Nico Vázquez, the Argentine actor starring in the Buenos Aires stage adaptation of Rocky, received an unexpected video call from Sylvester Stallone, the actor and screenwriter who created the character, and shared the moment with his followers on October 22, 2026, according to Infobae. Vázquez said the conversation lasted about ten minutes and centered on theater, family loss and the people they love. The call was arranged by Nacho Figueras, the Argentine polo player, according to the actor's account.
Vázquez wrote in his post that he was resting at home and answered his phone without checking the screen, assuming it was an ordinary call. The line then switched to video, and Stallone appeared on screen. "I could barely get the screen to record," Vázquez recalled, describing his disbelief at seeing the man behind Rocky Balboa on his phone.
Why it matters
The call links the 1976 film that made Stallone a global star with a local production that has become one of the biggest draws in Buenos Aires commercial theater. According to Infobae, the show drew 101,000 spectators across 101 sold-out performances in its second season at the Teatro Lola Membrives. In May, the Buenos Aires City Legislature declared the production of cultural interest, and the show went on to win eight ACE awards, including the ACE de Oro for best production.
For Vázquez, the significance went beyond professional recognition. He has said the character has been part of his life since childhood, when his father introduced him to the film. He later showed it to his brother Santiago, who died in 2016.
A conversation about loss and family
According to Vázquez, Stallone called to congratulate him on the Argentine adaptation, which Vázquez stars in, co-directs and produces. The American actor told him he was proud of how the local team brought the story to the stage, describing their approach as real, human and full of heart, according to the account. Stallone also praised Vázquez's work as actor, director and general producer, as well as the performances of the rest of the cast.
Vázquez said he was able to tell Stallone what the character has meant to him over the years, calling Rocky the role of his life and his favorite hero. The conversation then moved away from the production itself. "We talked about loss, about the people we love and about how we learn to keep going," Vázquez said, adding that Stallone knows that pain too. At one point, Vázquez showed Stallone a tattoo he carries in tribute to his brother.
"Ten minutes I will keep in my heart forever," Vázquez wrote. He described Stallone as enormously humble and sensitive, and publicly thanked Figueras for setting up the encounter.
A production built over months
The stage version of Rocky pairs Vázquez with Dai Fernández, who plays Adrian opposite him. The project followed more than nine months of work to adapt the screenplay for the theater, including staged boxing scenes, sets that recreate locations from the film and a dedicated physical training regimen for Vázquez, according to Infobae. The original film, released in 1976, follows Rocky Balboa, a Philadelphia boxer who gets a chance to change his life.
Vázquez explained that he made the recording public because he knew many people feel the same way about the character. He wrote that he wanted to share it with those who grew up with Rocky, were moved by the story and found strength in it. He closed his message with thanks to Stallone for the character and his generosity, and to his brother Santiago, whom he addressed directly.
The production continues its run among the most attended titles in Buenos Aires commercial theater. Watch for whether the show's team announces further milestones following Stallone's public endorsement of the adaptation.
