Frank Stallone's new documentary: Growing up with Sly, boxing Geraldo

Frank Stallone, younger brother to Sylvester Stallone, has a new documentary out titled, Stallone: Frank, That Is.

The actor and singer/songwriter recently spoke with Yahoo Entertainment about his wide-ranging career in showbiz, and his relationship with his brother.

"I never felt the shadow," he said about how his brother's fame gradually eclipsing his. "Everyone else thought I was in the shadow ... and that has been kind of a theme for the last 40 years."

However, he added that it's not always easy being Sly's younger brother.

"Is it frustrating? Absolutely. Does the name help? No way," he said. "Maybe getting a seat in a restaurant with a good looking girl. But other than that, no, because you're being second guessed."

Video Transcript

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[APPLAUSE]

SYLVESTER STALLONE: In his world and his talent, he's every bit as good as I am at what I try to do.

ETHAN ALTER: It's mentioned the documentary, but we don't hear your side of it. I wanted to touch on the Geraldo Rivera boxing match. He talked about it a little bit. But we don't get your side of it. How did that all come together? What are your memories of doing it? It's one of those great, sort of weird occurrences.

FRANK STALLONE: Yeah. I remember it like it was yesterday. I was going up to Howard Stern promoting something. And as I was walking up, Andrew Dice Clay was in the studio. And there were on the speakerphone with Geraldo. 'Cause Geraldo started getting into boxing and stuff.

And he said, I'll fight any celebrity. And he goes, "And you too, Andrew," who goes, (IMPERSONATING ANDREW DICE CLAY) I don't want to fight." You know? So I'm standing there, and I hadn't been in the ring in 12 years. Well, "You want to fight for Geraldo?" I go, not really. Not really, no, I don't.

So all of a sudden, Howard gets a whiff of it and he won't leave me alone. He goes, "Oh, you know, it'll be for charity now." Now, it's Geraldo's charity. I'm getting nothing out of this. So I said, OK, whatever.

And my brother's freaking out. He goes, if you get beaten by a newscaster, it just kills our whole dynasty and "Rocky." You'll just kill the whole series. So we do the fight.

- And here comes Frank Stallone with a right hand. And again, Rivera trying just to hang on.

FRANK STALLONE: I busted my right hand. I took it seriously enough, my hand was wrapped for months. I wasn't even aware of it. I remember in the first round-- I'll never forget. I was sitting in the corner. And my chest was not even moving. I was gassed. I had this look on my face like a deer in headlights. I go, God, all mighty.

And, you know, I slipped. They said it was a knockdown. It was not. And I won the fight. And Geraldo had to look on his face like, "Oh, now Frank's gonna go off on me," which I didn't do. I said, you know, he's a great guy. I said, all credit to him. When I walked out, there was like 8,000 people in the street. It was amazing, man.

ETHAN ALTER: Well, you do allude in the documentary to the waxing and waning of your relationship with Sylvester and how that went over the years.

FRANK STALLONE: Yeah.

ETHAN ALTER: What was the hardest period of your lives where you were most at odds?

FRANK STALLONE: When "Rocky" came out, I think no one was even more surprised than he was. So I don't think that was an easy time-- I mean, to be a guy that's totally obscure-- to be this young, handsome guy and just all of a sudden overnight be the biggest thing in movie history at that point. So we had some little things.

I mean, I was living in a dump in Trenton, New Jersey for $80 a month. And here's "Rocky." But when I was boxing, it was bad, because now everyone wanted to beat me up. I mean, I'll just go ahead and admit, I said, thought we were friends. "Nah, man. I will knock Rocky's brother out." Like, come on.

I never felt the shadow. Everyone else thought I was in the shadow. I mean, and that has been kind of a theme for the last 40 years. What's it feel like to be-- I said, I don't feel like him. You feel like I am. I said, is it frustrating? Absolutely. Does the name help? No way. Maybe getting a receipt in a restaurant with a good looking girl.

ETHAN ALTER: Based on your experience, what advice do you have to give celebrity siblings in Hollywood, when people come up to you and if they have a famous brother or sister and they're arguing and stuff?

FRANK STALLONE: I'd say find another line of work. Because, dude, I got hammered. I even talk to my beautiful nieces. And they're both, like, 10's. They're beautiful. And I said, you really haven't gotten hit with the hammer yet.

I mean, no one got hammered worse than me. I mean, nobody. And I didn't do anything wrong. I mean, I had my own thing going on. And it's tough. But I've had people say to me, "Hey, why don't you change your name"? I said, 40 years after the fact? You know? I mean, some people are just unbelievable, man.

ETHAN ALTER: And he's certainly had his ups and downs as--

FRANK STALLONE: Oh, sure.

ETHAN ALTER: When he's been down, what have you said to him when he's coming off something like "Stop or My Mom Will Shoot"?

FRANK STALLONE: I said, hey, how's it feel? Now you know what it feels like. I said, I'd like to feel sorry for you but that new Lamborghini out front kind of kills it.