Sylvester Stallone is revisiting one of the most difficult chapters of his life as the Hollywood star prepares to release his new memoir, The Steps, on September 29.
At 80, Stallone is looking back at the childhood and teenage experiences that preceded his rise to fame, including his struggles in school and his time at a residential school for troubled teenagers. His candid reflections arrive as the actor faces a major week of publicity surrounding the memoir and a new CBS Sunday Morning profile.
What Sylvester Stallone Revealed About His Childhood
In a recent interview with People, Stallone discussed his experience at Devereux Manor High School in Pennsylvania after being expelled from 12 Philadelphia schools by the time he was 16.
He described the residential school as an extremely difficult environment. Stallone recalled being placed in a punishment block when he was 17 and described the setting as filled with troubled and emotionally damaged teenagers.
The experiences form part of the broader story explored in The Steps, which traces Stallone’s journey from a difficult childhood and years of struggle to becoming the writer and star of Rocky.
The memoir’s publisher describes the book as an account of Stallone’s difficult early life, his struggles in school and the long path that eventually led him toward Hollywood and the creation of Rocky Balboa.
Why Stallone’s Memoir Is Getting Attention Now
The timing of Stallone’s revelations is significant.
The Steps is scheduled to be published by William Morrow on September 29, putting the book’s release just days away. CBS is also preparing a major profile of Stallone for its September 27 edition of CBS Sunday Morning.
Correspondent Tracy Smith is scheduled to speak with Stallone about his career, the creation of Rocky, his life and the new memoir. CBS has also announced a live conversation between Smith and Stallone at New York City’s 92nd Street Y on September 28.
That puts Stallone’s personal story at the center of several major media appearances immediately before the book reaches readers.
The Rocky Story Behind the Memoir
Stallone’s difficult early years also provide context for the story behind Rocky.
The 1976 film transformed his career after Stallone wrote the screenplay and insisted on playing the lead role. The movie went on to become a major cultural phenomenon and established Rocky Balboa as one of cinema’s most recognizable underdog characters.
That real-life journey is also being revisited in I Play Rocky, a film directed by Peter Farrelly that premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival earlier this month.
Farrelly has described Stallone’s own struggle to break into Hollywood as closely mirroring the fictional Rocky story. Reuters reported that Stallone saw the film and liked it.
The movie gives audiences a dramatized look at Stallone’s efforts to get Rocky made, while The Steps allows Stallone himself to revisit the much broader journey behind his career.
What Is The Steps About?
The Steps is more than a behind-the-scenes account of Rocky.
The memoir covers Stallone’s early life, his struggles in school, his years trying to establish himself and the experiences that eventually led to the creation of Rocky Balboa. Google Books lists the memoir at 304 pages, with publication scheduled for September 29, 2026.
The title also connects directly to one of the most recognizable images from the Rocky franchise: Stallone’s character running up the steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art.
CBS’s preview of the memoir says Stallone uses the book to recount the difficult road he traveled before and after Rocky.
What Happens Next for Sylvester Stallone
The next major Stallone appearance comes September 27, when CBS Sunday Morning is scheduled to feature Smith’s interview with the actor.
The memoir follows on September 29, while the live CBS Sunday Morning at 92NY conversation is scheduled for September 28.
Meanwhile, the renewed interest in Stallone’s origins comes as I Play Rocky continues its rollout after its Toronto premiere. The film is scheduled to open in U.S. theaters on November 19, according to CBS.
For Stallone, the next few days offer audiences two different perspectives on the same extraordinary journey: a dramatized Hollywood story about the making of Rocky and Stallone’s own account of the difficult path that came before it.
