Sylvester Stallone recalls former feud with Arnold Schwarzenegger: ‘We truly loathed each other’

‘We couldn’t stand to be in the same galaxy together for a while,’ ‘Rocky’ star admitted

Sylvester Stallone has recounted his former feud with fellow actor Arnold Schwarzenegger.

While the two Hollywood legends are now good friends, having even co-starred in a few films, including The Expendables and Escape Plan, things weren’t always smooth sailing, Stallone admitted.

During the 1980s and 1990s, the two were major box office rivals, having both pioneered similar genres.

On Saturday (12 November), Stallone made an appearance on The Jonathan Ross Show and discussed his past grievances with the Terminator star.

“We couldn’t stand to be in the same galaxy together for a while. We truly, truly loathed each other,” the 76-year-old Rocky star revealed.

Stallone then shared a story from the time Schwarzenegger baited him into taking a role in a movie that Schwarzenegger knew was going to be a flop.

“He’s quite clever. He goes around town saying, ‘I can’t wait to do this film…’ I go to my agent, ‘Get that thing away from him. Get people options on me,’” Stallone remembered.

Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger (Getty Images)

Stallone later landed the lead role in the action comedy Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot, opposite Estelle Getty, which he soon regretted.

“I got it and I said, ‘What a piece of s*** this is.’ [Schwarzenegger] goes, ‘Ha ha ha!’” the Rambo actor added.

The 1992 movie currently holds a critic’s rating of 14 per cent on Rotten Tomatoes.

However, Stallone made sure to point out that Schwarzenegger has also taken on bad roles too.

He specifically named Schwarzenegger’s 1994 romcom Junior, which has a 39 per cent critic score on Rotten Tomatoes.

“At least I wasn’t pregnant in a film, Arnold. We’re even,” Stallone quipped.

In an earlier interview with The Independent, Stallone recounted his real-life “Rocky moment”.

He also clarified his Creed 3 absence does not mean he’s turned his back on the franchise.

Stallone currently leads Paramount+’s new series, Tulsa King, as mafia capo Dwight Manfredi, whose boss exiles him to Tulsa, Oklahoma after his recent release from 25 years in prison.

Tulsa King airs new episodes on Sundays on Paramount+.