{
  "id": 7032609,
  "title": "Anthony Ippolito on Speaking to Sylvester Stallone Before Filming ‘I Play Rocky’: “Very Overwhelming and Daunting”",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/13/anthony-ippolito-on-speaking-to-sylvester-stallone-before-filming-i",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-09-13T01:15:16.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Hollywood Reporter",
    "slug": "the-hollywood-reporter",
    "url": "https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/anthony-ippolito-sylvester-stallone-i-play-rocky-daunting-1236699402/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": null,
  "summary": "Anthony Ippolito, who plays a young Sylvester Stallone in the biopic \"I Play Rocky,\" recounted his experience of speaking to the actor before filming. Ippolito described the encounter as \"very overwhelming and daunting.\"\n\nIppolito had spent over a year studying Stallone before meeting him. He initially learned about the project through a news article and decided to audition without a script, capturing the physicality of the character by hanging a heavy bag in his grandma's basement.\n\nThe film, directed by Peter Farrelly, details the making of \"Rocky,\" which won Best Picture at the 1977 Academy Awards. Ippolito landed the role after sending in an audition tape and additional scenes he shot on his own.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 3,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "TheWrap",
        "title": "‘I Play Rocky’ Star Anthony Ippolito Filmed His Own Audition Before He Even Had the Script",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/13/i-play-rocky-star-anthony-ippolito-filmed-his-own-audition-before-he",
        "published": "2026-09-13T00:41:17.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Variety",
        "title": "‘I Play Rocky’ Review: Anthony Ippolito Channels Sylvester Stallone in Peter Farrelly’s Cleverly Crafted Crowd-Pleaser About the Making of ‘Rocky’",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/13/i-play-rocky-review-anthony-ippolito-channels-sylvester-stallone-in",
        "published": "2026-09-13T03:25:45.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}