Sylvester Stallone Health Update: Actor Reveals Nine Back Operations and Past Steroid Use

Sylvester Stallone has revealed a painful side of his action-star career, disclosing nine back operations, two shoulder operations, and three neck fusions in a recent interview with The New York Times. The 80-year-old actor also acknowledged using steroids while pursuing his famously muscular physique for Rocky III.

His remarks came as he reflected on the extreme measures he took to maintain his screen image and the physical issues he says he has experienced over the years. Stallone's comments are personal recollections, rather than an independent medical assessment establishing the causes of his later surgeries.

Sylvester Stallone Health Update: The Rocky III Physique

For context, Stallone said his approach to fitness became particularly extreme while he was doing Rocky III. He recalled reaching 2.6 per cent body fat and becoming so focused on maintaining his physique that, he said, he became bulimic.

'I became bulimic,' Stallone said in the interview.

He also described the period as an 'obsessive body-worship kind of thing'. The admission adds another dimension to the physical transformation associated with one of his most recognisable film roles.

Stallone was also asked directly whether steroids were involved in achieving that physique. His response was unequivocal.

'Oh, my god, you have to,' he said.

He said he used steroids in cycles, describing an approach of six weeks on and six weeks off. Stallone also said the practice 'took a terrible toll'. He did not, however, establish that steroid use was responsible for his later operations, making that distinction important when assessing his account.

Sylvester Stallone Health Update Brings His Surgeries Into Focus

Stallone was similarly direct when discussing the surgeries and physical problems he experienced during his career. He said he has undergone nine back operations, two shoulder operations and three neck fusions.

'I've abused my body,' he said.

He later described his condition in stark terms, saying, 'Everything is held together with baling wire, but I still want to stay in good shape.' Stallone was reflecting on his own experience rather than providing a medical diagnosis.

The discussion also touched on the stunts he performed during his career. Stallone said that if he could make the decisions again, he would leave more of the physical work to stunt performers.

'If I could do it over again, I would say, "Let someone else carry the banner and don't do your own stunts."'

The comment reflects how Stallone now views the physical demands of his screen career. Yet his statement does not establish that performing stunts caused his surgeries, and the two issues should not be conflated.

How Cop Land Changed Stallone's View Of His Physique

Stallone identified Cop Land as a turning point in his relationship with his physique; in the 1997 crime drama, he played an overweight, partially deaf sheriff who was physically weaker than the men around him.

Stallone said playing 'the weakest guy in the room' made him feel 'somewhat liberated'. The role contrasted with the highly muscular image associated with Rocky and Rambo.

He also described his earlier approach to training as 'very masochistic'. His comments suggest a more complicated relationship with the physique that became such a defining part of his career. Stallone now reflects on the physique that became central to his screen image with greater caution.

Stallone still wants to remain in shape, even after the operations and physical issues he has described. But he also looks back on his earlier approach with regret, saying he would have allowed stunt performers to take on more of the physical work. His comments offer a more complicated reflection on the demands he placed on his body during his career.