In an unexpectedly iconic scene from the original Rocky film in 1976, Sylvester Stallone’s Rocky Balboa hangs out with a pair of turtles that he’s named Cuff and Link.

swiggle1 dot pattern2 Screencap via YouTube Source: Screencap via YouTube

The tiny turtles came from the J&M Tropical Fish store, where Rocky’s love interest Adrian Pennino works.

Cuff and Link provide Rocky with an excuse to go to the store and get food, thereby running into the semi-awkward Adrian, who is all too happy to bond over turtles.

Eventually, their love would grow into something real, moving beyond the pet shop all thanks to the two aquatic pets that helped open the door to romance.

swiggle1 dot pattern2 Screencap via YouTube Source: Screencap via YouTube

While sometimes people forget about the role the two turtles played in Rocky and Adrian’s relationship, we were all reminded recently when actor Sylvester Stallone posted a photo on Instagram with the pair.

That’s right, they’re still alive and kicking.

In fact, the duo is even still acting!

Stallone posted a selfie with his former co-stars on Instagram recently. He captioned it: “In CREED 2 with my original buddies from the first Rocky … CUFF and LINK, now about 44 years old!”

swiggle1 dot pattern2 Sylvester Stallone via Instagram Source: Sylvester Stallone via Instagram

Yep – they’re co-stars once more!

More than that, they’ve been roommates all this time. After filming, Stallone took Cuff and Link home with him where they’ve been living happily and are now 44 years old!

swiggle1 dot pattern2 via CinemaBlend Source: via CinemaBlend

What can we say, sometimes life imitates art!

Fans went crazy when they saw the turtles and Stallone made some new fans among animal lovers who were charmed to see that he’s been taking care of them all this time.

While Cuff and Link have enjoyed a long life of luxury, they’re still hard at work – in fact, they made their acting comeback in the movie Creed II in 2018.

Many fans insisted that Stallone give the turtles their own Instagram account (though they’re destined to be disappointed).

Others gushed:

“OMG! I just came across this. It is pure happiness, Thank you SS. I must have saved a hundred turtles in my lifetime! Even stopping in the road to rescue all kinds.”

Some people fell even harder for the star:

“I didn’t think I could love you any more than I already do 😍”

And most agreed that this solidified Stallone’s reputation as a genuinely nice guy:

“Sly – have always thought you were the most under-rated and most talented guy in Hollywood –Now I know you are also the nicest <3”

Fans were eager to know what species of turtle Cuff and Link are and when Stallone didn’t respond, plenty of turtle lovers weighed in.

Everyone eventually agreed that they are Red Eared Sliders, the most common type of house turtles.

swiggle1 dot pattern2 Max Pixel Source: Max Pixel

Since the photo was posted in May of 2018, the post has been liked over 392,000 times.

In case you’re looking for a reason to see Creed II, also considered to be the 8th film in the Rocky franchise, now you know to look out for their special cameo appearance.

The film follows the son of Apollo Creed (who was killed by his opponent Ivan Drago in the ring in Rocky 5). The young man agrees to fight the son of his father’s killer with the help of his trainer, none other than Rocky Balboa.

swiggle1 dot pattern2 via Flickr Source: via Flickr

If a film about boxing isn’t your style and you’re really just in it for the turtles, you can scroll down below to see the two stars in their original roles.

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Source: Unilad