List of Rocky characters
This is a list of characters from the Rocky film series, consisting of Rocky (1976), Rocky II (1979), Rocky III (1982), Rocky IV (1985), Rocky V (1990), Rocky Balboa (2006), and Creed (2015).
Characters table
| Main | Indicates character had main role in film |
| Archive | Indicates the character only appears in recycled/archive footage |
| Cameo | Indicates cameo appearance |
| Photo | Indicates a non-physical picture appearance |
| Indicates character does not appear in the film |
| Character | Portrayed by | Film | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rocky | Rocky II | Rocky III | Rocky IV | Rocky V | Rocky Balboa | Creed | ||
| Principal Characters | ||||||||
| Rocky Balboa | Sylvester Stallone | Main | ||||||
| Adrian Pennino | Talia Shire | Main | Archive | Photo | ||||
| Paulie Pennino | Burt Young | Main | ||||||
| Mickey Goldmill | Burgess Meredith | Main | Archive | Cameo | Archive | |||
| Apollo Creed | Carl Weathers | Main | Archive | |||||
| Tony "Duke" Evers | Tony Burton | Main | ||||||
| Adonis Creed | Michael B. Jordan | Main | ||||||
| Additional Major Characters | ||||||||
| Tony Gazzo | Joe Spinell | Main | ||||||
| Miles Jergens | Thayer David | Main | ||||||
| Spider Rico | Pedro Lovell | Main | Main | |||||
| Robert Balboa, Jr. | Seargeoh Stallone (II) Ian Fried (III) Rocky Krakoff (IV) Sage Stallone (V) Milo Ventimiglia (RB) |
Main | Photo | |||||
| Marie | Jodi Letizia (I) Geraldine Hughes (RB) |
Main | Main | |||||
| Stephenson "Steps" | James Francis Kelly III | Main | ||||||
| Mary Anne Creed | Lavelle Roby (I) Sylvia Meals (II, IV) Phylicia Rashad (C) |
Main | Main | Main | ||||
| Bianca | Tessa Thompson | Main | ||||||
| Supporting Characters | ||||||||
| Father Carmine | Paul J. Micale | Main | Cameo | |||||
| Thunderlips | Hulk Hogan | Main | ||||||
| Union Cane | Michael Williams | Main | ||||||
| Tony "Little Duke" Evers | Wood Harris | Main | ||||||
| Danny "Stuntman" Wheeler | Andre Ward | Main | ||||||
| Leo "The Lion" Sporino | Gabriel Rosado | Main | ||||||
| Pete Sporino | Ritchie Coster | Main | ||||||
| Jacob "Stitch" Duran | Jacob Duran | Main | ||||||
| Antagonists | ||||||||
| Clubber Lang | Mr. T | Main | Archive | |||||
| Ivan Drago | Dolph Lundgren | Main | Archive | |||||
| Ludmilla Vobet Drago | Brigitte Nielsen | Main | Archive | |||||
| Nicolai Koloff | Michael Pataki | Main | Archive | |||||
| George Washington Duke | Richard Gant | Main | ||||||
| Tommy "The Machine" Gunn | Tommy Morrison | Main | ||||||
| Mason "The Line" Dixon | Antonio Tarver | Main | ||||||
| "Pretty" Ricky Conlan | Tony Bellew | Main | ||||||
| Tommy Holiday | Graham McTavish | Main | ||||||
Principal characters
Rocky Balboa
Adrian Pennino
Paulie Pennino
Mickey Goldmill
Apollo Creed
Tony "Duke" Evers
Adonis Creed
Additional major characters
Tony Gazzo
Tony Gazzo is a loan shark in Philadelphia who initially hires Rocky as an enforcer and collector to rough up people who owe him money. Even though Gazzo gets irritated whenever Rocky doesn't directly obey his orders, such as breaking the thumbs of people who are unable to pay him, he still has respect and patience for Rocky, even giving him money for a date with Adrian and later for his training for Rocky's first fight with Apollo.
Tony Gazzo is portrayed by Joe Spinell.
Miles Jergens
Miles Jergens is a successful boxing promoter who oversees Apollo Creed's fights. After Apollo proposes to fight a local contender for his United States Bicentennial match, Jergens invites Rocky to his office to secure a deal for the main event.
Miles Jergens is portrayed by Thayer David.
Spider Rico
Spider Rico is a Puerto Rican boxer who is Rocky's first opponent in Rocky. Both men fight in the match that is heavily booed by the spectators due to their lack of sportsmanship, with Rocky eventually winning. In the locker room, Spider comments that Rocky "really got lucky". He resurfaces in Rocky Balboa, where he hangs out at Rocky's restaurant Adrian's and does the dishes without payroll. Spider is now a religious person, reading Bible scriptures during his free time and giving a prayer to Rocky before his fight with Mason "The Line" Dixon.
