Henry Winkler once had an inside look at Sylvester Stallone’s genius—before Rocky made him a household name.
In a sit-down with Entertainment Tonight, Winkler, 81, recalled his long friendship with Stallone after the two co-starred in the movie The Lords of Flatbush. Winkler played Butchey Weinstein and Stallone played Stanley Rosiello in the 1974 comedy film.
Winkler also shared insight into Stallone’s unusual ritual when he wrote his breakout film, Rocky.
“Sly Stallone,” Winkler said. “He is a philosopher. He is funny. Wickedly funny. He wrote every minute that he wasn’t doing something else. He was writing. I went to his apartment in New York City, and he painted the windows black so he would never be moved by the time of day.”
Winkler added, “From there till this moment we are friends and I am proud to be his friend.”
The first Rocky movie was released in 1976, a year after Stallone sat down for a whirlwind screenwriting session. Stallone also starred in the movie about Philadelphia boxer Rocky Balboa. Rocky won three Academy Awards and spawned five sequels.
RELATED: ‘Rocky’ Was Almost a Made-for-TV Movie
Winkler was once asked if he ever had a sense while shooting The Lords of Flatbush that Stallone would become as famous as he eventually did.
Speaking with CNN in 2013, Winkler noted, “I didn’t know that he was going to be a major star. What I knew was that he was very smart. He lived in an apartment off of Lexington Avenue in New York. I went to visit him there. He painted his windows black so he would not know what time of day it was outside. He did not leave his apartment, so it would not influence his writing.”
“He was constantly writing. He introduced me to Billy Joel. He listened to Billy Joel,” Winkler added.
Stallone also once confirmed that he did indeed paint his windows black to block out the outside world. In a 2006 Q&A he explained, “I do remember the windows and they were painted black, simply because my life was dedicated to writing since acting jobs had eluded me.”
The legendary star admitted that it took him a while to perfect his writing style.
“Make no mistake about it, my writing was pretty atrocious in the beginning and my style left a lot to be desired,” Stallone shared. “It’s safe to say I’ve long since abandoned that method of writing. The reason I painted the windows is, I didn’t want any distractions or excuses to distract me from trying to work, such as, ‘My, what a nice day, I think I’ll go outside and beg for food.’”
Related: Henry Winkler on the Rare Hollywood Friendship He’ll Never Find Again: ‘It’s Like From the Heavens’
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