Uncovering the Feud: Arnold Schwarzenegger vs. Sylvester Stallone
What Sparked the Rift between Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sylvester Stallone?
According to Sylvester Stallone, the genesis of his feud with Arnold Schwarzenegger dates back to the 1977 Golden Globe Awards. That evening, the Rocky star was up for Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama for his portrayal in Rocky. In contrast, Arnold snagged a nomination for New Star of the Year – Actor for his role in Stay Hungry.
“I came face-to-face with him the night of the Golden Globes,” Sylvester revealed to Variety. “He’s at the table and I don’t know who he is, this big guy. Then he goes, ‘I’m Arnold Schwarzenegger, new talent of the year.’ I go, ‘Excuse me?’ So he’s gloating and gloating and gloating, and finally, it’s time for Rocky.”
The tension escalated when Rocky clinched the Best Picture award, as Sylvester grabbed a massive bowl of flowers and flung it in Arnold’s direction, kickstarting a decade-long battle between the two Hollywood heavyweights.
The Evolution from Foes to Buddies: Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sylvester Stallone
Fast-forward to the early 1990s, Arnold and Sylvester began mending their strained relationship after both investing in the Planet Hollywood restaurant chain. Arnold recounted, “When we both invested in Planet Hollywood, we started flying around the world together to promote it, and we became fantastic friends. He is a great human being and we are now inseparable. Now, we look back and we laugh at the whole thing.”
Since their reconciliation, the duo hasn’t shied away from praising each other. In Sylvester’s Netflix documentary, Arnold acknowledged, “We were like little kids. Sly, all of a sudden with Rambo, he stepped into my arena. All of a sudden, he was ripped with muscles, and everyone [was] talking about his body. So that created competition, of course…I was always trailing Sly, I was always a step behind.”
Similarly, Sylvester commended Arnold in an interview with Forbes, mentioning, “He [Arnold] just had all the answers. He had the body. He had the strength. That was his character. We really disliked each other immensely because we were…this may sound a little vain, but I think we were pioneering a kind of genre at that time and it hasn’t been seen since really.”
Revisiting the Legendary Rivalry: Arnold & Sly: Rivals, Friends, Icons
Mark your calendars for April 23, 2024, as Arnold & Sly: Rivals, Friends, Icons delves into the storied clash between the iconic duo. Tune in to Fox at 8 pm on that Tuesday for the gripping documentary. For cord-cutters, options like Fubo, Hulu with Live TV, Sling TV, and YouTube TV offer live streaming of the special event.