Sylvester Stallone reunites with the 2 turtles from ‘Rocky’ and they’re now 44 years old

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It’s not that unusual for animals to appear in movies and then their sequels with famous co-stars. But when they’re the two turtles that appeared in the 1976 film “Rocky” who then made an appearance over forty years later in 2018’s “Creed II” alongside Sylvester Stallone, that doesn’t happen every day!

MORE: Watch Sylvester Stallone recreate Rocky scene with kid who knows every word

If you remember, in the original film, Rocky introduces Adrian to his two pet turtles named Cuff and Link, and she reminds him that he actually bought them from her at the pet store.

For “Creed II,” Stallone was reunited with the pair of female red-eared slider turtles and posted a photo on his Instagram. He guesstimated that they are probably about 44 years old now! See the pic below:

https://www.instagram.com/p/BiZ5d6oDfaF/

Cuff and Link reportedly belong to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania resident John Stuart; he’s the nephew of Joseph Marks, who owned the real-life pet store where the scenes for the original “Rocky” film were shot. Although the pet store is no longer around, the aquatic turtles are very much alive and kicking.

Red-eared sliders, which are indigenous to the U.S. although considered invasive in some states, can live 30-50 years in captivity, according to The Spruce Pets. That makes these Cuff and Link pretty long-lived for their species! The Philadelphia Inquirer reported in 2006 that Cuff and Link were five years old when the first “Rocky” film was being made.

And their show business career is as impressive as their age!  They’ve appeared in other films with Stallone, including “Rocky Balboa” and the first “Creed.”

In this YouTube video, posted to user Maria Ruggirello’s account, you can see their scene in the original “Rocky.” Stallone starts off the scene with his iconic phrase, “Yo Adrian!” before introducing her to the turtles she sold him.

This isn’t the first time that Stallone has paid tribute to one of his animal co-stars. He also posted a sweet photo of his dog Butkus, captioning the black and white photo of the two of them:

“I absolutely love pictures like this,” Stallone said on Instagram. “When I was 26, totally broke, going nowhere VERY fast, owned two pair of pants that barely fit, shoes that had holes in them and dreams of being successful were as far away as the sun… But I had my dog, BUTKUS, my best friend, my confidant, Who always laughed at my jokes, and put up with my moods, and was the one living thing that loved me for who I was!”

https://www.instagram.com/p/BSRM-NWjy3A/

Butkus appeared alongside the actor in “Rocky” and “Rocky 2” and was actually Stallone’s real-life pet. Sadly, dogs don’t live nearly as long as turtles, and Butkus reportedly died of a heart attack in 1981. However, he clearly lives on in Stallone’s heart and in the memories of everyone who watches “Rocky.”

Animals, Celebrities, Entertainment, Pets

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About the Author
Margeaux Baulch Klein
Margeaux Baulch Klein is a freelance writer and digital strategist based in Los Angeles. She has written for publications like the Huffington Post, New York Daily News, Bustle, and HelloGiggles, among others.

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