The Only Rocky Actors That Are Still Alive Today
On October 18, 2023, Hollywood was rocked by news that longtime character actor Burt Young had passed away at the age of 83. Though Young had a prolific acting career that spanned nearly five decades, he's known best for playing Rocky Balboa's (Sylvester Stallone) best friend and brother-in-law Paulie Pennino in the first six "Rocky" films. Then, it was announced on February 2, 2024 that the man often remembered for his role as Rocky's rival-turned-friend Apollo Creed, Carl Weathers, had died at the age of 76.
Weathers and Young are among many "Rocky" actors who have passed away since the iconic boxing franchise first began back in 1976. Others include Tony Burton, who played boxing trainer Tony "Duke" Evers, Burgess Meredith, who played Rocky's trainer Mickey Goldmill, and Joe Spinell, who played the sleazy loan shark Tony Gazzo. Perhaps the most tragic of all the "Rocky" actors to have passed away is Sage Stallone, who played Rocky Jr. in "Rocky V" and died unexpectedly in 2012.
It might seem like the vast majority of actors from the original series — the first five "Rocky" movies — have passed away, but plenty of them are still alive and working to this day.
Sylvester Stallone is still acting to this day
Though Sylvester Stallone had achieved moderate success with his part in 1974's "The Lords of Flatbush," there's no question that the original "Rocky" turned the up-and-coming actor into a bonafide Hollywood superstar.
Having written the screenplay for "Rocky," Stallone insisted on playing the titular character a well — a struggling small-time boxer who takes on the world heavyweight champion Apollo Creed (Carl Weathers). This endearing underdog story received an immense level of critical and commercial success and sparked a long-running film franchise. Stallone has since played the character of Rocky Balboa through almost every film in the franchise, the lone exception being 2023's "Creed III," which Stallone reportedly walked away from after a disagreement regarding the film's story.
Though he may have taken a break from the "Rocky" franchise, Stallone continues to act in a variety of different projects to this day — most recently starring in Taylor Sheridan's "Tulsa King" and "The Expendables 4." Stallone's prolific body of work and constant appearances across both film and television make it clear that the actor isn't slowing down any time soon, not even at the ripe age of 77.
Talia Shire has also continued acting well into her 70s
Outside of her performance as Connie Corleone in "The Godfather" trilogy, Talia Shire's most iconic role has to be that of Adrian Pennino-Balboa in the "Rocky" series -– the sister to Paulie Pennino and Rocky's love interest.
When we first meet Adrian in "Rocky," she's a timid cashier working at a pet store that Rocky visits to buy food for his pet turtles. With encouragement from Paulie, the two begin a relationship that blossoms into marriage by the time "Rocky II" rolls around, and together they have a son named Rocky Jr. Although "Rocky" is a sports drama at its core, there's an argument to be made that the entire series (especially the first film) is about Rocky's relationship with Adrian. The series emphasizes time and time again that Adrian is more important to Rocky than boxing ever will be, and the character is an essential part of the franchise all the way up to her death preceding "Rocky Balboa."
Like Stallone, Shire is alive and well and continues to act in her late 70s. Her most recent work includes the 2020 drama "Working Man" and the upcoming science fiction epic "Megalopolis," the latter of which is helmed by legendary director Francis Ford Coppola.
Diana Lewis is currently enjoying retirement
Diana Lewis is a legendary Detroit newscaster who worked with WXYZ-TV, Channel 7 for more than 35 years, earning multiple Emmy awards and a place in the Michigan Broadcasting Hall of Fame for her contributions to journalism.
Although Lewis is one of the most well-known names in all of Detroit broadcasting, not everyone is aware that she also appeared briefly in the original "Rocky," which was released one year before Lewis joined WXYZ in 1977. Lewis is actually the focal point of one of the most memorable scenes in the entire movie, in which she interviews Rocky while he punches slabs of frozen meat for the camera. It's a shocking display of Rocky's ferocity, and one that actually causes Apollo Creed's trainer to become apprehensive of the upcoming match.
Today, Lewis is enjoying her retirement from both broadcasting and acting, having stepped away from WXYZ in 2012. In a 2023 interview with Hour Detroit, Lewis said that she spends much of her retirement swimming and that her future plans include writing a memoir and giving back to the city of Detroit alongside her daughter, Glenda.
Real life boxer Roberto Durán is also retired
As any longtime "Rocky" fan will know, the series has often used real-life fighters to portray the combatants that Rocky encounters. A few of the real-life boxers to appear in the franchise include the late Joe Frazier and the aforementioned Tony Burton, as well as the retired Argentinian boxer Roberto Durán.
Durán is considered to be one of the best lightweights of all time. During his professional career, he won titles as a lightweight, welterweight, light middleweight, and middleweight. Durán appears briefly in "Rocky II" as a sparring partner to Rocky, and despite it being only a split-second cameo, he is perhaps the most successful living boxer to have appeared in the original franchise. Durán retired in 2001 after a life-threatening car crash in Argentina and finished his professional career with a record of 103-16 (including an impressive 70 knockouts).
