One would assume that when Rocky came out in 1976, more than a few people were aware that the star of the film was also the film's writer. It's the kind of thing that doesn't get played down, especially considering that Stallone isn't the softspoken play-it-down type. And some of the Oscars hype highlighted Stallone's role as writer, too, as he was even nominated for Best Original Screenplay (although he was beaten by Paddy Chayefsky for Network). But was Stallone's reputation after 1976 that of the thoughtful wordsmith, the shyly scribbling bard carefully steeping characters in tragedy? No. If you ask anyone about Stallone today, they'll tell you about the hulking, sweaty killing machine with a penchant for huge bazookas. Most of these people know Stallone is Rocky, but they don't know he wrote Rocky. Unlike most actors and actresses on this list, Stallone wrote the role of Rocky for himself. Studios initially liked the script but suggested other actors for the role, and it took convincing from Stallone until he was awarded his own part. The script changed, too - apparently in the first draft Mickey was incredibly racist and Rocky threw the last fight. Rocky ended up being a memorable Best Picture, but this is mainly due to Stallone's onscreen performance and the parade of sequels traipsing behind the original film, and not to Stallone's writing.
