Sylvester Stallone has ditched the dark hair dye in favor of showing off a full head of natural gray hair on social media. The response from fans is a huge triumph for body positivity.
On Jan. 28, 2020, the 73-year-old actor posted a video to Instagram. “Keep punching, my friends,” he says in the seconds-long clip, the motivational boxing mantra reminiscent of the actor’s iconic role of Rocky Balboa in the long-running “Rocky” film series. The post’s caption read:
“Sometimes I wake up I feel like doing nothing. Just relaxing. Just very true. If anyone says different, they’re lying; it’s human nature.
“Then you roll over, get a little mad at yourself, and realize to get anywhere you’ve got to make a deposit in the goal bank. So, I’ll go back to my favorite phrase and do it! #KeepPunching”
To date, Stallone’s motivational video has over 4.5 million views.
While the action hero’s video doesn’t explicitly address his new look, comments poured in thick and fast from fans who both appreciated the star’s sentiment and approved of his silver-gray locks. “Handsome and distinguished,” one person commented, while another wrote, “Looking good Silver Fox!”
“Loving the natural look Sly,” added another. “Love the great message as well!”
According to celebrity hairdresser Michelle Pugh, Stallone is something of a hair color specialist when it comes to both his own and his daughters Sophia, Sistine, and Scarlet’s hairstyles.
“The girls and Jennifer [Flavin, Stallone’s wife] have told me Sly’s father was a hairdresser,” Pugh explained to People. “[T]hey said he also trained to do it before becoming an actor.
“[Stallone] colored Sistine and Sophia’s hair blonde when they were younger,” the hairdresser continued. “He is very much the stamp of approval on whether or not we’ve done a good job on the girls and Jennifer, and I love that.”
As per USA Today, Stallone revealed on social media earlier in January that he is also growing out his facial hair for a role in an upcoming film. “Growing this little weed patch on my chin for the next film, ‘Samaritan,’” he explained. “I’m kind of liking it; it’s like traveling with a pet.”
The sci-fi drama “Samaritan,” directed by Julius Avery, chronicles a young boy who sets out to discover whether a mythic superhero is still alive following a devastating accident 20 years previously, as per Deadline.
According to Fox News, Stallone is careful about maintaining his muscular physique and regularly works out. In preparation for his return to the role of John Rambo in “Rambo: Last Blood” in 2019, the Hollywood icon went so far as lifting tires and doing pull-ups in the gym for hours every day.
Stallone’s gray hair debut came just 24 hours after another impactful post on Instagram. In this post, the actor shared his grief at the loss of former NBA champ Kobe Bryant and his 13-year-old daughter in a tragic helicopter crash in California on Jan. 26.
Stallone posted a photo of himself and Bryant chatting at a Lakers game beside the caption, “The world lost a great man and a great champion. I feel so bad for his family. Breaks my heart.”
Stallone is due to start filming “Samaritan” in early 2020, and the film is billed for release in November of the same year, as per The Wrap.
Louise Chambers
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Louise Chambers is a writer, born and raised in London, England. She covers inspiring news and human interest stories.
