A new name is on every film fan’s lips this month. Anthony Ippolito plays a young Sylvester Stallone in I Play Rocky. The film reached cinemas on 6 November 2026. Critics have praised his turn, and Stallone himself gave it a warm thumbs up.
So who is Anthony Ippolito? This guide gives you the full picture. You will find his age, early life, baseball past, and road to Rocky.
Who is Anthony Ippolito?
Anthony Ippolito is an American actor aged 27 from West Islip, New York. He is best known for playing Al Pacino in The Offer. He also plays a young Sylvester Stallone in I Play Rocky. His full name is Anthony Adam Ippolito, and he has acted since 2006.
He was born on 21 August 1999, the only child of Anthony and Lorraine. He grew up between Long Island and New York City. He went to West Islip High School, close to home. After school he went to Baruch College, where he kept playing baseball.
His Italian roots run through his family name and his New York home. That background fits the two Italian American screen icons he has now played. But his rise owes more to hard work than to any family link. You can find more profiles like this one in our Celebrity section.
The Short Version
- Anthony Ippolito is 27, born 21 August 1999 in West Islip, New York.
- He played Al Pacino in The Offer and George Wright in Grand Army.
- He stars as young Sylvester Stallone in I Play Rocky, out 6 November 2026.
- He played baseball at Baruch College until an injury ended his baseball days.
- He won a lifetime achievement award at the Rome Film Festival in 2026.
Who is Anthony Ippolito: age, family and early life in New York
Anthony Ippolito was born on 21 August 1999. He turned 27 in August 2026, just before I Play Rocky reached cinemas. His home town is West Islip, a town on Long Island in New York. He is the only child of his parents, Anthony and Lorraine.
He spent much of his youth in New York City and on Long Island. West Islip High School gave him his school years close to home. He is of Italian descent, a fact that suits the Italian American icons he plays.
- Born: 21 August 1999, West Islip, New York
- Age: 27 in November 2026
- Parents: Anthony and Lorraine, he is their only child
- School: West Islip High School, then Baruch College
- Heritage: Italian descent
How baseball shaped his acting
Long before film sets, baseball filled his days. He played the game all through his youth in the New York area. At three he could already throw a ball near 40 miles per hour. That early talent even won him a spot on Ripley’s Believe It or Not!
He kept playing at Baruch College, where he played outfield in his first year. An injury then cut his baseball days short, and the loss hurt. But the game had already taught him to live with failure.
He told PEOPLE that baseball taught him about “getting comfortable with failure”. In baseball, three hits from ten trips to the plate marks a Hall of Famer. Acting brings the same test, with far more noes than yeses.
Anthony Ippolito movies and TV shows so far
His screen career began in 2006 with a small part in Bella. He played a boy on a subway, his first screen credit at seven years old. Small parts followed in Not Fade Away and The English Teacher. Then came Pixels in 2015, where he played a young Adam Sandler.
His first big TV break came with Grand Army in 2020. He played George Wright, a main cast role across eight episodes. The Netflix school drama showed he could carry a long story.
| Year | Title | Role | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | Bella | Boy on Subway | Film |
| 2015 | Pixels | Young Sam Brenner | Film |
| 2020 | Grand Army | George Wright | TV series |
| 2022 | Purple Hearts | Johnno | Film |
| 2022 | The Offer | Al Pacino | TV series |
| 2026 | I Play Rocky | Sylvester Stallone | Film |
Purple Hearts gave him a film role in 2022, the same year as The Offer. His Al Pacino turn won him fresh notice and set up his next big step. Playing Pacino meant close study of a 1970s screen icon. That work led straight to his Stallone role four years later.
How he won the role of Sylvester Stallone
Ippolito chased the Stallone role for years before the film had a script. He sent in self taped auditions without any invite, just to stay in the race. Director Peter Farrelly says Ippolito was the first person he looked at. Once the team saw his tapes, they saw no need to test anyone else.
