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Sylvester Stallone reflects on ‘very contentious’ Arnold Schwarzenegger feud: ‘The gauntlet was thrown’
Sylvester Stallone says his decades-long rivalry with Arnold Schwarzenegger began because both wanted to lead the action-film genre. He described their relationship as contentious but said their competition pushed each to make bigger, more ambitious films.
Stallone recalled throwing a bowl of flowers at Schwarzenegger after an early encounter, and said the pair even struggled to share a stage while promoting Planet Hollywood. They reconciled around 2003, after Schwarzenegger entered politics, and are now good friends, though still competitive. Stallone also said stunt work on The Expendables led to nine back operations, three neck fusions and damage to both shoulders.
In short
- Stallone says rivalry grew from competing to lead action films.
- The pair made peace around 2003 and remain friends.
- Stallone says The Expendables left him with serious injuries.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
A strong rivalry between leading action stars can raise the bar for the whole genre: each actor has reason to take on more ambitious roles and films, giving audiences greater spectacle and variety. By Stallone’s account, their competition helped drive that ambition, while their eventual friendship suggests intense professional rivalry need not prevent mutual respect.
The case against
Competition can spur ambition, but a feud built around status and one-upmanship can also make collaboration harder and turn creative work into a personal contest. The reported hostility, including difficulty sharing a stage, illustrates those costs; and Stallone’s account of serious injuries from stunt work underscores how far the pursuit of bigger action films can carry physical risk.