Sylvester Stallone says decadeslong row with Arnold Schwarzenegger ended when action star rival turned to politics
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By ADAM S. LEVY, US SENIOR SHOWBUSINESS REPORTER
Published: | Updated:
Sylvester Stallone says that his rivalry with fellow action star Arnold Schwarzenegger came to an end after decades of discord between the stars, when Schwarzenegger turned his attention to politics.
'It wasn't put to bed until like 20 years [later,]' the 80-year-old actor said while appearing on the podcast Rest Is Entertainment.
The Tulsa King star said the feud was so heated, he and Schwarzenegger, 79, 'couldn't get on the same stage together to make a presentation or a speech,' even during a time they were both invested in the restaurant chain Planet Hollywood.
Both actors were among the top box office draws of the 1980s and 1990s, with Stallone racking up hits in the Rocky and Rambo franchises, while Schwarzenegger found success with The Terminator franchise, as well as movies such as Predator and Commando.
Stallone said that the 'antagonistic' rivalry - driven by who would be the 'vanguard' in the action film genre - 'went back-and-forth, on- and off-screen.'
The Daily Mail has reached out to representatives for Schwarzenegger for further comment on the story.
Sylvester Stallone, 80, says that his rivalry with fellow action star Arnold Schwarzenegger came to an end after decades of discord between the stars, when Schwarzenegger turned his attention to politics. Pictured last month in NYC
The competition spurred both to keep raising the stakes trying to one-up the other with blockbuster films, even baiting one another with projects they deemed inferior.
He added, 'It was very contentious, trust me, which I enjoyed, because the madder I made him, the madder he made me, the more he fought to make the next action film bigger-than-life, louder, more body count, this and that, better location - it just kept elevating.'
Stallone said that the rivalry was so intense, he and Schwarzenegger 'couldn't get together' on a proposed film with late filmmaker John Hughes in which both would play neighbors.
Ultimately, Stallone said Schwarzenegger's pivot from show business to politics in the early 2000s - with Schwarzenegger's gubernatorial run in California - led him to stop seeing him as a rival.
'I said, "Enough of this" - we're not in competition,' Stallone said. 'He was not doing movies anymore.'
He said that he came to the realization when he ran into Schwarzenegger at a cigar shop.
Stallone said he told Schwarzenegger, 'Thank you very much for waking me up, lighting a fire under me,' adding that Schwarzenegger 'felt the same way.'
Since they've buried the hatchet, Stallone and Schwarzenegger have collaborated on a number of motion pictures.
The actors pictured in November of 2016 in Westwood, California
Schwarzenegger pictured in June of 2025 in LA
They include Expendables 2 in 2012, Escape Plan in 2013, and Expendables 3 in 2014.
Stallone said that he and Schwarzenegger are 'very much so' friends, acknowledging that some competitive embers still burn.
'You know, we're always gonna be competitive... that's the nature of the beast, and I enjoy it, I really do,' he said. 'But we're not as financially competitive anymore... that's long gone.'
He added, 'It's something that'll never happen again, where you have two actors in the same genre, literally going for it - on-screen, off-screen.'
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