Arnold Schwarzenegger Admits ‘Extreme’ Rivalry With Sylvester Stallone ‘Got Out of Control and We Tried to Derail Each Other’

During a recent appearance on “The Graham Norton Show,” Arnold Schwarzenegger disclosed that the competition between him and Sylvester Stallone became excessive in the ‘80s and ‘90s. Schwarzenegger and Stallone both rose to fame as action stars, with Schwarzenegger’s iconic release of “The Terminator” and Stallone’s lead role in “Rambo” at around the same time.

"We used to compete against each other in our movies, but we took it to a whole new level. We constantly tried to outdo one another by having the strongest bodies, the highest body count, and the most impressive weapons," shared Schwarzenegger. "Unfortunately, it became too intense and we ended up trying to sabotage each other."

After we both put money into Planet Hollywood, we began traveling together globally to advertise it, and we formed a remarkable friendship," he stated. "He's an exceptional person, and we're now very close."

Stallone and Schwarzenegger acted together in the initial two "Expendables" flicks and the 2013 action blockbuster "Escape Plan" that made $137 million all over the world. As a result of the final film, Stallone starred in two more sequels.

During the summer, Stallone expressed in Schwarzenegger's Netflix documentary "Arnold" that there is undoubtedly no other action hero more perfect than Schwarzenegger.

Stallone reflected on how the 1980s was an exciting period since the ultimate portrayal of an action hero had yet to emerge. Before then, action was limited to car pursuits seen in movies like 'Bullitt' and 'The French Connection'. Films were mostly focused on clever dialogues and insinuations. On the other hand, Arnold Schwarzenegger relied heavily on his physicality to convey his character's tale. Dialogue took a backseat.

Stallone shared about Schwarzenegger, "He was exceptional. He had every solution. He possessed a great physique and immense power. Such was his persona. On the other hand, I always had to face defeat, and Arnold, never really got injured much. I even wondered if he could fight a dragon and come back with just a Band-Aid."

In November of last year, Stallone made a confession to Forbes magazine. The Hollywood star revealed that he and the other actor had a strong and long-lasting disliking for each other that lasted over 20 years. This animosity between them stemmed from the competition between their respective action movies that were both vying for success at the box office.

Stallone expressed that he believes they were innovating a unique category during that era, and it hasn't been replicated similarly ever since. He also disclosed that both him and the other individual were highly competitive by nature and this intense desire to win helped in their on-screen performance. However, this competitiveness extended even when the cameras were not rolling and that wasn't a positive aspect of their relationship. Nonetheless, they have now grown into great companions.

Sylvester Stallone has produced his very own documentary "Sly," which will be available to stream on Netflix on November 3rd.