Arnold Schwarzenegger was arguably the biggest box-office draw for a stretch in the 80s and 90s. That same argument could also be made for Sylvester Stallone. Naturally, the duo developed a fierce rivalry from the get-go. However, what started as a race to rule the box office invaded every aspect of their career. The duo strived to stifle one another at every turn and even attempted to tarnish one another’s public image.

In his 2012 book, Total Recall: My Unbelievably True Life Stroy, Arnold Schwarzenegger revealed the details of how far they went to win the rivalry. Arnie also explained how his actions prompted Sylvester Stallone to take revenge.

Why Arnold Schwarzenegger didn’t blame Sylvester Stallone

In 1991 Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sylvester Stallone, and Bruce Willis teamed up to invest in Planet Hollywood. The owners wanted all three stars to come aboard their brand. Since Schwarzenegger and Stallone had the same lawyer, he asked if the Austrian Oak would be ok if Willis and Stallone wanted to join the venture. Schwarzenegger agreed because he wanted to make peace.

While describing the Planet Holywood saga, Schwarzenegger also opened up about their bitter rivalry. Their rivalry kicked off when they crossed paths during the 1976 Golden Globes, where Arnie snubbed Stallone to win the award. However, for the following years, Sly was making big bucks at the box office. After making Coanan the Destroyer, Schwarzenegger didn’t feel joy.

He told his then-wife, Maria Shriver, “I’m finally getting paid a million dollars for a movie, but now Stallone’s making three million.” In his mind, the bodybuilding legend saw the Rock actor as the antagonist. Just like he “demonized” Sergio Oliva during his Mr. Olympia days, Arnie went after Stallone. He “bad-mouthed” the Rambo star in front of the media, and Stallone het back.

Sly didn’t take Arnold Schwarzenegger lightly, criticizing his style and physique in public. “In fact, he’d escalated the fight by secretly feeding negative stories about me to the media,” Arnie revealed in his book. “For a while, he even paid the legal bills for a British journalist whom I’d sued for libel,” added the seven-time Mr. Olympia.

Read More | “Grab This Giant…”: Sylvester Stallone Once Violently Attacked Arnold Schwarzenegger Sowing the Seed for Their Over Decade-Long Rivalry

However, Schwarzenegger didn’t blame Sly in the long run because he antagonized Stallone at every turn. Schwarzenegger and Stallone’s rivalry got so heated it might have resulted in ruining one another’s careers.

How the rivalry blinded the Terminator star

In a recent interview at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, the seven-time Mr. Olympia recalled speaking to James Cameron before filming Terminator 2: Judgement. During their conversation, Cameron told the 6’2 action hero that Arnie’s T-800 would be a “good terminator” in the sequel to the 1984 film.

However, Schwarzenegger immediately protested. He didn’t want to play a pacifier. Instead, he wanted to out Stallone when it came to on-screen kills. The former Mr. Olympia threw a tantrum before Cameron finally calmed him down. Later Schwarzenegger realized that doubting Cameron’s vision was a mistake when Terminator 2 became a milestone in his acting career. Had Jame Cameron not stood his ground, the biggest film of Arnie’s career could’ve ended up in a bad state.

What did you think about Arnold Schwarzenegger’s story? Let us know in the comments.

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