Arnold Schwarzenegger is opening up about his once-famous feud with fellow action star Sylvester Stallone. In a new interview, the 77-year-old actor admitted that their rivalry during the height of their careers in the 1980s led to some unpleasant behavior on both sides. He revealed that their intense competition drove them to try to outdo each other, both on and off the screen.
Schwarzenegger candidly described the feud as “nasty,” recalling the lengths they would go to for bragging rights in Hollywood. “We were doing things to try and outshine each other,” he said. However, he acknowledged that this rivalry was fueled by their mutual success in action films, with both actors dominating box offices around the world.
How Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sylvester Stallone made the shift from rivals to friends
The Terminator star revealed that everything began to change when they discovered a shared passion outside of competition. Schwarzenegger shared that their mutual involvement in business ventures helped shift their relationship from adversarial to amicable. He explained that working together on projects such as Planet Hollywood in the 1990s marked a turning point in their interactions.
“Once we started investing in the same projects, it just didn’t make sense to keep up the feud,” Schwarzenegger explained. Their collaboration sparked a genuine friendship that surprised many fans who had grown accustomed to their on-screen competition and media-fueled rivalry. He credited their shared business interests with fostering a bond that eventually led to lasting respect and camaraderie.
The power of collaboration over competition
Reflecting on their past, Schwarzenegger noted that time and maturity also played significant roles in ending the feud. He emphasized that their former rivalry had served its purpose in their younger days but wasn’t sustainable as they grew older. “We realized it was better to lift each other up than tear each other down,” he shared.
Today, the two stars not only speak highly of each other but also enjoy a friendship that extends beyond the public eye. Schwarzenegger’s reflections serve as a reminder of how even the fiercest of rivals can eventually find common ground—and even friendship.