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Varvara Rodchenko

Anthony Ippolito may be a rising star in his own right, but the 27-year-old seems to have found his niche playing famous Hollywood actors.
He first gained recognition playing Al Pacino in The Offer, the Paramount+ miniseries chronicling the behind-the-scenes story of cinema classic The Godfather. Now, Ippolito is set to play Sylvester Stallone in the upcoming biopic I Play Rocky, which reveals the true story behind Stallone’s fraught journey to landing the lead in the 1976 classic he penned.
Speaking in a recent interview with Fandango, Ippolito discussed getting into character by studying Stallone’s archival interviews and connecting with the star over Zoom. “He couldn’t have been more gracious and generous in sharing what that experience was for him,” Ippolito said of their brief yet “inspirational” call.
So, who is Anthony Ippolito, the breakout talent playing a young Stallone in Amazon MGM Studios’ I Play Rocky, set for release this November?
How did Anthony Ippolito land the Stallone role?

Ippolito reportedly won the role of young Stallone with a bold approach, bypassing the traditional casting process by self-recording an unsolicited audition tape and sending it directly to the producers, per The Hollywood Reporter.
In August 2025, the actor shared his emotions about getting the role with Entertainment Weekly: “It’s an honour and a privilege to portray Sylvester Stallone in this inspiring story. It is an absolute dream come true.”
What other roles has Anthony Ippolito played?

Ippolito’s breakout role arrived during the Covid-19 pandemic, when he played secondary school student George Wright in the Netflix drama series Grand Army. His earlier credits include bit roles in the short film Fool’s Day (2013) and the sci-fi feature Pixels (2015), where he played a younger version of Adam Sandler’s lead character.
Ippolito also lent his voice to an episode of the renowned children’s animated series Go, Diego, Go!, voicing Billy the Beaver and various river animals. He later gained wider recognition for his performance in Netflix’s 2022 romantic drama Purple Hearts.
How did Anthony Ippolito break into acting?

While the rising star is making strides in showbiz, acting wasn’t Ippolito’s original career plan. “It was something I started when I was really young, originally just wanting to get commercials or something to pay for college, but then I ended up developing a passion for acting itself when I was around 16,” the actor told Vulkan magazine.
When asked, during the same interview, what he’d likely be doing today if not acting, Ippolito said he “would probably be away at college majoring in psych, philosophy or cultural anthropology”.


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Fame and celebrity

Anthony Ippolito (right) stars as a young Sylvester Stallone in Amazon MGM Studios’ upcoming biopic I Play Rocky. Photos: @rockymovie; @cinestarsnews/Instagram

Anthony Ippolito skipped traditional auditions to win his role in I Play Rocky. Photo: @hommediaries/Instagram

Anthony Ippolito with Adam Sandler in a photo shared to Instagram in 2014. Photo: @anthonyippolito_/Instagram

Anthony Ippolito didn’t plan on becoming an actor. Photo: @anthonyippolito_/Instagram

Meet Lee Pace, who stars as Ian Wright in Practical Magic 2 alongside Sandra Bullock

Lee Pace stars as Ian Wright, the potential love interest of Sandra Bullock’s Sally Owens in Practical Magic 2. Photos: Warner Bros/AP Photo; @leeepfrog/Instagram

Lee Pace and Sandra Bullock in Practical Magic 2. Photo: Warner Bros/AP Photo

Lee Pace attends the premiere of The Running Man at AMC Lincoln Square in New York in 2025. Photo: AP Photo

A scene from Practical Magic 2 featuring Lee Pace and Sandra Bullock. Photo: Warner Bros/AP Photo

Lee Pace (right) is married to Thom Browne executive Matthew Foley. Photo: @MJFIII/X

Meet Jack Lowden, tipped as the next James Bond by his Slow Horses co-star Gary Oldman

Jack Lowden has been heralded for his roles on stage and screen, but could he be about to land one of the biggest roles in all of cinema? Photo: @dior/Instagram

Jack Lowden looking the part? James Bond is often seen in black tie. Photo: @britishgq/Instagram

Jack Lowden has been praised for his stage performances including in The Fifth Step, in which he plays a volatile alcoholic. Photo: @jack.lowden/Instagram

Jack Lowden has played a number of dark and difficult characters, particularly on stage. Photo: @jack.lowden/Instagram

Saoirse Ronan and Jack Lowden attend Scotland’s premiere of Mary Queen of Scots in 2019, in Edinburgh. Photo: Getty Images for Universal/TNS

Jack Lowden and Saoirse Ronan ran a production company for several years. Photo: @jack.lowden/Instagram

Meet Perry Mattfeld, who plays Ricky in Chad Powers alongside Glen Powell

Glen Powell stars opposite Perry Mattfeld in the hit Hulu series Chad Powers. Photo: @perrymattfeld/Instagram

A scene from Chad Powers featuring Glen Powell (left) and Perry Mattfeld. Photo: @perrymattfeld/Instagram

Perry Mattfeld at a Chad Powers event in September. Photo: @perrymattfeld/Instagram 

Perry Mattfeld hails from California. Photo: @perrymattfeld/Instagram

(From left) Perry Mattfeld, Emmy Rossum and Jessica Szohr in 2017. Photo: @perrymattfeld/Instagram

Perry Mattfeld with her husband, Mark Sanchez, and stepson, Daniel, in 2023. Photo: @perrymattfeld/Instagram

Meet Wynn Everett, who plays Tricia Yeager, the ‘Gus Fring’ of Chad Powers

Wynn Everett at the Chad Powers world premiere in Pasadena, California in 2025. Photo: Getty Images

Wynn Everett attends the 2026 Disney Upfront show in New York City in May. Photo: Getty Images

Wynn Everett was a theatre kid. Photo: @agent_carter/Instagram

Wynn Everett interned for ABC’s Good Morning America in New York while she was a student at Auburn University. Photo: @agent_carter/Instagram

Wynn Everett has been married to writer and entrepreneur Michael Albanese since 2004. Photo: Michael Albanese/LinkedIn

Meet Sandra Bullock’s children, Louis and Laila, who appear in Practical Magic 2 ‘in voice and in spirit’

Sandra Bullock at the world premiere of Practical Magic 2 in August (left) and with daughter Laila (now aged 13) when she was a toddler. Photos: AP; @sandrabullock/Instagram

Sandra Bullock in a scene from Practical Magic 2. Photo: Warner Bros via AP

Sandra Bullock enjoying some family time with her children, Louis and Laila. Photo: @sandrabullock/Instagram

Sandra Bullock’s children are also close to her sister, Gesine Bullock-Prado. Photo: @sandrabullock/Instagram

(From left) Sandra Bullock, Maisie Williams, Joey King and Nicole Kidman in a scene from Practical Magic 2. Photo: Warner Bros via AP

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From playing a young Adam Sandler in Pixels to Al Pacino in The Offer, Ippolito continues his streak of portraying Hollywood’s biggest names


From playing a young Adam Sandler in Pixels to Al Pacino in The Offer, Ippolito continues his streak of portraying Hollywood’s biggest names.


Meet Anthony Ippolito, who stars as Sylvester Stallone in upcoming biopic I Play Rocky

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}From playing a young Adam Sandler in Pixels to Al Pacino in The Offer, Ippolito continues his streak of portraying Hollywood’s biggest names

From playing a young Adam Sandler in Pixels to Al Pacino in The Offer, Ippolito continues his streak of portraying Hollywood’s biggest names