I wish I had thought of Velcro muscles myself. I didn't have to go to the gym for all those years, all the hours wedded to the iron game, as we call it.

I started out as an actor, but I forced myself to be a writer, even though I wasn't very good at it and had never written. I don't think I ever passed an English course in my life. My first eight to 10 scripts were pretty horrendous, but I stayed at it, stayed at it, and stayed at it, until I eventually found a voice and a subject like Rocky that people were interested in.

Ya gotta do what ya gotta do.

You've got to show your soul otherwise you're just a piece of equipment.

All young men want to prove themselves.

Life is more than sunglasses and hit movies. Reality - that's the main event.

I'm not right wing, I'm not left wing. I love my country.