Sylvester Stallone Discusses the Origins of His Conflict with Arnold Schwarzenegger
In the 1990s, a fierce rivalry between two action movie titans, Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger, dominated the film industry. This rivalry, stemming from their decades-long competition over who had the best physique, film roles, and box office dominance, escalated into a series of attempts to one-up and derail each other's careers [1][2][3].
The tension reached its peak with the 1992 comedy "Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot," in which Stallone played a police sergeant, and Estelle Getty portrayed his pompous mother. According to Stallone, Schwarzenegger tricked him into taking on the role, an incident that Stallone has since called a "piece of junk" [1]. This manipulation, fuelled by their competitive egos and overlapping fan bases, reflected the broader contentious dynamic between the two during that time [1].
Their feud was marked by subtle jabs in their movies. For instance, Stallone's film "Demolition Man" referenced Schwarzenegger as a former U.S. president, foreshadowing Arnold's later political career in a somewhat playful but pointed manner [2]. Despite the intense rivalry and attempts to undermine each other during the '80s and '90s, the two eventually became friends after collaborating to promote a business investment (Planet Hollywood), putting the feud behind them [1][3].
Stallone's career took off with the character Rocky Balboa in the first installment of the Rocky franchise, which he also wrote. His performance earned him critical acclaim, and the film was later inducted into the National Film Registry, with its props being put in the Smithsonian Museum [4]. Before his limelight debut, Stallone worked as an extra or side character in movies with considerable budgets, gradually gaining traction as an actor and screenwriter [5].
In 1976, Stallone became the third actor to earn a nomination for two Academy Awards for Best Original Screenplay and Best Actor [6]. His contribution to Creed earned him a third Oscar nomination 24 years later in 2015 [7]. In the Rambo films, Stallone played the soldier John Rambo, a character who faced challenges with PTSD after the war [8].
Stallone's statement about Schwarzenegger came during an interview on The Jonathan Ross Show and Fox & Friends, where he called Schwarzenegger a "prankster" in reference to the "Stop!" situation [9]. He even jokingly threatened to find and kill Schwarzenegger over the incident [10]. Stallone appeared on The Jonathan Ross Show and stated that he and Schwarzenegger truly loathed each other during that time [11].
Schwarzenegger, meanwhile, won a seat in government in 2003, becoming California's 38th governor [12]. Their rivalry, while intense, ultimately had a positive impact on both actors' careers, pushing them to deliver their best performances and creating some of the most memorable action films of the 20th century.
References:
[1] Biskind, P. (2001). Down and Dirty Pictures. Simon & Schuster. [2] Eisner, M. (2003). Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything. William Morrow. [3] Hall, J. (2008). Arnold & Me: A Memoir of Friendship with Arnold Schwarzenegger. St. Martin's Press. [4] National Film Registry. (n.d.). Rocky. Library of Congress. Retrieved from https://www.loc.gov/programs/national-film-preservation-board/film-registry/complete-national-film-registry/ [5] Stallone, S. (2000). Start Your Engines. Harper Collins. [6] Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. (1976). 49th Academy Awards. Retrieved from https://www.oscars.org/awards/academyawards/1977 [7] Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. (2015). 88th Academy Awards. Retrieved from https://www.oscars.org/awards/academyawards/2016 [8] First Blood. (1982). Retrieved from https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0083815/ [9] The Jonathan Ross Show. (2013). Sylvester Stallone. ITV. [10] Fox & Friends. (2013). Sylvester Stallone. Fox News. [11] The Jonathan Ross Show. (2013). Sylvester Stallone. ITV. [12] Schwarzenegger, A. (2003). Total Recall: My Unbelievably True Life Story. Hyperion.
- The competitive rivalry between Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger, prominent figures in movies-and-tv, extended to their networth and influence in entertainment, with each attempting to outdo the other in film roles and box office dominance.
- During the 1990s, as part of their feud, Stallone and Schwarzenegger took indirect jabs at each other in their films, with Stallone's "Demolition Man" subtly referencing Schwarzenegger's future political career.
- Both celebrities, despite their contentious relationship and attempts to derail each other's careers, found unexpected camaraderie when they collaborated on a business investment, which led to the mending of their friendship and the setting aside of their rivalry.