His call with Stallone
Stallone spoke with Ippolito on the phone while the film was in prep. He walked the young actor through his lean early years in New York. Ippolito called the talk a privilege, and Stallone later gave the film his warm approval.
Eighteen months of training
Ippolito had never boxed before he took the part, just like Stallone before Rocky. He trained for 18 months to build the boxer’s frame and moves. He learned the speed bag, footwork and ring craft with a choreographer and stunt team. Co star Stephan James said it felt like working with Stallone.
The film follows Stallone’s fight to make Rocky on his own terms. It shows the young writer turning down $300,000 to keep the lead role. I Play Rocky reached UK and US cinemas on 6 November 2026. The Rocky role answers who is Anthony Ippolito for film fans in one stroke.
The cast around him in I Play Rocky
Ippolito leads a cast that brings Stallone’s early circle to life. Each co star plays a real person from the Rocky story. The mix of known faces and fresh talent gives the film its pull.
- AnnaSophia Robb as Sasha Czack, Stallone’s first wife
- Stephan James as Carl Weathers, the first Apollo Creed
- Kiki Seto as Talia Shire, who played Adrian in Rocky
- Matt Dillon as Frank Stallone Sr., Sylvester Stallone’s father
- P.J. Byrne as Irwin Winkler, one of Rocky’s producers
- Toby Kebbell as Robert Chartoff, Winkler’s producing partner
- Jay Duplass as John Avildsen, the director of Rocky
- Tracy Letts, also in the cast
AnnaSophia Robb drew on her own marriage to play Sasha Czack. Stephan James wanted to show the doubts behind Carl Weathers. Jay Duplass rang Farrelly himself to ask for the Avildsen part.
Awards, Oscar talk and what comes next
Ippolito took home the Progressive Lifetime Achievement Award at the Rome Film Festival in 2026. The prize came weeks before I Play Rocky opened in cinemas. His turn as Stallone has also drawn talk of a best actor nomination. That buzz puts him beside names he has admired for years.
Director Peter Farrelly likened his work to John Travolta in Saturday Night Fever. He also tipped Ippolito as a Dustin Hoffman type with wide range. For now, the film itself is the story, and its cinema run leads the way. Neve Campbell’s Scream 8 comeback is one more big screen return in 2026.
Anthony Ippolito FAQs
Who is Anthony Ippolito and how old is he?
Anthony Ippolito is 27 years old. He was born on 21 August 1999 in West Islip, New York. He turned 27 in August 2026, just before I Play Rocky reached cinemas.
Where is Anthony Ippolito from?
He is from West Islip, a town on Long Island in New York. He grew up there and spent much of his youth in New York City. He is of Italian descent, and he went to West Islip High School.
What movies has Anthony Ippolito been in?
His films are Bella, Pixels, Purple Hearts and I Play Rocky. Bella came in 2006, Pixels in 2015, Purple Hearts in 2022, Rocky in 2026. On TV he played George Wright in Grand Army and Al Pacino in The Offer. I Play Rocky is his largest film role so far.
Did Anthony Ippolito play baseball?
Yes, he played baseball all through his youth in New York. He played outfield for Baruch College in his first year there. An injury ended his baseball days, and then he gave acting his full focus.
Is Anthony Ippolito related to Sylvester Stallone?
No, he is not related to Stallone by blood or marriage. He was cast to play a young Stallone because of his look and his work. Stallone has seen the film and gave it his warm approval.
Why Anthony Ippolito is one to watch
Few actors land two screen icons before they turn 28. Ippolito has played Al Pacino and Sylvester Stallone, and both roles asked for deep study. His baseball past gave him the grit to keep going when doors stayed shut. You now know who is Anthony Ippolito, from schoolboy to Rocky star.
Watch I Play Rocky in cinemas, then catch his earlier work on stream. Our guide to how to become famous shows the long road behind such a rise. For more rising names, read our profiles of Nara Smith and Whitney Leavitt.