#SHOWBIZ: Sylvester Stallone recalls 'terrifying' teenage psychiatric stay that made him unbreakable
NEW YORK: Screen legend Sylvester Stallone has revealed how a terrifying spell in a teenage psychiatric facility left him convinced that no one could ever break his will.
Sylvester Stallone, the 80-year-old actor famous for his roles in Rocky and Rambo, has shared a harrowing tale from his teenage years that he says forged his unbreakable will. While promoting his new memoir, The Steps, Stallone recounted his time at Pennsylvania's Devereux Manor High School, where he was held in a unit known as the Snake Pit for breaking rules.
The unit, housed in an old Tudor home from the 1920s, was notorious for its unsanitary conditions, nudity, and physical abuse. Stallone himself was sexually assaulted by another resident during his stay. Despite the trauma, the experience made him feel unbreakable. He recalled how, upon leaving the facility, he was asked if he had learned his lesson.
Stallone replied that he had learned a much better lesson: you can't break me. This mindset carried over to his adult life, influencing his determination to make it big in New York and Hollywood. The memoir, The Steps, revisits Stallone's difficult childhood and his journey to stardom. It celebrates the 50th anniversary of the iconic Philadelphia Museum of Art steps from Rocky, which won three Academy Awards and started a franchise.
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