‘When you’re broke, you’ll take anything’: Sylvester Stallone on cleaning lion cages before ‘Rocky’ fame

Sylvester Stallone recently reflected on his early struggles in Hollywood, recalling the unusual jobs he took before his breakthrough in the industry. Appearing on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, Stallone shared his experiences working in a zoo and a deli while trying to make ends meet in New York City.

The actor, known for his roles in the Rambo and Rocky franchises, spoke about his hardships during his early years in the city. "When you're broke, you'll take anything," Stallone said. He recalled one particularly tough job cleaning the lion's cages at a zoo in sweltering August heat. "This is not cologne we’re talking about; this is pungent," Stallone explained. He described working at the zoo for about three and a half weeks, hoping the lions would “eat him” to escape the unbearable smell. "Even when you get to bed at night, no shower helps, and the smell stays," he added. Determined to escape the odour, he sought a job cutting meat at a local delicatessen.

However, this new job wasn’t much of an improvement. "I worked with brisk pastrami, and that’s even worse than the lion, I’m telling you," he said. Stallone described how he could slice pastrami well, but the real problem lay in cleaning the pastrami cooker, which he likened to “hell.”

Stallone also touched on his upcoming memoir, The Steps, and shared a fun anecdote about the iconic running-up-the-steps scene in Rocky (1976). He revealed that, due to a lack of money and permission to film in Philadelphia, he had told the crew to quickly shoot the scene before the police arrived. Initially, he had planned to carry his 130-pound dog during the run but soon abandoned the idea. “Of course, it became a very famous scene,” he said.

In addition to the memoir, Stallone congratulated actor Anthony Ippolito, who will play a young version of him in the upcoming biopic I Play Rocky. "Filming starts October 15, and I wish them all the luck in the world. It’s a wonderful script! Keep punching, Kid," Stallone wrote on Instagram.

Stallone’s crime-thriller series, Tulsa King, is also set to return for its third season, which will premiere on September 21, 2025.