Is there a greater underdog story than that of Rocky Balboa? Well, it turns out art only sort of imitates life, because the creator and star of the storied Rocky franchise had an arguably way rougher origin story than his titular character. This is Sylvester Stallone's tragic real-life story.

Sylvester Stallone's curled lip and vocal delivery aren't a tough guy act, they're actually the result of a traumatic childbirth. According to the Chicago Tribune, an accident during Stallone's delivery resulted in a severed facial nerve, paralyzing part of his tongue and chin.

In addition to Sylvester Stallone's traumatic birth, the actor suffered a slew of medical problems throughout his early life. He got rickets as a young child and was heavily bullied. He claimed his father was physically abusive. As a result, he'd act out in dangerous ways.

By the time Stallone was 12 years old, he'd been kicked out of 13 schools and broken 11 bones. When he was 15, Stallone says that he was told his brain was "dormant," so he started bodybuilding.

Watch the video to see why The Tragic Real Life Story Of Sylvester Stallone Is Just Plain Sad.

#SylvesterStallone #Rocky #RockyBalboa

Tough childhood | 0:19

Party for the desperate | 1:04

A near-Dolph experience | 1:58

Autism struggles | 3:44

A tragic passing | 4:35

Blackmailed for decades | 5:45

Sophia's heart surgery | 7:00

Tragic luck with pets | 8:04

A random violent attack | 9:27

Rocky rights | 10:21