Sylvester Stallone was so impoverished that he turned to selling his dog for $25, went homeless, and sold his wife's jewelry. Despite his financial difficulties, he turned down two additional offers and $125,000 after writing Rocky because they wouldn't let him start. After all, a studio offered him $35,000 for the screenplay and gave him the lead role.

Early in his career, Sylvester Stallone had to sell his dog, Butkus, for $40 because he was so short on funds. He paid $15K to repurchase the dog and gave him a part in the film Rocky after selling the screenplay for the film. Five years ago, Stallone told the tale of how, in 1971, at a difficult time, he fell in love with his dog, Butkus.

"I had two pairs of pants that barely fit, shoes with holes in them, and thoughts of success that were as far away as the sun when I was 26 years old, completely broke, and going nowhere very quickly. However, I had my dog, BUTKUS, who was my closest confidant and greatest buddy. He was the only living creature who accepted me for who I was and always smiled at my jokes." "We shared a flophouse above a subway stop, were both underweight and were always hungry.

I once said that this apartment had... Roaches are running, hot and cold. I couldn't afford food, so as circumstances became even worse, I had to sell him for $40 in front of a 7-Eleven. The Rocky screenplay then sold, and I was able to repurchase him, almost like a contemporary miracle. However, the new owner charged me $15,000 since he saw that I was desperate, but he was well worth the money." Butkus even had the opportunity to star in the first two films before he died in 1981; Rocky won an Oscar, and the two remained together forever.