Trump suggests Hollywood stars were not fit enough to play 'Rocky' as he pays tribute to Sylvester Stallone at Kennedy Center Dinner

During Saturday's Kennedy Center awards dinner, former President Donald Trump highlighted why Sylvester Stallone was the ideal choice to play Rocky Balboa, emphasizing that other actors at the time lacked the necessary physical fitness.

Trump explained that several film studios were interested in producing the 1976 Academy Award-winning movie, but they preferred a more prominent actor for the lead role. A few Hollywood stars were considered, though Trump did not specify names. The stars didnt have good bodies. They were flabby, he remarked. They werent really boxers.

He added that one particular actor was initially considered for Rocky, but the studio ultimately rejected him because of excess upper-chest fat. According to Trump, this paved the way for Stallone, who not only wrote the script but insisted on playing the lead role rather than selling it for a large sum.

Finally, they looked at Sly and said, Oh, youre in good shape. You think you could play the role? Trump recounted. He also praised Stallone for his Rambo series.

The remarks came while Trump honored other award recipients, including Kiss, George Strait, Gloria Gaynor, and Michael Crawford. Earlier in the evening, he criticized ABC host Jimmy Kimmel, suggesting that anyone performing worse than Kimmel at hosting an event did not deserve the presidency.

Author: Riley Thompson