In retirement, the 72-year-old Durán continues to give interviews about his career and posts frequently on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Frank Stallone Jr. made a small appearance in Rocky II and is still going strong
Though he may not have become a film icon like his older brother Sylvester Stallone, Frank Stallone Jr. has enjoyed an incredible amount of success as both an actor and a musician.
During his musical career, Frank has produced ten gold albums, five gold Singles, and three platinum albums. He's also contributed to the soundtracks for more than 30 different films and television series, including many films in the "Rocky" franchise. "Rocky" and "Rocky II" actually include cameo appearances from Stallone, who plays an unnamed street singer in both films and offers wine to Rocky in the second. In a deleted scene for "Rocky III," Frank even steps into the ring with his brother, playing an unnamed opponent who takes on Rocky in a montage sequence.
These days, Frank Stallone Jr. continues to work as both an actor and a musician, most recently playing Jim in the 2021 movie "The Chronicles of Jesus" and lending his most popular songs to shows like "Doom Patrol" and "American Horror Story." Frank is also frequently active on social media, particularly on X, formerly Twitter.
Mr. T got his breakthrough role in Rocky III
While the later installments in the original "Rocky" series never achieved the same critical success as the first movie, it's safe to say that every one of those films has an extremely memorable villain. Following his defeat of Apollo Creed in "Rocky II," Rocky goes on a string of impressive boxing victories that ends when he fights Clubber Lang — a spiteful new rival played by Mr. T.
Prior to his performance as Lang, Mr. T. had made a name for himself as a celebrity bodyguard who worked for stars such as Michael Jackson, LeVar Burton, and Muhammad Ali, and by winning the NBC game show "America's Best Bouncer." Sylvester Stallone saw Mr. T on the show and brought him in for "Rocky III," eventually casting him as Clubber Lang. Not only did Stallone help to launch Mr. T's acting career (his performance in "Rocky III" being followed by "The A-Team"), but he also wrote the line that would become Mr. T's catchphrase for the rest of his life, "I pity the fool."
Though Mr. T may not be as active today as he was during the 1980s, he remains a beloved pop culture icon who is still alive and well at 71.
Hulk Hogan also had a minor part in Rocky III
"Rocky III" features a cameo from WWE legend Hulk Hogan, who plays an over-the-top professional wrestler named "Thunderlips." When the film was released in 1982, Hogan was already a major face within the Worldwide Wrestling Federation, often playing a villain and acting as a direct rival to André the Giant. Although he didn't reach the peak of his fame until later in the 80s, Hogan's appearance in "Rocky III" is undoubtedly a major milestone in his career, particularly because it's critical to the film's plot. Thunderlips fights Rocky in a charity match that's almost entirely spectacle, with the enormous blond wrestler turning around to yell at the crowd, "You're all trash!"
The sight of this charity fight utterly disgusts Clubber Lang, who sees it as more evidence that the champion has become lazy and overconfident. He uses this as motivation to challenge Rocky and claim his title. In hindsight, this plot point is particularly ironic since Hogan and Mr. T later competed as a team during WrestleMania 1. Though Hulk Hogan retired from wrestling in 2003, he remains to this day one of the most well-known figures in WWE history and continues to be featured in WWE media like "Camp WWE" and "WWE Raw."
Ina Fried played Rocky Jr. and is now a successful journalist
Although Sage Stallone Jr. eventually went on to play Rocky Balboa Jr. in "Rocky V," the actor who played Rocky Jr. in "Rocky III" was actually Ina Fried. Fried appears only briefly in the film, with most of her scenes coming in the opening montage that shows Rocky Balboa and his family enjoying his newfound fame.
Outside of this small role in "Rocky III," Fried is most well known for her work as a child actor throughout the 1980s. She appeared in a slew of prominent television shows like "CHiPs," "Cagney & Lacey," "Diff'rent Strokes," and "St. Elsewhere." Fried's last acting role came in the Sean Astin-led television film "The Willies" (1990), and since then, she hasn't appeared in any films or television series. Instead, Fried is now an award-winning tech journalist who works as the chief technology correspondent for Axios, where she also maintains a daily newsletter.
Though she may have stepped away from the Hollywood limelight, Fried is still an important member of the modern media landscape.
Dolph Lundgren continues to act, even after a dramatic health scare
As previously mentioned, the "Rocky" franchise has a long history of unique villains who always seem to keep Rocky on his toes. After his incredible defeat of Clubber Lang in "Rocky III," "Rocky IV" sees the Italian Stallion facing down his toughest opponent yet — "The Siberian Express," Ivan Drago, played by Dolph Lundgren.
