How Arnold Schwarzenegger “tripped” Sylvester Stallone for his biggest movie failure

Every movie fan is aware of the fierce rivalry that action greats Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sylvester Stallone once had.

Today, they are very good friends, but at the height of their careers in the 1980s and 1990s, the two were in constant competition for who was the bigger star.

A competition that sometimes goes to extremes.

In an hour-long TV show TMZ Presents: Arnold & Sly: Rivals, Friends, Icons that aired Tuesday on FOX, the actors talked at length about their careers and fierce competition.

“There’s no doubt that the rivalry helped my career because I had something to pursue and motivate me,” says Schwarzenegger.

The two also recall the famous moment from the Golden Globe Awards in 1977, when they first met and started their feud. Stallone then won best picture for Rocky, while Schwarzenegger took the rising star award for his role in Stay Hungry.

In this case, the director, writer and performer of the main role in the boxing drama thought that he deserved the debut award much more and felt personally offended.

“I literally grabbed a vase of flowers and threw it at his table [на Шварценегер], and he was just sitting there with a look on his face that was like, ‘Okay,'” Stallone recalled. “It was a gauntlet for me.”

For Schwarzenegger, the incident also marked the beginning of their cult rivalry for years to come.

According to him, initially everything was related to the vision and their bodies – if one had 10% subcutaneous fat, then the other had to drop to 7%.

“Then there were the guns. He [Сталоун] started using big machine guns so I had to use some too. I ran after him and he after me. In “Rambo” he killed 80 people, so in my next film I had to kill 87″, says Schwarzenegger.

When the two were at the height of their careers in the early ’90s, their rivalry became so intense that at one point the Terminator star even tried to sabotage his co-star’s career…and somewhat succeeded.

It’s about Stallone’s turn in the ill-fated 1992 comedy Stop or Mama Will Shoot, which turned out to be a colossal failure in every way.

“I was overjoyed, of course. I felt like the only way I could catch up with him was if he tripped,” Schwarzenegger said. “It’s all psychological in Hollywood. You’re only as good as your last movie. That’s why I was so happy when Sly tripped.”

A significant role in the “stumbling block” is played by Schwarzenegger himself, who also received an offer to participate in the film, but gave up sooner rather than later, as he did not like the script and assumed it would be a failure. However, he learns that Stallone also has an offer, but he hesitates.

Then she decides that if she feigns interest in the role of Sergeant Joe Bomowski, it will surely convince her competitor to rush her. The two stars’ agents discuss the situation, and Schwarzenegger’s rep lies that his client really wants to be on the project.

The future governor of California then contacted the film’s director, Roger Spottiswoode, and expressed his interest, further cementing the false impression.

“The agent told me I had talked to Spottiswoode and lied about taking the job,” Schwarzenegger said. “Of course, this provoked Stallone’s agent, who knew the competition we were in. He didn’t want to let me take roles away from his client and started calling the studio to convince them not to give me the job.”

In the end, exactly what the Austrian superstar wants happens – he slips his nemesis into a terrible movie that remains as a “stain” in Stallone’s career.

This happened more than three decades ago. Today, the former rivals are friends, and their enmity is a thing of the past.

When asked by host Harvey Levin about their current relationship, both were complimentary about each other.

Schwarzenegger notes his co-star’s dedication and passion for filmmaking, while Stallone reciprocates his admiration for Arnie’s composure and intelligence.

“He’s like a chess player – you don’t know what’s going on, but he does. He’s very organized, thinks and calculates everything,” Stallone said. “And it has a huge heart. You wouldn’t think it’s because we’re ‘action guys’, but believe me, we’re a lot more emotional than some dramatic actors.”