Sylvester Stallone reminisced about owning just two pairs of pants and hole-filled shoes when he started out in Hollywood.

The 70-year-old is now one of the most famous actors in his industry thanks to movie franchises including Rocky, Rambo and The Expendables all contributing to his impressive back catalogue. But before he could command millions of dollars for a film role, Sly was just like any other wannabe actor - with only a few dollars to his name.

Sly recalled his start in the business as he posted a throwback picture of himself with Bullmastiff dog Butkus on Instagram on Thursday, writing: “I absolutely love pictures like this. When I was 26, totally broke, going nowhere VERY fast, owned two pairs 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! #man’s best friend #BullMastiff #Loyalty #NewYorkCity #AmericanDreams.”

Butkus has been a fixture in Sly’s life for many years. But when he was a penniless wannabe actor, he had to resort to selling his beloved pooch so he had enough money to live on.

Sharing another picture of himself as a young man with his canine companion, Sly wrote: “Since I never went out, I relied on his companionship, and actually it was his idea to write Rocky, but don’t tell anyone. Years later when things got even worse I had to sell him for $40 in front of a 7-Eleven store, because I couldn’t afford food, then like a modern day miracle, the screenplay for Rocky sold, and I could buy him back, but the new owner knew I was desperate, and charged me $15,000.. He was worth every penny!”