Half a century after Rocky first punched its way into cinema history, two of the film’s quietest stars are still hanging around Sylvester Stallone’s life.
Stallone once again sent fans down memory lane after sharing a photo alongside his pet turtles, Cuff and Link — the same pair that appeared in the original Rocky back in 1976. While the film launched one of the most iconic franchises in movie history, the turtles have quietly remained part of Stallone’s world ever since.
What started as a small moment in the first film has somehow turned into one of the most wholesome long-running stories attached to the franchise.
The actor originally revealed the news in an Instagram post back in 2018, where he posed with the reptiles and reminded fans that the duo had never left his side.
Stallone wrote: “In CREED 2 with my original buddies from the first Rocky … CUFF and LINK, now about 44 years old!”
Fast forward to 2026, and that means the turtles are now approaching an incredible 52 years old.
For fans of the original film, Cuff and Link were part of one of Rocky Balboa’s earliest scenes with Adrian Pennino, played by Talia Shire. Trying awkwardly to flirt while visiting the pet store where Adrian worked, Rocky proudly introduced the turtles by saying: “the exotic animals I was telling you about. These are my friends, Cuff and Link,” before hilariously forgetting he had actually bought them from her.
It was a tiny exchange in a film packed with unforgettable moments, but it became one of those strangely charming details audiences never forgot.
The fact the turtles are still alive decades later only adds to the mythology surrounding Rocky and Stallone himself.
Even more remarkably, Cuff and Link weren’t just retired somewhere out of sight. They actually returned to the screen in Creed II, reappearing alongside Stallone more than 40 years after their original debut.
For longtime fans of the franchise, it was the kind of deep-cut callback that perfectly captured the emotional connection many people still have with the Rocky universe.
The turtles are not the only beloved animal linked to Stallone’s rise to fame either.
Before Rocky changed his life, Stallone famously struggled financially while trying to make it in Hollywood. During that difficult period, he owned a bull mastiff named Butkus — another animal that would later appear on-screen in both Rocky and Rocky II.
Butkus became almost as recognisable to fans as some of the human cast members, largely because of the emotional story attached to him.
In a separate Instagram post shared by Stallone in 2017, the actor revealed he had been forced to sell the dog during his lowest point financially.
Stallone wrote that he had to sell Butkus to a stranger outside of a 7-Eleven store “because I couldn’t afford food.”
The story eventually took a dramatic turn after the Rocky screenplay sold, and Stallone suddenly had a chance to rebuild his life.
“Then like a modern day miracle, the screenplay for Rocky sold, and I could buy him back, but the new owner knew I was desperate and charged me $15,000,” Stallone continued. “He was worth every penny!”
Stories like that have only added to the legend surrounding the making of Rocky over the years. The film was famously built on grit, sacrifice and long odds — themes that mirrored Stallone’s own circumstances at the time.
That’s partly why details like Cuff and Link surviving more than five decades resonate so strongly with fans. They are living reminders of the moment everything changed.
Featured image credit: Sylvester Stallone / Instagram / Amazon MGM Studios
