This is fun…Silent film hero Charlie Chaplin and the KING himself, Elvis Presley, were both big fans of the first ROCKY movie! Chaplin wrote to Stallone that Rocky reminded the silent film star of a character he used to play. Stallone regretted turning down Chaplin’s invitation to visit him in Switzerland after the director died a few months later. Similarly, Stallone turned down Elvis’ offer to watch Rocky with him in Memphis months before The King passed away. 
Burt Young apparently put on a few pounds and had to lose weight for the sequel because he didn’t know he was even going to be a part of the next installment! He lost weight for another film; Young initially did not want to play Paulie again. Stallone wrote a line into Rocky II to address the obvious physical difference.
