Sylvester Stallone is opening up about a decades-long struggle with severe anxiety, revealing that the episodes first began when he was in his 30s and still affect him today.
In a candid interview with The New York Times, the Rocky star recalled experiencing his first episode when he was 36 and watching daily footage from a film project.
Stallone said the moment came without warning.
“The first time was when I was 36 and I was watching dailies, and then all of a sudden I stood up and the hair on my neck went up and I started getting hot and I go, I’m dying, this is it, I’m on my way out,” he recalled.
He described then dropping to one knee, crawling and rolling over inside the dark theater.
Stallone did not specifically label those episodes as panic attacks, but said he experienced similarly overwhelming moments of anxiety “again and again and again.”
The actor said the episodes could happen unexpectedly, including when he was out in crowded public spaces.
Stallone recalled being at an art exhibition with his wife when the room began filling with people. As the crowd grew, he said he would feel as though he was “going down,” prompting his wife to suggest they leave.
He said he would sometimes barely make it outside before having to drop to one knee.
The experiences have continued as Stallone has gotten older, according to the actor, who described anxiety as something that remains part of his life.
Rather than presenting the episodes as a thing of the past, Stallone’s comments offer a glimpse into a side of his life that has largely remained outside the public image built around his action-hero roles.
For decades, Stallone has been associated with physically imposing characters such as Rocky Balboa and John Rambo. His latest comments reveal that behind those larger-than-life roles, he has also dealt privately with episodes of intense anxiety.
Stallone’s account comes as part of a broader conversation with The New York Times about his life and career, giving fans a rare look at the personal experiences that have followed him long after his biggest movie roles.
