John Avildsen, the Oscar-winning director most well known for producing Hollywood’s most famous underdog story, the “Rocky” has died at the age of 81 on Friday. The “Rocky” saga was not only a box office hit but also gave then unknown Sylvester Stallone his first big hit. Avildsen was also responsible for the inspiring tale, ‘The Karate Kid’. According to family, the director had been fighting pancreatic cancer before finally succumbing to it. Avildsen won the Academy award for Best Director when he directed Rocky that generated $225 million in domestic ticket sales and created an unforgettable cultural phenomenon. He also had directed seven actors to Oscar success. The movie Rocky centres on the story of a budding and talented, Rocky Balboa, played by Stallone who faces off in the boxing ring with champion Apollo Creed, played by Carl Weathers. Rocky trains very hard in a memorable and iconic montage and although he faces his share of trouble, preservers and comes out as a champion in the end. Surprisingly, Avildsen only took the job because he didn’t get funding for another movie he was set to direct, he said in an interview in 2000. “My friend sent me this (“Rocky”) script and got me to read it, and on the third page, this guy is talking to his turtles, and I was hooked. It was a great character study.” Lucky for him he went on to direct a movie that will keep him remembered for times to come.