Arnold Schwarzenegger, the former California governor and legendary “Terminator” actor, recently revealed a sly maneuver he employed in the early 1990s to outmaneuver his rival, Sylvester Stallone, for Hollywood’s top action star status.
In an upcoming special, “TMZ Presents Arnold & Sly: Rivals, Friends, Icons,” Schwarzenegger sits down with Stallone to disclose how he tricked him into taking a role in the 1992 film, “Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot.”
Expecting the movie to bomb – which it did – Schwarzenegger and his agent devised a strategic plan.
“First of all, when we talk about the movie, I didn’t talk him into [it] because I never talked to him about it,” Schwarzenegger explained. “But it was very clear that his agent was telling my agent, ‘Look, Sly is interested in doing it, but I don’t know if it’s the right thing for him. Let me know what you guys are thinking.’ And then my agent said, ‘Well you know, Arnold really loves it. I think it’s fantastic.’”
Schwarzenegger continued, “So then I called Roger Spottiswoode, who was the director, who just did the James Bond movie, so he was kind of the hot director [at the time].”
Stallone, taken aback by Schwarzenegger’s revelation, expressed his astonishment. “You talked to my director?” he asked incredulously.
Schwarzenegger’s plan unfolded as his agent informed Stallone’s that Schwarzenegger was enthusiastic about the project, leading Stallone’s agent to push for the role for his client out of competitive spirit.
Schwarzenegger gleefully recalled, “I was, of course, absolutely in heaven, because I felt like the only way I could catch up with him is if he [had] a stumble.”
Despite their past rivalry, Stallone and Schwarzenegger have since become amicable, though Stallone acknowledges the lingering blemish on his filmography due to Schwarzenegger’s cunning maneuver. “Can you get more Machiavellian?” Stallone quipped.