Spider Rico is portrayed by Pedro Lovell.
Robert Balboa, Jr.
Robert Balboa, Jr., or Rocky Jr., is the only son of Rocky and Adrian. In Rocky II, he is born one month premature after Adrian experiences a sudden labor while arguing with Paulie. In Rocky V, Robert is a 14-year-old student in the honor roll, but when the Balboa family relocates to South Philadelphia due to bankruptcy, he has difficulty adjusting to the rough neighborhood. On his first day in school, he is attacked by two bullies who steal his jacket, but he befriends a girl named Jewel. Despite his parents' insistence for him to use his mind instead of fighting to solve problems, he undergoes boxing training at Mighty Mick's Boxing Gym, with Paulie as his coach. Even though he fights back the bullies and recovers his jacket, Robert is distraught by his father's attention to training Tommy Gunn. Because of this, Robert alienates himself from his parents and takes up smoking with his new friends. It is only when Tommy Gunn sells out to George Washington Duke that Rocky mends his relationship with Robert.
In Rocky Balboa, Robert is a 29-year-old accountant at a securities firm in Philadelphia. Despite having a successful career, he feels he is still living in the shadow of his father; this is further aggravated when ESPN airs a computer simulation of Rocky defeating Mason "The Line" Dixon. When Rocky agrees to fight Dixon in Las Vegas, Robert quits his job to support his father.
Robert does not appear in Creed, but he is mentioned by Rocky as having moved to Vancouver with his girlfriend.
Robert Balboa, Jr. is portrayed by Seargeoh Stallone in Rocky II, Ian Fried in Rocky III, Rocky Krakoff in Rocky IV, Sage Stallone in Rocky V, and Milo Ventimiglia in Rocky Balboa. A photo of Sage Stallone with Rocky is seen in Creed.
Marie
Marie is first seen in Rocky as a 12-year-old girl hanging out with other delinquent teenagers in South Philadelphia. Rocky lectures her about her choice of friends, as he does not want to see her grow up to be a "whore". After Rocky walks her back to her home, Marie yells, "Screw you, creepo!" to him. She returns in Rocky Balboa as a bartender at the local tavern and a single mother, having recently broken up with a Jamaican man. Rocky hires her as a receptionist at Adrian's and slowly develops a relationship with her. Marie and her son Stephenson are not heard from again after Rocky's fight with Mason "The Line" Dixon.
Marie is portrayed by Jodi Letizia in Rocky and Geraldine Hughes in Rocky Balboa.
Stephenson "Steps"
Stephenson, nicknamed "Steps", is Marie's son in Rocky Balboa. Rocky acts as a father figure to Steps, bringing him to an animal shelter to find a dog for adoption. There, they pick up an old and ugly dog, which Steps nicknames "Punchy".
Stephenson is portrayed by James Francis Kelly III.
Mary Anne Creed
Mary Anne Creed is the wife and widow of Apollo Creed. In Creed, she adopts Adonis Johnson, who is Apollo's illegitimate son in 1998. In 2015, she discovers that Adonis has quit a lucrative job at a securities firm to follow his father's footsteps as a boxer, much to her dismay. She eventually supports him by sending him a pair of "stars and stripes" boxing trunks for his match against "Pretty" Ricky Conlan.
Mary Anne Creed is portrayed by Lavelle Roby in Rocky, Sylvia Meals in Rocky II and Rocky IV, and Phylicia Rashad in Creed.
Bianca
Bianca is an aspiring musician and the love interest of Adonis Creed. She wears hearing aids due to progressive hearing loss. Bianca first meets Adonis when he confronts her over her loud music in her apartment on his first night in Philadelphia. A few nights later, after discovering Bianca performing a concert at a night club, Adonis asks her out and they develop a relationship. This relationship is strained when Adonis is jailed for punching a musician for calling him "baby Creed", but they reconcile shortly after they discover that Rocky has been diagnosed with non-Hodgkins lymphoma.
Bianca is portrayed by Tessa Thompson.
Supporting characters
Father Carmine
Father Carmine is a priest who appears in Rocky II, where he conducts Rocky and Adrian's wedding and later on gives his blessings to Rocky before his rematch against Apollo Creed. He reappears in a cameo in Rocky V after Rocky defeats Tommy Gunn in a street fight.
Father Carmine is portrayed by Paul J. Micale.
Thunderlips
Thunderlips is a heel professional wrestler who fights Rocky in a fundraising boxer vs. wrestler match in Rocky III.
Thunderlips is portrayed by Hulk Hogan.
Union Cane
Union Cane is a boxer in Rocky V.[1] Managed by George Washington Duke, Cane challenges Rocky for the World Heavyweight Championship, but the latter opts to retire instead. Cane becomes champion until he loses the title to Tommy "The Machine" Gunn, another boxer managed by Duke. As Cane never fought Rocky for the title, he is considered by the press to be a "paper champion".
