"Sometimes I put the work ahead of [my family], and that is a tragic mistake which won't happen again," he also shared.
Actor Sylvester Stallone has few regrets in his life spanning 76 years, but the one that haunts him is that he did not spend enough time with his family. The Rocky star who's had a flourishing career in Hollywood as an action star across decades opened up about prioritizing work over family, in an interview. He shares daughters Sophia, 26, Sistine, 24, and Scarlet, 20, with Jennifer Flavin, 54. He also has a son Seargeoh from his previous marriage to Sasha Czack. His oldest son Sage, with Czack, died in 2012, reports PEOPLE.
The Tulsa King actor told the Sunday Times recently that he regrets being an absent father, "I didn't pay enough attention when they were growing up. I was so career-oriented, and now I go, 'Okay, I don't have that much runway up ahead, and I want to start asking them about their lives.' I ask them about their day, and they started at first a little monosyllabic," he said. "Then I heard one say, 'I was just thinking about you.' Oh, my God. I've never heard that before in my life. When a daughter knows you care, she's there forever."
The actor also opened up in a new cover story for The Hollywood Reporter, "Sometimes I put the work ahead of [my family], and that is a tragic mistake which won’t happen again." He also shared, "I felt as though I wasted a lot of time. Now I realize there are only so many bullets left in the gun. Very few. When you’re young, you’re just haphazardly shooting wildly and hope you hit something. Now you don’t have the luxury of missing – especially with the family and the kids. I find that to be my biggest regret. Everyone goes, 'I wish I’d shown love more” or “I wish I’d spent more time with the kids.' I’m riding that boat."
As we previously reported, Stallone and Flavin announced in August that they are getting divorced but reconciled a month later. While Flavin was the one to initiate the filing it gave the actor a serious wake-up call on what his priorities in life should be. "Let's just say that it was a very tumultuous time," Stallone said. "There was a reawakening of what was more valuable than anything, which is my love for my family. It takes precedence over my work, and that was a hard lesson to learn," as reported by PEOPLE. The two first tied the knot in 1997, nearly 10 years after they met at a restaurant.
References:
https://people.com/movies/sylvester-stallone-putting-work-before-family-was-tragic-mistake/
Cover Image Source: Getty Images | Photo by Mark Davis
