The rags-to-riches story of Sylvester Stallone and his breakthrough film Rocky (1976) is a Hollywood legend, but few realize that the most vivid, enduring historical witnesses to his journey are two shelled creatures bought for mere pennies as props: his turtles. In the original film, Stallone’s character, the struggling boxer Rocky Balboa, keeps two tiny pet turtles, which he introduces to his love interest, Adrian, saying, “These are my friends, Cuff and Link.” What began as a simple detail to convey Rocky’s humble, lonely existence turned into an incredible, decades-long commitment by Stallone himself.
After the filming of Rocky wrapped, Stallone, who had poured his entire life and soul into the project, chose to keep the two red-eared slider turtles. These two reptiles, named Cuff and Link, have quietly accompanied Stallone throughout his entire career, serving as living links to the moment his life changed forever. Red-eared slider turtles are known for their remarkable longevity, often living several decades. Cuff and Link are currently over 40 years old, having lived through Stallone’s darkest days before Rocky and his subsequent global superstardom.
The emotional backdrop of their companionship is profound. Stallone has often spoken about the significance of his animals during his early, struggling days, famously having to sell his beloved bullmastiff, Butkus, due to financial hardship before he sold the script. The turtles, however, remained. Stallone personally confirmed the turtles’ authenticity and enduring presence in a social media post in 2018, noting that Cuff and Link were his “original buddies” and were still alive and well with him.
The commitment to the original props was so deep that Stallone brought them back to the big screen decades later. Cuff and Link made a poignant return in the 2018 film, Creed II, the eighth installment in the franchise. Their appearance was more than a fun Easter egg; it was a powerful, symbolic moment, underscoring the enduring connection between Stallone (as Rocky) and the humble beginnings that launched his cinematic legacy. The story of Sylvester Stallone and his two tiny turtles is a heartwarming testament to loyalty and a quiet reminder that the props from a film can sometimes outlive the initial spectacle, becoming the most vivid, slow-moving historical witnesses to a monumental career.