Long before Sylvester Stallone became one of Hollywood’s biggest stars, he was so desperate for money that he was forced to sell his beloved dog for just $50.

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The actor, perhaps best known for his legendary portrayal of Rocky Balboa, was struggling to make ends meet in the mid-1970s when he made the heartbreaking decision to part ways with his bullmastiff, Butkus.

However, just one week later, his fortunes changed dramatically when he sold the script for Rocky, allowing him to reunite with his four-legged companion.

There was just one problem. The man who bought Butkus wasn’t particularly interested in giving him back.

At the time, Stallone was an unknown actor trying to establish himself in Hollywood.

His wife, Sasha Czack, was pregnant, money was running out, and the couple were struggling to afford basic necessities, including food and rent, the Express reports.

Despite his financial difficulties, Stallone was determined to make a career in the film industry.

He had been inspired to write Rocky after watching Muhammad Ali’s boxing match against underdog Chuck Wepner, developing a story about a struggling fighter who gets an unlikely opportunity to prove himself.

But getting the film made was proving difficult.

Stallone was adamant that he wanted to play the lead character himself and retain creative control over the project, conditions that made securing a deal with a production company particularly challenging.

With his financial situation becoming increasingly desperate, the aspiring actor eventually made a decision that would stay with him for years.

He took his two-year-old bullmastiff, Butkus, to a local liquor store and attempted to sell him for $100.

Speaking to Shortlist magazine years later, Stallone recalled the painful experience.

“I sold my bullmastiff Butkus to a little person. You can’t use the word ‘dwarf’ any more? Let’s just say a little person,” he recalled, via News.com.au. “I tied my dog up at the store with a sign that said a hundred bucks. I got $50 from this guy called Little Jimmy.”

Despite initially asking for $100, Stallone accepted half that amount because he desperately needed the money.

According to accounts of the incident, he was devastated by the decision and cried after handing over his dog.

Butkus had been his loyal companion throughout his struggles, making the separation particularly difficult.

Fortunately, Stallone’s circumstances were about to change.

After repeatedly attempting to sell his screenplay, he finally secured a deal for Rocky, the boxing drama that would eventually transform his career.

With money finally coming in, Stallone immediately set about retrieving Butkus.

However, when he approached the man who had purchased the dog just a week earlier, he discovered that getting him back would be considerably more expensive than expected.

Little Jimmy initially resisted, insisting that his children had become attached to the animal.

Stallone recalled the confrontation during his interview with Shortlist.

“When I sold the ‘Rocky’ script, I went to see Little Jimmy and begged for the dog back. He lined up his children, ‘Oh my kids love the dog’. I said, ‘You’ve only had him for a f***ing week,'” Sly recalled.

“He wanted to fight me and said he was gonna kill me – he was a crazy little person. I couldn’t fight him – they’d arrest me – so I offered to pay double. Anyway, $3,000 and several threats later…”

That meant paying 60 times the amount he had received for the dog just days earlier. (However, in more recent interviews, Sly has suggested that he simply gave Little Jimmy a role in the movie, rather than pay him.)

For someone who had recently been unable to afford food, it was an extraordinary turn of events. But for Stallone, being reunited with Butkus was clearly worth every penny.

And the story didn’t end there.

In an unexpected twist, the actor revealed that he also gave Little Jimmy a small role in Rocky when the film was eventually produced.

He explained: “I ended up putting him in the movie. Do you remember in Rocky where the little guy goes, ‘Hey, did ya win?’ and I go, ‘What are you, deaf?’ and he goes, ‘No, I’m short.’ That’s him.”

Released in 1976, Rocky became a huge commercial success and established Stallone as a major Hollywood star.

The film’s underdog storyline also carried striking similarities to the actor’s own circumstances before his breakthrough.

Like the fictional boxer he created, Stallone had spent years struggling to get an opportunity, refusing to abandon his ambitions despite repeated setbacks.

His determination to star in his own screenplay ultimately paid off, launching a career that would make him one of the most recognisable actors in the world.

But as we know now, his first priority after making it in Hollywood wasn’t buying a mansion or a luxury car. It was getting his dog back.

Featured image credit: Instagram/SylvesterStallone/YouTube/United Artists (screenshots)