Sylvester Stallone has opened up about the intense, decades-long rivalry he shared with Arnold Schwarzenegger, detailing how their competitive nature fueled their careers in the action genre.
Stallone, 80, appeared on the podcast “The Rest Is Entertainment” and described his relationship with Schwarzenegger, 79, as “antagonistic” from the outset. He explained that both actors were vying for dominance in the action film landscape.
Their feud reportedly began when Stallone noticed Schwarzenegger giving him “dirty looks” at the Golden Globes. In response, Stallone recounted throwing a bowl of flowers at Schwarzenegger at their next encounter. “The gauntlet was thrown, and it was on,” Stallone said.
He characterized Schwarzenegger as naturally antagonistic and noted that both actors enjoyed challenging each other. As their films like “Rambo” and “Commando” competed at the box office, their animosity extended beyond the screen. “It was very contentious, trust me, which I enjoyed,” Stallone stated. “Because the madder I made him, the madder he made me, the more we fought to make the next action film — bigger knife, louder gun, more body count, this and that, better location. It just kept elevating.”
This competitiveness even extended to their business ventures. When they co-founded the restaurant chain Planet Hollywood in 1991, Stallone recalled their inability to appear together on stage for promotional events due to their ongoing feud.
The animosity eventually subsided around 20 years later, particularly after Schwarzenegger transitioned into politics and was elected Governor of California in 2003. Stallone mentioned encountering Schwarzenegger at a cigar shop, where they decided to put their differences aside, marking an end to their professional competition.
“We’re always going to be competitive,” Stallone remarked. “That’s the nature of the beast and I enjoy it.” He added that their financial competition is “long gone.”
Stallone also recently discussed the physical toll his action-movie career has taken. Promoting the fourth season of “Tulsa King,” he told Fox News Digital that his role in the 2010 film “The Expendables” led to nine back surgeries, three neck fusions, and torn shoulder muscles. "I think I'm an idiot for doing that," he admitted, reflecting on his history of performing his own stunts.