Eighty-year-old Sylvester Stallone, in a recent episode of the podcast The Rest Is Entertainment, spoke in detail for the first time in a long while about his long-standing rivalry with Arnold Schwarzenegger. According to the actor, their confrontation began in an era when both were fighting for the title of Hollywood's top action star and escalated into a genuine personal feud that lasted for over two decades.
The Golden Globes Planter and the Beginning of the Battle
Stallone recalled that the first sign of hostility was Schwarzenegger's glares at the Golden Globes ceremony. At their next meeting, the actor recounted, he threw a bowl of flowers at his rival while pretending to celebrate some event. "And then the challenge was thrown down. It all started," Stallone is quoted as saying by WAVE (wave.rbc.ua). Since then, a fierce battle for audience attention unfolded: while Stallone was conquering theaters with his John Rambo films, Schwarzenegger was starring in Commando and The Terminator.
Rivalry on Screen and in Business
By Stallone's admission, every new success by his competitor forced him to raise the bar higher. "More bodies, louder weapons, more kills, better locations. It all just kept escalating," he described the logic of their confrontation. In 1991, despite their mutual animosity, both actors became co-founders and investors in the Planet Hollywood restaurant chain. However, their shared business did not smooth things over: according to Stallone, they could not calmly step onto the same stage for a presentation or promotional event.
The Year 2003 and a Chance Meeting in a Cigar Shop
The turning point came in 2003 when Schwarzenegger entered politics and subsequently led California. Stallone explained that this was precisely what allowed for a fresh perspective on their decades-long rivalry: "I said, enough of this. We are no longer competing." Final reconciliation happened by chance when the actors met in a cigar shop, where they were able to talk calmly and leave old grudges behind.
From Feud to Joint Projects
Following their reconciliation, the former rivals began working together: Schwarzenegger appeared in The Expendables (2010), and later they starred together in The Expendables 2, Escape Plan, and The Expendables 3. Today, Stallone calls Schwarzenegger a good friend, but admits that the spirit of rivalry has not disappeared: "We will always compete. That is just our nature, and I like it." At the same time, he is convinced that such a confrontation is unlikely to ever repeat itself in Hollywood history, given that he and Schwarzenegger competed simultaneously on screen and behind the scenes for years.
