When one of the most iconic action stars in Hollywood was asked to star in a reality TV show by his three daughters, he wasn't convinced. But while he's most known for knocking out opponents in the ring on the silver screen, Sylvester Stallone is a family man at heart. So it didn't take long to persuade Stallone to become the leading (and only) man in his very own reality show, alongside his wife, Jennifer Flavin, and their three daughters, Sophia, Sistine and Scarlet.
The Family Stallone premiered May 17 on Paramount+, offering the world an inside look into the 76-year-old film legend's personal life. The eight-episode series delves into family drama, dating with an action star father, and how Stallone lives with a house full of women — plus their three dogs and a cat. There are surprise appearances from the Godfather legend Al Pacino as well as Stallone's musician brother, Frank.
But Stallone says the best part of shooting was bonding with the four ladies in his life.
"They're just funny. They're outgoing," Stallone told Today. "They're not silent by any means and they express themselves, which is good."
And while Stallone has been in the public eye since he was a 30-year-old boxing champ in Rocky (1976), his daughters have only just started their careers and stepped into the limelight. The three girls share an extremely close bond and have a lot in common. All three have Rose as their middle name, and all three were Miss Golden Globes in 2017. But Sophia, the oldest, says they shouldn't be compared to the Kardashians. "We're so different from them," she told USA Today. "We're definitely the Stallones."
Here's everything you need to know about the three Stallone daughters:
Sophia Rose Stallone
Art Streiber/Paramount+
At 26, Sophia is the eldest of the Stallone girls and by far the most sensible. Born in 1996 in Miami, Sophia had to undergo heart surgery only two months later to correct a congenital malformation of a heart valve. And then, she went under the knife again at age 14. But she hasn't let that slow her down. She graduated from the University of Southern California with a communications degree and her sights set on building her brand in fashion.
"I want to be an entrepreneur and run my own fashion and makeup line," she told the Hollywood Reporter in 2017. "I think today it's all about digital and social media, and so being recognized is a huge asset."
She got her start in the fashion world by appearing as a guest judge on Project Runway in 2017. Sophia also considered jumping into acting but changed her mind after going behind the scenes of a film shoot.
"I used to love theater and thought I wanted to be an actress. But I didn't mesh well at all," Sophia said. "You have to have a certain personality to be an actor in Hollywood. We see the long hours, the rejection. None of it is in your hands."
Now, she uses her charisma and charm — inherited from her father, no doubt — on her podcast, Unwaxed, that she hosts with her sister, Sistine. With the podcast currently in its second season, the pair talk about their personal lives, fitness and breakups, and occasionally bring on guests. Sophia also runs a digital book club through Instagram called Favorite Book Club and is writing her own novel.
Flavin told Paris Match that of their three girls, Sophia takes after Stallone the most.
"They have a very special bond, they think alike and even have the same gestures," Flavin said in 2012. "Sophia is the love of his life."
The bond is evident on The Family Stallone. Both say they shared a hesitation to spill their personal lives on camera but eventually let their guard down. However, even with cameras swirling around the family at all times, Sophia says there are still topics they avoid on the show or take out in editing.
"Well again, every family has something — even you — everyone has something private they don't want to talk about, so I think that that's a very fair thing," Sophia told Collider. "But I think 90% of it is exactly who we are. It's just the 10 percent that we love to keep between ourselves."
Sistine Rose Stallone
Art Streiber/Paramount+
The middle Stallone girl — Sistine — says she gets "the best of both worlds," as she's funny like her younger sister but still gets wisdom from her big sis. At only 24 years old, Sistine has already taken the entertainment world by storm. Taking after her mother who modeled for years, Sistine signed with IMG Models in 2016 and has walked in several top-line fashion shows such as Chanel. That same year, Vogue called the middle Stallone a "fresh face to watch."
Unlike Sophia, Sistine embraced the acting world like her father. She has starred in the horror film 47 Meters Down: Uncaged (2019) as well as the crime thriller Midnight in the Switchgrass (2021) alongside Bruce Willis, Megan Fox and Machine Gun Kelly.
In 2019, Sistine told People that Stallone was crucial to helping her get her start in Hollywood.
"He would help me read for all my auditions in the beginning," Sistine said. But her manager eventually advised against it because Stallone's voice was so recognizable in self-taped auditions.
Sistine has also found some success in the writing world, revealing on The Family Stallone that a horror movie script she wrote is gaining traction.
On screen, the middle Stallone girl and her sisters also must face the difficulties of dating when their father is best known for playing an intense U.S. Army Special Forces veteran in Rambo.
"He's quite intimidating," she told Today. "Most of the time, when they come over to meet the parents, they don't necessarily return. Simply because he's just so scary."
On top of his body-builder physique, Sistine says, the Stallone name also carries a reputation that attracts people with questionable intentions. She said one man brought a resume? on a date with her, another brought a script, and one told her he was an aspiring actor.
But Stallone says his intimidation tactics and reputation actually benefit his daughters' dating lives: "Someday you'll see — I'm helping you, girls. I'm getting rid of these creeps," he jokes.
As for The Family Stallone, Sistine says viewers may find it surprising how much they film.
"I think people don't understand that there's probably hundreds of hours of footage that are completely unused," Sistine told Collider. "It really wasn't one of those things where, 'Oh, we have a call time, we show up for 30 minutes and then leave.' We really put in six, sometimes seven, days a week, eight-to-10-hour days for months and months."
Scarlet Rose Stallone
Art Streiber/Paramount+
Scarlet is the baby of the family at 21 years old. She's also the newest into her career, as she only graduated from high school in 2021 and currently attends the University of Miami. During her teenage years, Scarlet was a track-and-field star, winning a large number of events in school. Her dad celebrated her athletic success on Instagram at the time, claiming she definitely didn't get her speed from him. But Scarlet may have inherited his affinity for the silver screen.
The young Stallone made her first on-screen appearance as an unnamed character in Reach Me (2014) alongside her father. But she also landed a gig on Stallone's newest hit show, Paramount+ drama Tulsa King. Stallone plays a New York Mafia leader, Dwight Manfredi, following his release from prison after a 25-year sentence. Scarlet landed a supporting role as a barista named Spencer who served coffee to Stallone's character. But in later episodes, Scarlet's character got more screen time after becoming the caretaker of Manfredi's horse.
Stallone told USA Today that Scarlet has what it takes to become an actress.
"Some people are diminished by the camera, some people are enhanced by it," Stallone said. "There's a thing she has with the camera, even with still shots, that is unique. All my daughters are beautiful, and they all have their specialties. But Scarlet is the one who's most adamant about pursuing the job of a wondering dramaturg."
On her sisters' podcast, Scarlet said working alongside Stallone was a dream come true.
"I've wanted to act my whole life. And I kind of manifested it a little bit," she said. "Ever since I was 14 I wrote in the back of my book, 'I'm going to star in a movie with dad.'"
And while she may have a knack for becoming vulnerable while performing, Scarlet says she struggled to open up on The Family Stallone and let the world see her personal struggles.
"It was really hard because we're not growing up in the spotlight, so having to be so raw and so honest, especially in front of the camera, was a big step," Scarlet shared. "Especially for me because they have their podcast, so they're kind of used to it. But it was really hard for me at first."
Be sure to see all five Stallones get real about their lives on Paramount+.
