The Hollywood Legend Who Reportedly Showed Sylvester Stallone’s Rambo the Bird for Deleting His Scenes, Outright Left Mid-Shoot
Kirk Douglas’s departure from Sylvester Stallone’s First Blood sparked drama, but Richard Crenna’s unexpected role cemented the film’s success.
The first movie of the Rambo franchise, First Blood, had everything working in its favor. The movie was directed by Ted Kotcheff and penned by Sylvester Stallone. The actor not only wrote the screenplay but also starred as the main lead, John Rambo.
But while Stallone’s acting was highly impressive in the movie, there was another legendary actor who could’ve been a part of the movie if his requests were not rejected by the filmmaker.
The actor in question was the late Kirk Douglas, who almost played Col. Trautman. However, after some of his scenes were cut short in the movie, the actor left production midway.
Why Did Kirk Douglas leave First Blood midway?
The Rambo franchise is among the most bankable in the industry, with several movies under its banner. Playing the titular John Rambo in all the films, Sylvester Stallone has solidified his reputation as an action-packed actor. While First Blood was a commercial success, it was originally set to feature the late Kirk Douglas. However, due to behind-the-scenes issues, Douglas left the movie midway.
As reported by a New York Times report, legendary actor Kirk Douglas was initially on board to play Col. Trautman. But when he saw that some of his scenes were heavily edited and cut down, he was quite furious. This ultimately reached a boiling point, and he decided to leave the project entirely.
This was just one of several difficulties faced on the movie set. For example, bad weather disrupted filming significantly, causing major delays for several key action sequences. Additionally, director Ted Kotcheff revealed in an interview that Douglas constantly requested script changes and even tried to take lines from other actors.
Despite efforts to accommodate his demands, it became too challenging for production. The team issued Douglas an ultimatum: adhere to the original script or leave. Douglas chose to leave, and his suggested alternate ending for the movie was also rejected.
While many anticipated bad blood between Douglas and Stallone, both actors proved everyone wrong by collaborating on the 1991 film Oscar. Stallone also honored Douglas after his passing in 2020. After Douglas, the late actor Richard Crenna was brought in for the role, and despite the shake-up, he perfectly played Rambo’s mentor.
Stallone All Set to Bring Back the Rocky Magic on Screen
Hollywood legend Sylvester Stallone is all set to bring back one of his most iconic roles on screen. The character in question is Rocky, and as he detailed during an appearance on the Inspire Me podcast, he’s currently writing the prequel. He mentioned that the script “seems to write itself” with ease. Given that the original movie was released back in 1976, this new update is sure to excite fans of the actor.
In the original, Stallone played the titular Rocky Balboa, and the film centered around a classic rags-to-riches story. It follows the life of an underdog but kind-hearted Italian American boxer who is given a rare but significant opportunity to fight heavyweight champion Apollo Creed.
The storyline and the character captivated viewers upon its release, turning the movie into one of the most cherished franchises out there. In the prequel, Stallone is set to delve deeper into Rocky’s formative years.
While important details about the film are still under wraps, the actor hinted that the prequel might touch upon Rocky’s romance with Adrienne.