Union Cane is portrayed by Michael Williams.[2]
Tony "Little Duke" Evers
Tony "Little Duke" Evers is the son of Tony "Duke" Evers, the former trainer of Apollo Creed and Rocky. In Creed, Little Duke urges Adonis Creed not to pursue a boxing career.
Tony "Little Duke" Evers is portrayed by Wood Harris.
Danny "Stuntman" Wheeler
| Danny Wheeler | |
|---|---|
| Rocky character | |
| First appearance | Creed |
| Portrayed by | Andre Ward |
| Information | |
| Nickname(s) | Stuntman |
| Gender | Male |
| Occupation | Professional boxer |
| List of Rocky characters | |
|---|---|
| Statistics | |
| Rated at | Light Heavyweight |
| Height | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) |
| Nationality | American |
| Born | Los Angeles, California |
| Stance | Orthodox |
| Boxing record | |
| Total fights | 31 |
| Wins | 31 |
| Wins by KO | 18 |
| Losses | 0 |
| Draws | 0 |
Danny "Stuntman" Wheeler is a light heavyweight boxer from Los Angeles. He is the undefeated World Champion (WBA, WBC, Ring Magazine Champion) and #2 pound-for-pound boxer in the world behind "Pretty" Ricky Conlan. He fought Adonis Creed in a sparring session at Delphi Gym, where Adonis's father Apollo had also trained. Wheeler knocks Adonis out in under a minute, taking Adonis' Ford Mustang that was placed on the line. He is scheduled to fight "Pretty" Ricky Conlan for the titles but the fight is cancelled after Conlan broke Wheeler's jaw at the weigh-ins. Wheeler attempts to sue Conlan and the WBC for the incident.
Danny "Stuntman" Wheeler is portrayed by Andre Ward.
Leo "The Lion" Sporino
| Leo Sporino | |
|---|---|
| Rocky character | |
| First appearance | Creed |
| Portrayed by | Gabriel Rosado |
| Information | |
| Nickname(s) | The Lion |
| Gender | Male |
| Occupation | Professional boxer |
| List of Rocky characters | |
|---|---|
| Statistics | |
| Rated at | Light Heavyweight |
| Nationality | American |
| Born | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
| Boxing record | |
| Total fights | 18 |
| Wins | 17 |
| Wins by KO | 12 |
| Losses | 1 |
| Draws | 0 |
Leo "The Lion" Sporino is an Italian-American light heavyweight boxer in Creed. Mentored by his father Pete Sporino at Mighty Mick's Boxing Gym, Leo participated in the 2012 U.S. Olympic team and is ranked #4 light heavyweight in the world. He is in the running for a championship run, but is knocked out in the second round of his match with Adonis Creed.
Leo "The Lion" Sporino is portrayed by Gabriel Rosado.
Pete Sporino
Pete Sporino is an Italian-American former boxer turned trainer at Mighty Mick's Boxing Gym. He hopes to have Rocky mentor his son Leo, but is disappointed when Rocky opts to train Adonis Creed instead.
Pete Sporino is portrayed by Ritchie Coster.
Jacob "Stitch" Duran
Jacob "Stitch" Duran is a professional cutman. In Rocky Balboa, he is Mason "The Line" Dixon's cutman. He returns in Creed as part of Adonis Creed's corner.
Jacob "Stitch" Duran is portrayed by himself.
Antagonists
James "Clubber" Lang
Ivan Drago
Ludmilla Vobet Drago
Ludmilla Vobet Drago is a former Olympic swimmer for the Soviet Union and Ivan Drago's wife. Along with manager Nicolai Koloff, she acts as Ivan's mouthpiece, describing the power of his punches.
Ludmilla Vobet Drago is portrayed by Brigitte Nielsen.
Nicolai Koloff
Nicolai Koloff is Ivan Drago's manager. During the fight between Rocky and Drago, Koloff notices Drago on the losing end of the fight and insults him, telling him he is disgracing the Soviet Union by letting an American fight admirably on Russian soil. In response, Drago grabs him by the throat, throws him out of the ring and proclaims he only fights for himself.
Nicolai Koloff is portrayed by Michael Pataki.
49-1
George Washington Duke
George Washington Duke is the main antagonist in Rocky V.[3] He is a crooked boxing promoter who first attempts to sign Rocky in a title defense against Union Cane just after the former's return from his fight with Ivan Drago in the Soviet Union. Rocky declines and announces his retirement. Upon discovery of Rocky's health and financial problems, Duke makes another attempt to lure him back into boxing, but is thwarted by Adrian. When he learns that Rocky has no formal management agreement with Tommy Gunn, he corrupts Gunn with a lucrative contract. In response to the crowd and media's negative reaction toward Gunn's reign as champion, Duke has him challenge Rocky to a match. After defeating Gunn in a street fight, Rocky gives Duke an uppercut, despite the latter threatening to sue him.
