A hero is only as good as his opponent – what has been confirmed countless times on the screen is also true off screen in the cases of Arnold Schwarzenegger (76) and Sylvester Stallone (77). In a joint interview conducted last Tuesday (April 23) under the title “TMZ Presents: Arnold
According to People, Schwarzenegger concludes: “There is no doubt about it: He [Stallone, editor’s note] was extremely helpful for my career because he gave me something to pursue.” Stallone follows the same line. When he saw the colossus from Styria, he immediately thought: “Bang, two alpha animals are meeting!” He finally found someone who motivates him. “Because he is, if I may put it that way, an enemy, a threat, whatever you want to call it.”
What the two can now laugh about was a bitter rivalry, especially in the 80s. It all started shortly after the Golden Globes in 1977, when Stallone was a little too happy about “Rocky” winning Best Picture and, while celebrating, threw the table flowers into the air – which then trickled down on Schwarzenegger. According to Schwarzenegger, that wasn’t the direct beginning of their “battle”, but it was something of a catalyst.
Why Schwarzenegger probably handled the incident better than expected: Shortly before, he had triumphed at the Globes himself and was honored in the “Best Young Actor” category for “Mr. Universe.”
The two already spoke about their feud in the three-part Netflix documentary “Arnold”, which was released around a year ago: “We competed with each other everywhere. […] Who is tougher? Who uses the bigger knives, who uses them Bigger guns? Sly and I were at war with each other.” Stallone added: “We became so incredibly competitive. Like Ali and Frazier. […] There was only room for one of us.”
Stallone’s conclusion in “Arnold” was all the more surprising: Schwarzenegger “was superior. He had all the answers, he had the body, he had the strength. […] He wanted to be number one. Unfortunately, he made it. “
Stallone and Schwarzenegger have now been best friends for a long time, have filmed together and are not afraid to give each other compliments. “Arnie” admires the unbridled passion with which Stallone still goes about his work. “Sly,” on the other hand, wants his counterpart to be level-headed from time to time: “He’s like a chess player: you don’t know what’s going to happen, but in the end he wins.”