In the 1980s and early ’90s, the tension between Schwarzenegger and Stallone was the stuff of legend. As both men rose to international superstardom with blockbuster franchises like Terminator and Rambo, their feud simmered — fueled by pride, ego, and an unspoken war for dominance in the action genre.
“We were two alphas, charging at each other,” Stallone, 78, would later reflect in TMZ Presents: Arnold & Sly: Rivals, Friends, Icons, a documentary that aired in April 2024. “When he came on the scene, I thought — finally, something to motivate me. Because he was competition. A threat.”
But time, as it tends to do, reshaped that hostility.
In a surprising twist of fate, the beginning of the end of their feud came not on a movie set, but through an unlikely business venture.
“All of a sudden, I started working with Robert Earl and Keith Barish to create the Planet Hollywood franchise,” Schwarzenegger recalled. “Then my lawyer, who also happened to be Sly’s lawyer, called and asked, ‘Is there any room for Sly in Planet Hollywood?’”
For a brief moment, Arnold hesitated — then something clicked.
“That’s actually a good idea,” he remembered thinking. “It could bring us together. And I wanted that. By that point, I had grown out of my craziness.”
And so began the next chapter of an unexpected friendship.
When Planet Hollywood opened its doors in New York City in 1991, it wasn’t just serving up burgers and movie memorabilia — it was serving reconciliation. Soon, other A-listers joined the venture: Bruce Willis, Whoopi Goldberg, Chuck Norris. But the real headline was that the action stars who once wouldn’t share a red carpet were now sharing a business.
“Sure enough, we made it work,” Schwarzenegger said. “We laughed, we built something, and slowly, that bitterness disappeared.”
Their on-screen chemistry soon followed, with collaborations in 2013’s Escape Plan and multiple entries in The Expendables franchise, where both men poked fun at their shared past and cemented their new alliance on-screen.
Now, both stars look back at their rivalry not with regret — but with respect.
“He pushed me to be better,” said Stallone. “I owe him that.”
“He gave me something to chase,” Arnold added. “And I needed that fire.”
As for what comes next, Schwarzenegger is still not slowing down. Season 2 of his Netflix series FUBAR premiered June 12, and fans can soon catch him donning the red suit as Santa Claus in the upcoming holiday film The Man with the Bag.
From enemies to allies, Schwarzenegger and Stallone’s journey proves that even the fiercest feuds can evolve into mutual admiration — and maybe even friendship.