Summary
Overview
Sylvester Stallone sits down for an intimate conversation covering his legendary career, from the struggles of making Rocky to his latest work in Tulsa King. He discusses his famous rivalry with Arnold Schwarzenegger, the changing nature of Hollywood, his love of writing, and misconceptions about his intelligence. The interview reveals a thoughtful artist who has spent nearly 60 years navigating and reshaping the entertainment industry.
Early Career Struggles and the Rocky Breakthrough
Stallone reflects on his difficult early days in Hollywood, where he faced rejection and rudeness from established stars. He shares how he met Muhammad Ali before writing Rocky and eventually used Ali's house in Rocky III. The discussion reveals the incredible stroke of luck and timing that allowed Rocky to be made, emphasizing that such a project would be impossible in today's risk-averse Hollywood environment.
- Henry Fonda told Stallone "don't be rude" when he tried to say hello in a men's room
- Stallone met Muhammad Ali before writing Rocky and later used him as inspiration for Apollo Creed
- Rocky would never be made today because studios won't take chances on unknowns in boxing movies
- In the 1970s, studios made 120 films a year; now they make only 20
" Rocky would never be made. I know so, because no one's going to take a chance on an unknown in a boxing movie, which has notoriously been underwhelming. "
" Back then studios, every now and then, would just fly by the seat of their pants. They didn't talk to the publicity department, can we sell this or how many followers does it have? They have zero followers and they go, okay, let's try it. "
The Legendary Rivalry with Arnold Schwarzenegger
Stallone opens up about his intense, decades-long rivalry with Arnold Schwarzenegger that shaped both their careers and the action genre. From throwing flowers at Arnold at the Golden Globes to competing over box office numbers and body counts, their confrontational relationship pushed both actors to greater heights. The rivalry only ended when Schwarzenegger ran for governor of California, leading to a reconciliation over cigars.
- At the Golden Globes, Stallone threw a bowl of flowers at Schwarzenegger when Rocky won
- They competed constantly: bigger knife, louder gun, more body count, better location
- Schwarzenegger would publicly mock Stallone's box office failures, saying things like "40% what they predicted"
- The rivalry ended when Arnold decided to run for governor and they reconciled at a cigar place
" He wins. I went, give me a break. For what? For Pumping Iron. And I went, okay. And then we went for Rocky, and he's looking at me like, and I throw flowers on him, like a bowl of flowers. I made like I was celebrating, like, yay, like that and the gauntlet was thrown and it was on. "
" If my film didn't perform, he'd go, Oh, Sylvester had a movie opening this weekend. Oh, that's 40% what they predicted. Maybe better luck next time. I went, oh, brother. I said, shot your dates from my graveyard. "
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