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Sylvester Stallone is still in shock after receiving a Kennedy Center honor for doing work he would “do for free” if he had to.
The “Tulsa King” star told Fox News Digital that receiving this prestigious award was never something he planned for himself.
“I try to put it into words. It’s such a shock and revelation. It’s something I didn’t expect, ever. And now I don’t know what to do,” he said.
Sylvester Stallone will be honored with a Kennedy Center award this December. (Getty Images)
Stallone explained that he’s in the process of writing a book, “How Rocky Happened: 1969 to the Oscars,” and has been going down memory lane, remembering all the “insanity” that came from filming the famed “Rocky” movies.
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“When you get this Kennedy Center honor, it’s just something I still, at this age, can’t fathom that you actually get a prize for what you do that you would do for free. You know what I mean? I’ve been so lucky. I’ve been blessed, everything. And on top of that, you’re gonna give me a chocolate sundae? Come on. Jesus,” Stallone said.
“When you get this Kennedy Center honor, it’s just something I still, at this age, can’t fathom that you actually get a prize for what you do that you would do for free.”
In August, President Donald Trump announced the stars set to be honored at the highly anticipated ceremony in December. Aside from Stallone, the honorees this year are country legend George Strait, rock band KISS, English actor Michael Crawford and iconic singer Gloria Gaynor, known for her hits, including “I Will Survive.”
Trump, now chairman of the Kennedy Center, is ramping up efforts to reshape the honors program — pushing for a glitzier, star-studded celebration.
WATCH: Sylvester Stallone says Kennedy Center honor is ‘something I still can’t fathom’
“The 48th Kennedy Center Honorees are outstanding people, incredible, we can’t wait… in a few short months since I became chairman of the board, the Kennedy Center, we’ve completely reversed the decline of this cherished national institution,” he said in his speech.
When reporters asked Trump how involved he was in selecting the 2025 honorees, he didn’t hold back.
President Donald Trump is chairman of the Kennedy Center. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)
“I was about 98% involved… they all came through me,” he said.
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Trump explained he personally greenlit each honoree, and made it known that some didn’t make the cut.
“I turned down plenty, they were too woke… I had a couple of wokesters. No, we have great people. This is very different than it used to be.”
Trump ended his “very long answer” by saying he “was very involved” in the selection of the Kennedy Center Honorees.
President Donald Trump at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. (Getty Images)
During Stallone’s interview with Fox News Digital, he discussed his hit show “Tulsa King” and explained that it’s the closest role he’s played that shows his true self.
“It’s as close as I’m ever going to come to showing who I am, my real personality. That’s how I would react. It was an experiment.
“This is pretty much me as a gangster,” Stallone said.
Sylvester Stallone led all of the “Rocky” movies. (Sunset Boulevard/Corbis via Getty Images)
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He also said the pressure is high to keep up with high-quality seasons as “Tulsa King” progresses and compared the TV show to the “Rocky” films.
WATCH: Sylvester Stallone talks season 3 of ‘Tulsa King’
“It’s pretty tense, it is. It’s unnerving because, just like with ‘Rockys’, how do you top the last round that did better than the one before that? And that comes with, here we go again, the team. You gotta have that great team behind you. But the thing is, it’s true. You don’t win the big games without a great team,” Stallone told Fox News Digital.
Sylvester Stallone’s “Tulsa King” is gearing up for its season 3 premiere. (Photo by Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Paramount+)
“Tulsa King” season three premieres on Sunday, September 21, on Paramount+.
Fox News Digital’s Stephanie Giang-Paunon contributed to this report.
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