Sylvester Stallone talked candidly about a violent on-set incident that sent him to the hospital in a recent documentary about the making of “Rocky IV.” The legendary actor said that Dolph Lundgren, who portrayed the huge Soviet boxer Ivan Drago in the movie, gave him a serious beating.
According to Stallone, the impact was like being flung against a steering wheel following a car crash. He didn’t feel anything unusual at first, but then he began to feel uneasy in his chest. He had no idea this would cause a health scare.
Stallone recalled, “They thought I was going to be talking to angels when my blood pressure shot up to 260.” He was flown from Canada to St. John’s Hospital in Santa Monica, California, right away because prompt medical attention was essential. Stallone spent four days in the intensive care unit with nuns all around him.
Stallone’s tenacity and fortitude drove him to return to the set and finish the movie in spite of this terrifying event. He couldn’t fathom excluding the scene in which Lundgren struck him in the chest. It was a crucial component of the narrative, illustrating the difficulties Rocky Balboa encountered when facing Drago.
In the fourth installment of the cherished “Rocky” franchise, “Rocky IV,” Stallone plays the resilient warrior Rocky Balboa once more. Balboa has already established himself as the world boxing champion in this movie. He goes to the Soviet Union to face the powerful Drago because he wants to exact revenge for the death of his friend Apollo Creed.
We are better able to understand the commitment and sacrifices required to make a classic movie like “Rocky IV” thanks to this behind-the-scenes look into Stallone’s experience.