Summary
- Schwarzenegger tricked Stallone into a major flop, amusing fans and continuing their lifelong friendly rivalry.
- Both actors transitioned from tough-guy roles to comedy, with mixed results but unbeatable friendship.
- Inseparable 70s and 80s icons, Stallone and Schwarzenegger’s late careers continue to thrive in TV and movies.
Sylvester Stallone was tricked into taking the lead role in one of his biggest flops by Arnold Schwarzenegger. In a lengthy joint interview with TMZ, the pair discussed their respective careers, including the story of how Schwarzenegger forced his unsuspecting friend into starring in the comedy Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot. As long-standing friends, the joke is one that they can both laugh about now – which is more than people did at the movie.
Both Stallone and Schwarzenegger are known for their tough-guy roles in movies such as Commando, Rambo, The Terminator, and The Expendables. However, both veteran actors have tried their hands at comedy, with mixed results. When it came to Stallone’s 1992 comedy disaster, Schwarzenegger knew exactly how to get his friend to jump at the role, even though he knew it was a terrible script.
Release Date February 21, 1992
Cast Sylvester Stallone , Estelle Getty , JoBeth Williams , Roger Rees , Martin Ferrero , Gailard Sartain
Runtime 87
Writers Blake Snyder , William Osborne , William Davies
Tagline She did the laundry and washed the dishes. Now she’s cleaning up the streets.
“When we talk about the movie, I didn’t talk him into it because I never talked to him about it. It was very clear that his agent was telling my agent, ‘Look, Sly is interested in doing it, but I don’t know if it’s a bad thing for him. Let me know what you guys are thinking.’ And then my agent said, ‘Well Arnold really loves it, I think its fantastic.’ So then I called the director Roger Spottiswoode, who just did the James Bond movie, so he was like the hot director. So he was the right guy to go with.”
At this point, Stallone was asked if he knew any of this, to which he replied, “No.” Schwarzenegger then continued:
Stallone interjects again – “You talked to my director? Oh my god.”
Schwarzenegger continues:
“So my agent then said ‘Arnold is talking to Roger Spottiswoode now, and he’s really into it. I think we are really going to take the project.’ And then, of course, his agent, knowing that he is competitive with me, he said, ‘Cannot let that happen.’ So he called the studio right away and said, ‘Look you’ve got to give this to Sly, don’t give it to Schwarzenegger, you have to give it to Sly.’ And Sly got it. So he got the movie. And I was absolutely in heaven because I felt like the only way I could catch up with him is if he had a stumble. You’ve to go and have him have a failure.”
Stallone responded by saying:
How Machiavellian. Unbelievable.
Stallone and Schwarzenegger’s Friendly Rivalry Continues
Hollywood is a strange place, where occasionally some serendipitous connection occurs to bring two people into each other’s orbit and not let them be separated again. This is essentially how Stallone and Schwarzenegger’s lives have been intertwined. From their biggest hits of the ‘70s and ‘80s, through some run-of-the-mill straight-to-video duds, into a late career resurgence, the pair have been almost inseparable – if you discount a few years spent by one of them as Governor of California.
Even in the last couple of years, both actors have released a documentary about their lives almost simultaneously, and both took their first lead role in a TV series. In both cases, their respective shows, Tulsa King for Stallone and FUBAR for Schwarzenegger, have proven to be streaming hits and secured second seasons. In short, they continue to be inseparable even in their twilight years.
Related Arnold Schwarzenegger Says His Rivalry With Sylvester Stallone ‘Got Out of Control and We Tried to Derail Eachother’ Arnold Schwarzenegger reflects on his rivarly with Sylvester Stallone.
However, their fans still cannot get enough of either actor, and that means they are not planning to slow down anytime soon. Having recently undergone his latest heart surgery, Schwarzenegger is set to begin filming on FUBAR Season 2 this month. Meanwhile, Stallone is also back in front of the cameras, now working on Tulsa King’s return.
FUBAR
is available on Netflix.
Tulsa King
is streaming on Paramount+.
You can view the original article HERE.
