President Donald Trump injected humor into Saturday night’s Kennedy Center awards dinner, offering guests an entertaining behind-the-scenes story about why Sylvester Stallone became the iconic face of Rocky. According to Trump, Hollywood executives originally wanted a “top” A-list actor for the title role — but repeatedly ran into one big problem: the leading men didn’t look like fighters.
Trump told the audience that while several studios were eager to make the film, they were fixated on casting a major star instead of Stallone, who at the time was virtually unknown. Trump said numerous big names of the era were considered, including Hollywood heavyweights like Burt Reynolds and James Caan, though he didn’t name them directly in his speech.
“But the stars didn’t have good bodies. They were flabby,” Trump told the crowd. “They were not really boxers.” He went on to recall that one major studio figure enthusiastically considered an A-list actor for the role — until noticing the actor “had a lot of flab around the upper-chest area. It’s supposed to be solid like a rock.”
That moment, Trump said, changed Stallone’s life. Stallone had written the script himself and was receiving lucrative offers to sell it, but he refused unless he was allowed to star in the movie. Hollywood studios initially balked, but the physical reality eventually became undeniable.
“Finally they looked at Sly and said, ‘Oh, you’re in good shape. You think you could play the role?’” Trump said, praising Stallone for sticking to his conviction.
Trump also applauded Stallone’s other iconic franchise, Rambo. Stallone, for his part, has expressed admiration for Trump, famously calling him the “Second George Washington” after Trump’s 2024 victory.
The evening honored several other distinguished recipients, including rock band Kiss, country legend George Strait, disco icon Gloria Gaynor, and Broadway star Michael Crawford. But Trump’s comedic retelling of the Rocky origin story stood out as one of the night’s most memorable moments.
Earlier in the event, Trump couldn’t resist taking a jab at ABC host Jimmy Kimmel, who has been a frequent critic of the president. Referring to Kimmel’s widely panned performance hosting the Oscars, Trump joked that if he ever did “a worse job hosting the event than Kimmel,” he wouldn’t deserve to be president. The line drew laughs from attendees and underscored Trump’s continued willingness to confront Hollywood figures whom he believes have misled or mocked his administration.
The Kennedy Center dinner blended celebration with Trump’s trademark showmanship — honoring major cultural contributors while offering candid, humorous political commentary. Stallone’s journey from rejected unknown to global superstar fit neatly into Trump’s broader message: persistence, strength, and confidence pay off, especially when experts and elites underestimate you.
As the president honored the year’s medallists, he reminded the audience why Stallone became the face of the underdog boxer who reshaped American film culture — and why Trump himself remains unafraid to throw a few punches of his own.
[READ MORE: Trump Slams Fox News for Hosting “Trump-Hating Loser” Economist, Blasts CNN’s Kaitlan Collins in Fiery Morning Posts]
