Long before they became friends, Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger were sworn nemeses whose mutual disdain nearly escalated into a couple of brawls.
In a Sept. 26 episode of The New York Times' "The Interview" podcast, the "Rocky" actor, 80, shared that he and the former California governor, 79, almost got into a fight once due to their hatred toward each other.
When interviewer Lulu Garcia-Navarro recalled the "Tulsa King" star previously saying he couldn't stand to be in the same room as Schwarzenegger, Stallone said, "I’m telling you, we almost came to blows a few [times]."
Stallone explained that their rivalry stemmed from "The Terminator" actor being a "challenge" with a "Machiavellian cool" that felt threatening.
"I thought I had
something going on, then I could see this guy, this immovable force, a very confident human being, I think even more so than me, and more psychological in the way he would manipulate and do things very cunningly. And not in a negative way, but just shrewdly, whereas I was blunt force," Stallone said. "And I went, 'Wow, this is my guy. This is the guy I know I’m going to have trouble with, period.' And sure enough, we did."
Sylvester Stallone regrets some remarks about Arnold Schwarzenegger
The action stars later turned their rivalry into a longtime friendship and "creative marriage" that pushed him further and "turned out to be fantastic." Together, they helped pioneer the '80s over-the-top action genre in Hollywood, which he said will "never quite come around again."
Looking back, Stallone said he regrets some comments he made about Schwarzenegger.
"I’ve had some moments with him, and I’m regretful for some of the things I’ve said about him. But he antagonized me in a creative way, and I did to him. I was a thorn in his side; he was a thorn in my side, but it just forced us to keep moving higher," he said. "Bigger guns, louder movies, and more action, disemboweled bodies, everything,"
Eventually, the two worked together on the "Expendables" film franchise, and Stallone found himself going on the campaign trail for Schwarzenegger, which he called "unbelievable."
Stallone did initially have reservations about Schwarzenegger running for California governor, a position he held from 2003 to 2011.
"At first I thought, Come on, actors in politics? This is oil and water, because actors are very self-absorbed, and politicians, if they’re good, should be the opposite," he said. "But he was definitely sincere about it, and I don’t know why, but he asked me to be at an event. And sure enough, then we hit it off. He’s one of a kind."
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Sylvester Stallone recalls nearly fighting Arnold Schwarzenegger during rivalry
