Stallone Says Hollywood Ignored Middle America Since John Wayne, Sheridan Won Over Forgotten Viewers
Updated
Updated · Fox News · Nov 5
Stallone Says Hollywood Ignored Middle America Since John Wayne, Sheridan Won Over Forgotten Viewers
3 articles · Updated · Fox News · Nov 5
Summary
Sylvester Stallone said Taylor Sheridan succeeded by serving a Middle America audience Hollywood had overlooked for generations, arguing viewers were "starving" for stories with a different cultural vibe from New York and California.
John Wayne was Stallone's benchmark for how long that neglect has lasted, and he said Hollywood still has not fully adjusted even after Sheridan's run of hits.
Streaming, Stallone argued, is changing that faster than traditional studios because it is nimble enough to put shows on air within weeks.
The comments come as Stallone's own fight to tell "Rocky" on his terms returns to theaters in 2026 biopic "I Play Rocky," which revisits studio resistance to casting the then-unknown actor in the lead.