Back in the early days of his career, Sylvester Stallone was so broke he ended up homeless and unable to buy food. At his lowest point, he realized he had no option but to sell his beloved dog and best friend, Butkus, whom he simply couldn't afford to feed.
After selling Butkus to a stranger for $25, he walked away crying.
Just two weeks later, Stallone saw a boxing match between Mohammed Ali and Chuck Wepner. It inspired him so much, he wrote the script for Rocky. As he started approaching movie studios, he had one request: he would star in the movie. With offers for as much as $350,000, Stallone still refused until they agreed for him to play the lead.
But the compromise came at a cost, with Stallone instead receiving just $35,000 for his script.
The first thing the actor did when he received the money was return to the liquor store where he had last seen Butkus. After standing there for three days, he saw the man who had purchased his dog approaching and begged to buy his dog back.
It would cost him $15,000, but it was worth every cent to Stallone. Butkus would appear in the film with his owner.
Rocky went on to be the highest grossing film of 1976 and won three Oscars. It also propelled Stallone to fame.
