During an appearance on “The Graham Norton Show,” the legendary “Terminator” actor revealed that at the height of their rivalry, they were actively trying to outdo each other in various ways. Arnold Schwarzenegger recently shared insights into his previous intense rivalry with Sylvester Stallone, acknowledging that their competition had spiraled “out of control.”
Schwarzenegger said, “We were cinematic rivals, but we took our competitiveness to an extreme level. We were constantly trying to one-up each other – from sculpting the best physique to the number of on-screen adversaries defeated and even the size of our firearms.”
They attempted to harm each other’s careers as a result of their fierce competition. However, when both celebrities made investments in the Planet Hollywood restaurant group, their relationship suffered a profound change. They had to travel the globe together for this new business, which sparked the growth of a solid and enduring bond.
These two larger-than-life characters got into a heated rivalry, trying to outdo each other in every way possible, from who could use the “most significant firearm” to who could maintain the lowest body fat percentage during production.
Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sylvester Stallone (Credits: Getty Images)
Thankfully, their animosity started to fade in the late 1990s, and they eventually became close friends. As governor of California from 2003 to 2011, Schwarzenegger, who praised Stallone, said, “He is an exceptional individual, and we have now become inseparable.”
With their issues put aside, they started working together on projects like “Escape Plan” and “The Expendables,” which strengthened their relationship even more.
“I’m grateful we resolved our issues because it was quite unsightly. We were constantly attacking each other in the media, trading insults, and highlighting each other’s vulnerabilities, all driven by an intense competitive spirit,” said Arnold Schwarzenegger in reference to their last dispute in 2017.
Schwarzenegger had an unbeatable advantage, according to Stallone, who acknowledged in June that “He Always Had the Upper Hand. He possessed the physique and the strength, which became integral to his persona.”
Stallone reminisced on their competitive relationship in 2013, saying, “Over time, I started to enjoy this rivalry, this constant one-upmanship. He would acquire a bigger firearm, and I would defeat more adversaries. It was all about outdoing each other.” in an interview on David Letterman’s show.
The two buddies even engage in activities like pumpkin carving together as their connection has grown stronger over time. They utilized survival knives, which is notable since it’s a subtle allusion to their action-packed careers, where knives played a crucial part in Stallone’s “Rambo” and Schwarzenegger’s “Commando.”