George Washington Duke is portrayed by Richard Gant.
Tommy Gunn
| Tommy Gunn | |
|---|---|
| Rocky character | |
| First appearance | Rocky V |
| Portrayed by | Tommy Morrison |
| Information | |
| Nickname(s) | The Machine |
| Gender | Male |
| Occupation | Professional boxer |
| List of Rocky characters | |
|---|---|
| Statistics | |
| Rated at | Heavyweight |
| Height | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) |
| Nationality | American |
| Born | Oklahoma |
| Stance | Orthodox |
| Boxing record | |
| Total fights | 23 |
| Wins | 23 |
| Wins by KO | 23 |
| Losses | 0 |
| Draws | 0 |
Tommy "The Machine" Gunn is the secondary antagonist in Rocky V. Originally from Oklahoma, Gunn travels to South Philadelphia to seek training from Rocky. Despite having a very short temper, he is accepted by Rocky as a protege. Gunn progressively advances in the ranks in the boxing world, at the cost of Rocky's relationship with his son Robert. Because he has no formal agreement with Rocky, Gunn is easily lured in by George Washington Duke's money. He eventually defeats Union Cane for the World Heavyweight Championship, but is not accepted by the fans or the press, who does not consider him as a true champion without a worthy opponent. Duke convinces him to challenge Rocky, but the fight ends up on the street with Gunn on the losing end.
Tommy Gunn is portrayed by Tommy Morrison.
Mason "The Line" Dixon
| Mason Dixon | |
|---|---|
| Rocky character | |
| First appearance | Rocky Balboa |
| Portrayed by | Antonio Tarver |
| Information | |
| Nickname(s) | The Line |
| Gender | Male |
| Occupation | Professional boxer |
| List of Rocky characters | |
|---|---|
| Statistics | |
| Rated at | Heavyweight |
| Height | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) |
| Nationality | American |
| Born | Tampa, Florida |
| Stance | Southpaw |
| Boxing record | |
| Total fights | 34 |
| Wins | 34 |
| Wins by KO | 30 |
| Losses | 0 |
| Draws | 0 |
Mason "The Line" Dixon is the undisputed World Heavyweight Champion in Rocky Balboa. His reign is unpopular due to the lack of formidable competition, until ESPN airs a computer simulation of a dream match of him losing to Rocky; this brings enough attention for Dixon's promoters to stage a real version of the match in Las Vegas, with a portion of the proceeds going to charity. Despite predictions of Rocky being knocked out early, the match goes the entire distance of 10 rounds. During the second round, Dixon injures his left hand after punching Rocky in the hip; Rocky takes full advantage of this injury throughout the duration of the fight. Dixon eventually wins by a narrow split decision, thus he retains his undefeated streak.
Mason Dixon is portrayed by Antonio Tarver.
"Pretty" Ricky Conlan
| Ricky Conlan | |
|---|---|
| Rocky character | |
| First appearance | Creed |
| Portrayed by | Tony Bellew |
| Information | |
| Nickname(s) | Pretty Ricky |
| Gender | Male |
| Occupation | Professional boxer |
| Children | 2 Boys |
| List of Rocky characters | |
|---|---|
| Statistics | |
| Rated at | Light Heavyweight |
| Nationality | British |
| Born | Liverpool, England |
| Stance | Orthodox |
| Boxing record | |
| Total fights | 37 |
| Wins | 37 |
| Wins by KO | 28 |
| Losses | 0 |
| Draws | 0 |
"Pretty" Ricky Conlan is the Lineal World Light Heavyweight Champion, #1 Pound for Pound Boxer in the world, and the antagonist in Creed. The Liverpudlian boxer faces a seven-year prison sentence for illegal firearms possession. He is initially slated to defend his title against Danny "Stuntman" Wheeler, but the fight is canceled when Conlan breaks Wheeler's jaw during a press conference. His manager Tommy Holiday convinces him to fight Adonis Creed as a last hurrah before serving his prison sentence. Conlan predicts an early end, but Adonis goes the distance. Despite being knocked down for the first time in his career by the end of the 12th round, Conlan narrowly wins by a split decision. He shows respect for Adonis, telling him he is the future of the sport.
"Pretty" Ricky Conlan is portrayed by Tony Bellew.
References
- ↑ "Rocky V | UA Short Film Competition | Culture". The Independent. 2008-03-03. Retrieved 2016-03-29.
- ↑ "LOOKING BACK AT "ROCKY V," THE MOVIE THAT NEARLY KNOCKED OUT A BELOVED FRANCHISE". Vice. Retrieved 29 March 2016.
- ↑ "Jet". Books.google.co.uk. 1990-12-03. p. 56. Retrieved 2016-02-29.