: I Play Rocky's Anthony Ippolito and AnnaSophia Robb on Playing the Stallones
By Bonnie Laufer
How do you depict the creation of one of the greatest, most crowd-pleasing movies ever made? You look to the man who refused to take “no” for an answer.
In I Play Rocky, actors Anthony Ippolito and AnnaSophia Robb bring the untold, behind-the-scenes story of Sylvester Stallone's breakout triumph to life.
We spoke with stars, Ippolito (who plays Stallone) and Robb (who plays his then wife Sasha) to discuss tackling these film-history-making real-life roles and the ultimate underdog story off-screen.
I PLAY ROCKY is in theatres in Toronto November 13 and everywhere November 20.
Sasha (AnnaSophis Robb) and Sly (Anthony Ippolito) finally see their dream come true onscreen.
CLICK HERE for Bonnie Laufer’s interview with Director, Peter Farrelly
CLICK HERE for her interview with P. J. Byrne and Jay Duplass who play Producer Irwin Winkler and Director John G. Avildsen
CLICK HERE for Bonnie’s interview with Stephan James and Kiki Seto who play, Carl Weathers and Talia Shire
ORIGINAL-CIN: Bringing a Hollywood icon like Sylvester Stallone to life, as he was before he was a household name, was a massive undertaking. How did you approach finding his voice and mannerisms without making it an impersonation?
ANTHONY IPPOLITO: I guess I looked at it more as an interpretation, approaching it from, “Even though he became this star and is known to all, we're not telling that story. We're telling the story of this other guy, who didn't have any of that yet.”
And this is stripped down, the bare bones of who Sly Stallone was. He was in a very dark place, especially in the beginning of the film and was very isolated. He had so many obstacles in his way, but never gave up. He had a disability from the birth accident, facial paralysis and overcoming a slur. It was a very human plight that he had and what he overcame is really remarkable.
O-C: Well, what you overcame was really remarkable. At the core of this film, it's about an unknown actor who is determined to do things his way and make it work. It seems you in a sense played this as a mirror of your life. For director Peter Farrelly to have taken that chance on you was also quite remarkable.
IPPOLITO: Yeah, there are definitely parallels in some instances. We also shot this film in 34 days, and the original Rocky was shot in 28. You are right, there are some interesting parallels.
But yes, ultimately you need a filmmaker or somebody else to take a chance on you. I was saying how lonely Stallone was during that period of time, but he also had Sasha in his corner.
We can't forget about that and what I hope people take out of the film is what Stallone goes through and what he overcomes.
But it’s also about the value of someone like Sasha championing someone else's journey. Looking into somebody who's going down a path, encountering adversity or doubting themselves, and saying something inspiring or reminding them to believe in themselves. Because I think that's just as important in a lot of ways.
O-C: When the film was completed, even though he wasn’t involved in the production, what did Sly Stallone say to you after he saw it?
IPPOLITO: Oh wow! It was really great to get to speak to him, and I was nervous obviously, because you never know what his experience is going to be like.
This is such an important period of time in his life, so I was truly nervous about his opinion. But thankfully, he had a positive reaction. He said he got to watch the film with his wife and that they really enjoyed it and were inspired by my performance.
He told me that he is excited for the younger generation coming up to have this window into Rocky, and hopefully it illuminates what went into it. I'm very humbled by the opportunity to speak with him about this stuff.
O-C: The reception for I Play Rocky was quite extraordinary when it premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in September.
ANNASOPHIA ROBB: I heard it was great. I was in Sydney, Australia working, so I couldn't go because of the time difference.
But I listened when the premiere was happening. I went for a run and I listened to the Rocky soundtrack, and I ran further than I've ever run in my whole life. I was like, "Wow, somebody needs to do a scientific study on this score because I felt so motivated.” And I was just putting out good vibes over the ocean all the way to Toronto.
O-C: Sasha, there is no doubt that Sylvester Stallone’s early journey is an underdog story, but he absolutely would not have made it if he hadn’t had Sasha by his side. How did you approach playing her?
ROBB: It always starts with a script, and I had Peter Gamble's beautiful script.
I was so excited to read this character who had so much depth and vitality and her own dreams and aspirations. Yes, she's a real person but there's not a whole lot known about her. She's a very private person, which I totally wanted to respect.
Sly wrote a note at the start of production, and it was passed along to me about how their marriage was two rocks leaning against each other and that she is absolute sunshine. So those were really two tangible things that I embedded in the character.
O-C: Did you do anything special to really appreciate who she was?
ROBB: I actually used her camera, the Minolta 65. She was a photographer and she went to art school, and so she has an artistic spirit. She saw the world through a different lens, one of hope and curiosity, and she clearly saw the brilliance and artistry and Sly.
I think for her, it wasn't about the destination or success. It was about the attempt of trying, the curiosity of what happens if you go for it.
They had nothing to lose, and so it was a gift for me to play this character because her spirit is infectious. And it's something that I think everybody needs - a Sasha in their corner. There wouldn't be a Sly without Sasha. There wouldn't be a Rocky without a Sasha or a Rocky without Adrian when you think about it.
O-C: Absolutely. The support and confidence that Sasha gave Sly to stick to his guns was extraordinary.
ROBB: She was that person. For me, I wasn't afraid of playing her at all because she didn't have that fear and was a pretty strong lady. I mean, she did have fear, but I think her hope overcame any sense of doubt.
I based a lot of my character on my own husband and his unwavering support and his optimism, and I thought a lot about how, with almost every successful person, there's a Sasha, somebody cheering them on, and I felt that way towards it.
It translated to my feelings towards Anthony. I was so in awe of his dedication and his performance that I just got to be a crew member.
Also, Sasha was a crew member on the set of Rocky. She was a photographer and so I felt like everything that I could do to support him would be helpful. If he succeeded, we all succeeded. That was the case for Sasha as well, and I think that's the case for an ensemble film, it's a spirit of sportsmanship and being a team member.