Arnold Schwarzenegger was always ready to battle for the spot as Hollywood’s top action man.
During the ‘80s, Schwarzenegger went head-to-head in a heated rivalry against actor and “enemy” Sylvester Stallone.
“I always need an enemy,” Schwarzenegger, 75, revealed during his Netflix documentary, “Arnold.”
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Arnold Schwarzenegger reflected on competing against Sylvester Stallone to be the top action star of the 1980s. (Getty Images)
“Every time he came out with a movie, like ‘Rambo II,’ I had to figure out a way of now outdoing that.”
Austrian-born American actor Arnold Schwarzenegger on the set of “Commando.” (Getty Images)
After the release of Stallone’s “Rambo II,” Schwarzenegger worked on the 1985 action film “Commando.”
Sylvester Stallone walks through a trench with Richard Crenna in a scene from the 1988 film “Rambo III.” (TriStar/Getty Images)
“We were incredibly antagonistic. We couldn’t even stand to be in the same room. People had to separate us,” Stallone, 76, recalled in the documentary.
Stallone compared their rivalry to “Ali versus Frazier,” suggesting he was the underdog who “got my ass kicked constantly,” whereas Schwarzenegger typically emerged from his cinematic exploits with barely a scratch.
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“Arnold started to come on strong… [we were] great warriors that are traveling the same course. There was only room for one of us,” Stallone confessed.
Arnold Schwarzenegger starring in “The Terminator.” (Sunset Boulevard/Corbis)
During the documentary, clips of Schwarzenegger and Stallone would switch back and forth between the two men starring in their respective ‘80s action movies.
“We were competing about everything,” Schwarzenegger admitted. “The body being ripped and oiled up. Who is more vicious? Who is more tough? Who uses bigger knives? Who uses bigger guns?”
The “Rocky” star added that he eventually got knocked out by Schwarzenegger at the box office.
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Sylvester Stallone starring in “Rocky IV.” (United Artists/Getty Images)
“He wanted to be number one. Unfortunately, he got there,” Stallone laughed.
“Sly and I were at war… Without Stallone, I maybe wouldn’t have been as motivated during the ‘80s to do the kind of movies I did and work as hard as I did.”
Although Schwarzenegger and Stallone’s relationship got off to a rocky start, the disdain the two actors had for each other eventually subsided.
Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sylvester Stallone attend the “Escape Plan” premiere. (Getty Images)
The Hollywood stars later shared the screen in such movies as “Escape Plan” and “The Expendables” franchise.
Schwarzenegger and Stallone are currently working on “The Expendables 4” together, which is set to release in September.
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While the former California governor has recently released his all-encompassing documentary and his comedy series “FUBAR,” Stallone has been starring in “Tulsa King” and premiered a reality show with his family titled “The Family Stallone.”
Schwarzenegger’s documentary, “Arnold” is available to stream on Netflix.