‘The Family Stallone’: Why Sly & the Family Fit Perfectly Into Reality TV
Actor. Producer. Golden Globe winner. From his boxing days as Rocky in Philadelphia to his current reign as Tulsa King, Sylvester Stallone has taken on countless titles. The one he’s clearly a champ at now is being a #girldad, which is probably why Stallone is so fired up to be sharing the screen (and more at-home time) with daughters Sophia, Sistine, and Scarlet in The Family Stallone, a sweetly comical docu-soap.
It’s not the action icon’s first time stepping into the reality TV ring — back in 2005, he cohosted Season 1 of The Contender, a boxing competition from Mark Burnett — but this one allows him to capture moments of the heart instead of punches to the gut. “I know what it’s like to live our private life, but I want to [preserve] it. I want to make a real, long memory of it,” says the Italian Stallion turned ol’ softy. “I want it to be historical for me, like, ‘Awww, yeah, look at that wonderful moment.’”
There have been plenty of them already. In the early episodes, we see the Stallone kids come together to help big sis Sophia cope with a breakup and giddily plot to help middle sib Sistine pull a pregnancy prank on their dad. Things will get even more emotional as baby of the brood, Scarlet, prepares to leave for college. “You’ll see it all,” offers the young actress, who recurs on Tulsa King. “From packing to the last dinner to moving into my new apartment…there’s lots of tears and hugs!”
And while the similarities to another Hollywood dynasty who have ruled the reality scene since 2007 — yep, those Kardashians — is unavoidable, this isn’t Keeping Up With the Balboas. “We’re very different,” declares Jennifer Flavin Stallone, Sly’s wife of 26 years and the often chaotic crew’s zen-mother of reason. “Not comparing any reality shows, but I really think ours is super real and honest. We don’t have a storyline that somebody creates and then we act it out.”
Art Streiber/Paramount+
“Our goal was simply to spend quality time with the family and then invite audiences to fall in love with them,” echoes executive producer Benjamin Hurvitz (16 and Pregnant). Throughout the first season, each of the daughters will embark on what Hurvitz calls “a journey of professional and personal progress,” be it leaving the nest, working on a burgeoning career, or braving relationship up and downs.
Additionally, “it was a lot of fun for us to share another side of one of the world’s most iconic celebrity tough guys who is, in reality, just a hilarious and devoted dad.” Making that part easier is the Stallones’ secret weapon: Mom. “To know Jennifer is to immediately love her,” he raves of the instantly likable entrepreneur who clearly balances out Sly’s reactionary style with easy sensibility. “She didn’t raise three awesome young women by accident. She’s the glue that holds this family together.”
Fittingly, this show was the brainchild of those three impressive offspring, not their folks. “They brought us the idea,” Hurwitz confirms, adding that he was instantly hooked by the sisters’ pitch that promised “lots of surprising and endearing moments between them and with Sly and Jen.” And whether it’s a dad-daughter day out at the gun range, a snuggled-in-bed chat, or a deep-sea fishing expedition involving a 500-pound grouper, the most endearing aspect of it all is actually how authentic and connected the Stallone siblings are when it comes to opening their lives to the cameras.
“It felt like [making] a giant home video,” says Sophia. “We’ve always been [comfortable] with each other, so having the cameras there didn’t feel any different.” And Sistine feels that each brings her own energy to the party. “Being the middle child, I have the best of both worlds,” she acknowledges. “Sophia is my work wife and someone I can have mature conversations with, and with Scarlet, we are silly, fun, and never not laughing.”
Viewers can also expect to see some of Sly’s famous friends. His Rocky IV foe and longtime buddy Dolph Lundgren is a guest at his birthday party in the opener, which also features an appearance by Al Pacino following an offer he couldn’t refuse.
Art Streiber/Paramount+
“I threatened him,” jokes Stallone. “No, I literally called him up and said, ‘Hey, why don’t we have a piece of pizza at Mulberry Street Pizzeria right in Beverly Hills?’ Little did he expect!” Upon The Godfather legend’s arrival, “the cameras pop out from behind trash cans, behind cars and he goes, ‘What is this? I’m on a reality show? Oh my God!’” Stallone expected his pal to bolt, but “he really enjoyed it. He came alive!”
As for future star sightings, Sly hints at a few more Pacino-caliber pals coming, including a big one “who kind of punk’d me.” For the most part, though, this family affair is all about three young women who have made their parents proud simply by being themselves. “[We] kept them away from the spotlight until they could make decisions for themselves,” explains Jennifer, agreeing with our assessment. “That’s why they are smart, kind, hard-working, and wonderful to be around!”
And it looks like we’ll be hanging with them even more. A week after its May 17 bow — which became the No. 1 reality series premiere on the streaming service — the show was renewed for another season.
Guess Rocky isn’t the only one in the family who can deliver a hit.
Additional reporting by Kelli Boyle
This is an abbreviated version of the cover story for TV Insider’s July issue. For more in-depth, reported coverage devoted to streaming shows from the publishers of TV Guide Magazine, pick up the issue, currently on newsstands or purchase it online here. You can also subscribe to TV Insider Magazine here now.
The Family Stallone, Available Now, Paramount+
