Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger are well-known former rivals in Hollywood, especially since they both dominate the action movie genre scene. In fact, they tried to outdo each other to the point that they would trick the other person into getting roles that would ruin their career.
This years-long feud between Hollywood’s greatest action stars has finally come to an end, though it’s always fascinating to look back and see how Stallone and Schwarzenegger dealt with their rivalry.
Sylvester Stallone Regrets Stealing A Role From Arnold Schwarzenegger
During his appearance on the long-running ITV talk series The Jonathan Ross Show, actor Sylvester Stallone recalled how he and fellow action star Arnold Schwarzenegger could not stand each other, let alone be in the same room.
“We couldn’t stand to be in the same galaxy together for a while. We truly, truly loathed each other.”
The Creed actor revealed he was once tricked by Schwarzenegger into stealing a movie project that almost tarnished his reputation as an actor. The Predator star would claim that the offer was really good, and Stallone would do everything to grab that gig. In the end, he would realize his mistake.
“He’s quite clever. He goes around town saying, ‘I can’t wait to do this film.’ I go to my agent, ‘Get that thing away from him. Get people options on me.’ I got it, and I said, ‘What a piece of s—t this is.’ He goes, ‘Hahaha!’ At least I wasn’t pregnant in a film, Arnold. We’re even.”
Stallone was talking about Schwarzenegger’s 1994 comedy film Junior where he played a pregnant man. In another conversation with Fox News, the Rocky actor reiterated how he loathed starring in the critically scorned 1992 comedy Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot.
“Schwarzenegger tricked me to do that piece of junk. That’s one of those things that you go, ‘Why am I in this?’ There’s a scene they say, ‘Would you mind wearing diapers?’ I’m going to kill Arnold. I am going to find him and track him.”
It was a hard lesson for Stallone, and from then, he has since become selective of the projects he gets involved in. Thankfully, he and Schwarzenegger have finally ended their feud.
Sylvester Stallone On His Friendship With Arnold Schwarzenegger
In an interview with Entertainment Tonight, Sylvester Stallone reflected on his rivalry-turned-friendship with Arnold Schwarzenegger. He noted that they share the same sense of humor and even acknowledged that he made him better.
“I try to find laughs when they’re not in abundance. Sometimes it gets a little irritating, and people tell me, shut up. It’s like with me and Arnold. We have this caustic sense of humor, and we go at each other nonstop. I almost covet a good enemy. He really brings out the best of you.”
Both of them used that old-school competition to motivate and push themselves harder. In the end, they realized that they had more similarities than differences.
“[Back in the day], we couldn’t breathe the same air. But that made us work harder. And then we eventually realized we’re pretty much cut from the same cloth – even though his cloth is more like itchy wool. I’m like silk.”
It is definitely all a thing of the past now for Stallone and Schwarzenegger, which also helped in building The Expendables franchise which they both starred in.