Hollywood Superstar Sylvester Stallone Meets His Superfan, the Pope

Actor Sylvester Stallone takes his family to the Vatican where he meets Pope Francis, who turns out to be a big fan of the actor's work.

Sylvester Stallone, best known for his role in the Rambo franchise, has just paid a visit to the Vatican -- on what seems like a family vacation -- and has had the best of luck meeting Pope Francis himself, who's had a few kind words to say to the star.

Stallone has had a successful acting career that spans over five decades, and there aren't many people in the world who don't know his name. The current head of the Catholic Church is no exception, as his recent interaction with the Hollywood A-lister has proven (via Vatican News). The actor, along with his brother Frank, wife Jennifer Flavin, and three daughters Sistine, Sophia, and Scarlet, went to the Vatican on Sept. 8 and met with Pope Francis at a private audience.

The star first introduced himself to the Pontiff and then proceeded to present his family as well. Pope Francis was smiling the entire time and looked excited to talk to Stallone, who respectfully greeted him and expressed his gratitude for meeting with them. He said, "Well, thank you very much for taking time from your busy day. We appreciate this very much." The Pope then revealed that he was a longtime fan of the actor, replying, "I am honored. We grew up with your films."

Stallone looked astonished to learn that even the Pope watched his movies, so he responded, "Well, I'm honored, too." The renowned actor decided to play a joke on the Pontiff by raising his fists and pretending to throw punches, saying, "Ready? We box." Pope Francis went along with the joke and even started air-pumping himself, which took everyone by surprise. Later, the Stallone family posed for a group photo with the Pope and said their goodbyes.

Ever since his debut as an extra in 1969's The Square Root, the actor has had an impressive career. His breakthrough role in Rocky earned him two Oscar nominations -- Best Actor and Best Original Screenplay -- and from that point onwards, Stallone just kept rising to new heights. By 2023, the 77-year-old Rambo star is a household name, but he is not planning to retire anytime soon. In 2023, fans can keep a lookout for him in Sly, a Netflix documentary that will offer a look into the actor's life and career, and Expend4bles, Scott Waugh's fourth installment in the action franchise.

Sly will be available for streaming on Netflix in Nov. 2023. Expend4bles will hit theaters on Sept. 22, 2023.