Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger were famous rivals in the 80s and 90s: which of them is the biggest action star? Who has the most impressive muscles? Who has the bigger guns? And who brings more enemies underground in his films?
The two have now put the silly arguments behind them for a long time – and have even become something like best friends. Even more: Stallone and Schwarzenegger are not above praising each other’s qualities and to publicly admit the points in which they have always been inferior to their former opponent. Schwarzenegger in particular is always enthusiastic when it comes to his on-screen partner ‘The Expendables’ and ‘Escape Plan’. He even considers Stallone a “genius” because he managed to carry three successful franchises on his own shoulders.
But this performance isn’t the only thing Schwarzenegger appreciates about the “Rocky” star: In fact, he simply thinks he’s a better actor, as he said in an interview with has betrayed. “I really admire him, I love him,” said the 76-year-old. “He’s just a different person than me. He is much rawer, much more vulnerable and more in touch with his feelings. When he gets angry, he just gets angry. It’s like a fuse is lit: his immediately goes off: “Boom!” For me it’s more like ‘Shhhh’ and then it takes two days before the actual bang comes. That’s why he’s so good at acting, because he feels things right away.”
Even from the outside, Schwarzenegger is probably not entirely wrong: of course the qualities of the Styrian oak are obvious, but Stallone has also proven himself as a character actor in films such as ‘Cop Land’, and Schwarzenegger could play the trauma-stricken war veteran John Rambo, at least the first film probably can’t embody that very credibly. If anything, it makes the two even more likable that they’ve managed to leap far beyond their own shadows and make no secret of their mutual affection!