Sylvester Stallone has spoken publicly about his past struggles with bulimia, stating that his intense focus on his physique for the movie "Rambo" triggered an obsession with his appearance.
In an interview with The New York Times’ “The Interview” podcast, Stallone described his goal as designing his body to resemble a "jaguar, a cat," emphasizing a feral, aggressive, yet limber and athletic build rather than a large one, contrasting himself with Arnold Schwarzenegger. This aspiration evolved into a severe obsession.
"It got to the point where I became bulimic," Stallone said. He revealed that he reached 2.6% body fat while filming "Rocky III," a level at which he "couldn’t hold anything down" or chose not to, due to his extreme dedication to maintaining that physique. He characterized this as an "obsessive body-worship kind of thing."
When questioned about steroid use, Stallone affirmed its necessity for achieving such extreme physical conditions, stating, "Oh, my god, you have to." He explained that the use was managed with cycles, such as six weeks on and six weeks off, acknowledging that such results are not achievable naturally. However, he also noted that this practice took a significant toll.
Now 80 years old, Stallone shared that he currently takes "a lot of pills to keep going," reflecting that his pursuit of peak physical condition came at a "terrible price." He expressed regret, saying that if he could relive those times, he would prefer someone else to handle stunts and avoid the constant self-inflicted harm.
Stallone joins a list of other public figures, including Princess Diana, Elton John, and Demi Lovato, who have also shared their experiences with bulimia.