After Drago beats Apollo Creed to death during an exhibition match, Rocky swears to avenge his fallen friend and heads to Russia for a 15-round bout against Drago. Rocky ultimately wins their fight despite Drago's immense home-field advantage, and the Russian heavyweight didn't return to the series until the events of "Creed II." Like many of his "Rocky" co-stars, the 65-year-old Lundgren doesn't seem ready to give up acting just yet, having starred in three separate films in 2023 alone.
In March 2023, Lundgren revealed that he's been secretly battling cancer for nearly eight years and that prior to filming "Aquaman and the Last Kingdom," he was given just two or three years to live. Fortunately, that prognosis improved dramatically by 2022, as Lundgren told Variety that his tumors had shrunk 90% and he's hopeful to have no cancerous activity once those tumors have been removed. Secret health battles aside, there's no question that Lundgren plans to continue acting for as long as he can and will likely appear in plenty more films and television series in the future.
Richard Gant is still acting as of 2023
Richard Gant is yet another "Rocky" alumnus who's continued working well into his seventies, with a prolific acting career stretching all the way back to the early 1980s. Fans of Gant will probably remember him most fondly for his roles as Hostetler in the HBO Western series "Deadwood" and Owen Thoreau Sr. in Ray Romano's "Men of a Certain Age."
In 1990, Gant appeared in "Rocky V" as the aggressive and boisterous boxing promoter George Washington Duke. Duke is a minor antagonist throughout the film who constantly attempts to goad Rocky back for one last fight, being fully aware of his ongoing health struggles. In the end, Duke manages to turn Rocky's protege Tommy Gunn (Tommy Morrison) against his former idol, and the two duke it out in a televised street fight. Rocky wins with a last-minute surge of energy and delivers a succinct uppercut to Duke to put an end to the whole affair.
Gant currently has a recurring role on "NCIS: Los Angeles" as Raymond Hanna, father to LL Cool J's Sam Hanna. He recently wrapped another recurring part on the award-winning comedy-drama series "The Wonder Years," which ran from 2021 to 2023.
Delia Sheppard had a minor role in Rocky V
Danish actor Delia Sheppard was modeling for prominent fashion designers like Karl Lagerfeld before her acting career started to heat up in the late 1980s. Following a slew of appearances in films like "Sexbomb," "Young Rebels," and "Witchcraft II: The Temptress," Sheppard secured the role of Karen in 1990's "Rocky V."
Karen is the female companion of George Washington Duke who plays an important (if somewhat reductive) part in his conversion of Tommy Gunn. Duke instructs her to seduce Tommy and slowly win him over to their side, and after she appears at several of his fights, the two start a relationship. Following her brief appearance in "Rocky V," Sheppard continued to score small roles throughout the 1990s and 2000s, appearing in films like "Race to Witch Mountain," "Paul Blart: Mall Cop 2," and even the 2015 comedy-drama "The Big Short."
While Sheppard hasn't appeared in film or television since 2018, she's still thriving in her early 60s, though it remains to be seen if she will ever return to acting in the future.
Kevin Connolly got his first on-screen performance in Rocky V
While Kevin Connolly is known today for his performances in hit films like "The Notebook" and "He's Just Not That Into You," and for his breakout role on HBO's "Entourage," he was simply an up-and-coming child actor in 1990.
Connolly secured his very first on-screen role in "Rocky V," playing a neighborhood bully called Chickie who attacks Rocky Balboa Jr. and steals his coat. Rocky Jr. later picks another fight with Chickie after picking up some tips from his father and Tommy Gunn, beating him handily in front of a crowd. Following his debut in "Rocky V," Connolly went on to earn minor parts in movies like "The Beverly Hillbillies" and became a series regular on the '90s sitcom "Unhappily Ever After."
In 2004, Connolly secured his breakthrough role in HBO's "Entourage," playing Eric "E" Murphy, the manager and lifelong best friend of series lead Vincent Chase (Adrian Grenier). Connolly played the fan-favorite character all the way up to the "Entourage" series finale in 2011, and he's continued acting in a variety of different projects to this day.
B-movie legend Lloyd Kaufman has two Rocky cameos
While some of the names on this list have remained Hollywood A-listers even well after their appearances in the "Rocky" franchise, B-movie legend Lloyd Kaufman has always been something of a cult star.
Kaufman is most well known for being the co-founder of Troma Entertainment, a film studio that specializes in low-budget independent films like "The Toxic Avenger" and "Class of Nuke 'Em High." Since forming the studio, Kaufman has produced, directed, and acted in hundreds of films, including recent work like the 2023 horror-comedy "Slumber Party Slaughter Party 2." Although Kaufman is best known for his independent work, he's performed freelance duties for a slew of Hollywood blockbusters during his lengthy career -– including the original "Rocky."
Not only is Kaufman credited as the pre-production supervisor for "Rocky," he also has a small cameo in the film, playing an incoherent drunk man whom Rocky physically carries through the front door of the Lucky Seven Tavern. Kaufman later made another cameo in "Rocky V," and at 77 years old, he continues to churn out independent features with no sign of slowing down.