• Home
  • News
  • Fortune 500
  • Tech
  • Finance
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia
LifestyleArnold Schwarzenegger

Arnold Schwarzenegger says he and Sylvester Stallone were frenemy rivals that would do ‘anything to derail each other’

By
Chris Morris
Chris Morris
Former Contributing Writer
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Chris Morris
Chris Morris
Former Contributing Writer
Down Arrow Button Icon
May 18, 2023, 11:54 AM ET
Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sylvester Stallone.
Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sylvester Stallone. Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic

Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sylvester Stallone were two of the biggest action stars of the 1980s and 1990s, but they were hardly the best of friends.

Recommended Video

Schwarzenegger, in an interview with Forbes, once again discussed the rivalry between the two actors, saying it went beyond what most people would consider a healthy race to be the best.

“Yeah, yeah. I mean, we would do anything to derail each other,” Schwarzenegger said. “And it was all kind of in the spirit of competition. He’s a very competitive person, so am I. So when you compete, competition creates performance. We both look at those years and say it was good we had that competition because I went all out to outdo him and he went all out to outdo me.  … But, he just saw me as the enemy just in his own little vision and I saw him as the enemy and I had to get rid of him and he had to get rid of me and that was it.”

But somewhere in the 1990s, the actors decided enough was enough and decided to bury the hatchet, Schwarzenegger said.

“We came together and said this is silly, let’s just all work together and we became really good friends,” he said.

Stallone has acknowledged the bad blood in previous interviews. In November, he was a guest on Britain’s The Jonathan Ross Show and said the reason he opted to make the much-derided 1992 film Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot (with Estelle Getty) was because Schwarzenegger has spread rumors around town that he was excited to do the movie, hoping Stallone would take it from him.

That film has a 14% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

Fortune Brainstorm AI returns to San Francisco Dec. 8–9 to convene the smartest people we know—technologists, entrepreneurs, Fortune Global 500 executives, investors, policymakers, and the brilliant minds in between—to explore and interrogate the most pressing questions about AI at another pivotal moment. Register here.
About the Author
By Chris MorrisFormer Contributing Writer

Chris Morris is a former contributing writer at Fortune, covering everything from general business news to the video game and theme park industries.

See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Lifestyle

Greg Peters
Big TechMedia
Top analyst says Netflix’s $72 billion bet on Warner Bros. isn’t about the ‘Death of Hollywood’ at all. It’s really about Google
By Nick LichtenbergDecember 5, 2025
1 hour ago
Reed Hastings
SuccessCareers
Netflix cofounder started his career selling vacuums door-to-door before college—now, his $440 billion streaming giant is buying Warner Bros. and HBO
By Preston ForeDecember 5, 2025
4 hours ago
C-SuiteStreaming
Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos credits a video store job for launching his career—and cherishes this lesson from Tony Bennett
By Jason MaDecember 5, 2025
5 hours ago
Sarandos
Big TechMedia
Netflix’s bombshell deal to buy Warner Bros. brings Batman and Harry Potter to the big red streamer and infuriates theater owners and the Ellisons
By Nick LichtenbergDecember 5, 2025
5 hours ago
Steve Milton is the CEO of Chain, a culinary-led pop-culture experience company founded by B.J. Novak and backed by Studio Ramsay Global.
CommentaryFood and drink
Affordability isn’t enough. Fast-casual restaurants need a fandom-first approach
By Steve MiltonDecember 5, 2025
6 hours ago
Netflix
Big TechNetflix
Netflix’s $59 billion loan for Warner Bros. among biggest ever
By Paula Seligson, Natalie Harrison and BloombergDecember 5, 2025
7 hours ago

Most Popular

placeholder alt text
Economy
Two months into the new fiscal year and the U.S. government is already spending more than $10 billion a week servicing national debt
By Eleanor PringleDecember 4, 2025
1 day ago
placeholder alt text
Success
‘Godfather of AI’ says Bill Gates and Elon Musk are right about the future of work—but he predicts mass unemployment is on its way
By Preston ForeDecember 4, 2025
1 day ago
placeholder alt text
Success
Nearly 4 million new manufacturing jobs are coming to America as boomers retire—but it's the one trade job Gen Z doesn't want
By Emma BurleighDecember 4, 2025
1 day ago
placeholder alt text
Success
Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang admits he works 7 days a week, including holidays, in a constant 'state of anxiety' out of fear of going bankrupt
By Jessica CoacciDecember 4, 2025
1 day ago
placeholder alt text
Real Estate
‘There is no Mamdani effect’: Manhattan luxury home sales surge after mayoral election, undercutting predictions of doom and escape to Florida
By Sasha RogelbergDecember 4, 2025
1 day ago
placeholder alt text
Economy
Tariffs and the $38 trillion national debt: Kevin Hassett sees ’big reductions’ in deficit while Scott Bessent sees a ‘shrinking ice cube’
By Nick LichtenbergDecember 4, 2025
1 day ago
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • Future 50
  • World’s Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
Sections
  • Finance
  • Leadership
  • Success
  • Tech
  • Asia
  • Europe
  • Environment
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Health
  • Retail
  • Lifestyle
  • Politics
  • Newsletters
  • Magazine
  • Features
  • Commentary
  • Mpw
  • CEO Initiative
  • Conferences
  • Personal Finance
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
About Us
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map

© 2025 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.