Robert Balboa, aka Rocky Balboa, is arguably the most famous character in the Rocky franchise. The name Rocky Balboa has been given to the character because of the fact that he is a former boxer who later transformed into an Olympic champion. Sylvester Stallone has also played him in all the eight films of the franchise, which is why he has become the most popular actor playing Rocky Balboa. It is very easy to see why his character is so famous. Rocky Balboa is an all-action, tough-guy character. In the early part of the series, he is a fighter at heart but later on, when he comes across the beautiful woman, Apollo Creed (Mila Kunis), he decides to change and try to be a role model, not only for himself but for everyone who lives his life the way he wants to.
Rocky Balboa was portrayed in the first film by Michael J. Fox, but later on, he was called by Arnold Schwarzenegger. However, there are several other well-known actors who played this character including Mel Gibson, Denzel Washington, Sylvester Stallion, and James Belushi. In the recent movies, he has been played by Owen Wilson and Dolph Lundgren.
People always look up to actors who have achieved what they have achieved in their real life. Rocky Balboa managed to become one of these people. He has achieved success in boxing and in many other things. His image was even used by the United States Marine Corp as a symbol of pride and honor, a symbol of strength and courage. As a result, people tend to respect him as someone who was willing to fight for his beliefs and ideals. He has become a national hero and that is one of the reasons why he has been made a poster boy for the American Dream.