Adrian Pennino
| Adrianna "Adrian" Balboa | |
|---|---|
| Rocky character | |
| First appearance | Rocky |
| Last appearance |
Rocky V (physical) Rocky Balboa (flashback) |
| Created by | Sylvester Stallone |
| Portrayed by | Talia Shire |
| Information | |
| Gender | Female |
| Occupation | Pet Shop employee Housewife |
| Spouse(s) | Robert "Rocky" Balboa Sr. |
| Children | Robert "Rocky" Jr. (son) |
| Relatives | Paulie Pennino (brother) |
| Nationality | American |
Adrianna "Adrian" Balboa (née Pennino) (March 10, 1950 - January 11, 2002) is a fictional character from the Rocky series, played by Talia Shire.
Shire was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress for her portrayal of Adrian in Rocky. The final scene in Rocky II, in which Rocky yells "Yo Adrian, I did it!", has been named by film enthusiasts as one of the most iconic quotes in sports film history.
Originally, Stallone offered Carrie Snodgress the role of Adrian, but she turned it down due to the low salary she was offered. Susan Sarandon was considered, but she was turned down because she was deemed too pretty to play the mousy character of Adrian. Talia Shire then auditioned for the role, and was selected.
She was the shy wife of two-time heavyweight champion Rocky Balboa, and the younger sister of Paulie Pennino. She started working in a pet shop, where Rocky would visit frequently needing food for his domestic turtles. The two were brought into a relationship by her brother Paulie.
They went to an ice rink on Thanksgiving Day where Rocky told her about his fighting career and his style. She asked him why he wanted to fight and he said that his father told him he had no brains and should develop his body. Adrian was surprised, as her mother said that she wasn't much of a body person and should develop her brain. As the two begin dating, she manages to give Rocky one of the pets in the shop; Butkus. On Christmas, an inebriated Paulie overhears her conversation with Rocky about Paulie's interferences. An enraged Paulie physically threatens her and Rocky with a baseball bat, only for Adrian to stand up for herself. Then he reveals that she is not a virgin and he would let other people use her, which sends Adrian crying, running towards her room and Rocky stopping the tirade and offers her to stay at his apartment. Before the fight, Adrian decides to stay in Rocky's locker room. As the rounds went by, she eventually comes out during the 14th round. As she witnesses Rocky get knocked down by the hands of Apollo Creed, she briefly closes her eyes in silence. At the end of the fight, Rocky calls out for her and Adrian rushes toward the ring, losing her hat along the way. As Paulie is denied entrance into the ring by security, she manages to slip inside the ring when he pulls up the ropes. While Creed is announced the winner, she appears to Rocky, to which he asks where her hat was, only for her to express her love for him.
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