Robert "Rocky" Balboa, Sr. is the title character of the Rocky series from 1976 to 2015. The character was created and portrayed by Sylvester Stallone. Throughout the films, he is depicted as an everyman who started out by going the distance and overcoming obstacles that had occurred in his life and career as a professional boxer. This character is among one of Stallone's best known characters and is often considered the role that started his film career.