Published by Cel Manero from Global One Media Inc.
The launch of Planet Hollywood marked a turning point in their relationship, helping the action icons move past years of rivalry.
Arnold Schwarzenegger Reflects on Longstanding Rivalry with Sylvester Stallone—and How a Business Deal Helped Heal It
Arnold Schwarzenegger recently opened up about his decades-old feud with fellow action star Sylvester Stallone, revealing that during their rise to fame in the 1980s, the animosity between them was very real.
During an interview with Andy Cohen on Sirius XM’s Radio Andy, Schwarzenegger admitted, “We couldn’t stand each other. We’d exchange insults, make underhanded comments, and pull stunts that, looking back, were just plain childish.”
Their competitive relationship began to thaw by the early 2000s, and one key moment that helped shift things was their mutual involvement in a high-profile business venture: the launch of Planet Hollywood.
The turning point came unexpectedly. “I was working with Robert Earl and Keith Parish to launch the Planet Hollywood restaurant chain,” Schwarzenegger recalled. “Then out of the blue, I get a call from my lawyer—who also happened to represent Sly—asking if there might be a place for him in the venture.”
After reflecting on the idea, Schwarzenegger realized it could be a step toward reconciliation. “I thought, actually, this might be a great opportunity to move past all the nonsense. I had matured and was ready to let go of that old rivalry,” he explained.
The chain’s first location opened in New York in 1991, with both Schwarzenegger and Stallone on board, joined later by other celebrities like Bruce Willis, Whoopi Goldberg, and Chuck Norris. “We made it work,” he said. “It became a kind of international ensemble.”
Stallone offered his perspective in the 2024 special TMZ Presents: Arnold & Sly: Rivals, Friends, recalling how Schwarzenegger’s arrival in Hollywood pushed him to raise his game. “For the first time, I had serious competition,” Stallone said. “When I saw him, it was like two alphas clashing. It was instant.”
The two would eventually work together on the 2013 film Escape Plan, but even before that, their professional paths were crossing. Schwarzenegger remembered hearing that Stallone was possibly interested in a project, even if they hadn’t spoken directly. “His agent was talking to my agent, and mine said I was really into it. So I called Roger Spottiswoode, the director at the time—he’d just come off a Bond film—so he was in demand.”
Though the rivalry once defined their careers, both stars have since come to respect and support each other—and the once-intense competition has given way to a genuine friendship.
