Arnold Schwarzenegger is looking back at the days when he and Sylvester Stallone were anything but friends. During a conversation on SiriusXM’s Radio Andy with Andy Cohen, the 77-year-old actor and former California governor admitted, “We hated each other.”
The two action icons were known for their fierce rivalry throughout the 1980s, as both dominated Hollywood with their blockbuster roles.
But while things got heated back then, Schwarzenegger shared that the tension has long since cooled—and their journey from enemies to friends had an unexpected turning point.
“We were kind of attacking each other and doing nasty things and saying nasty things about each other and all these stupid things,” Schwarzenegger recalled of their early feud.
But that changed when a business opportunity came into play.
“All of a sudden, I started working with Robert Earl and Keith Parish to create the Planet Hollywood franchise, those restaurants,” he said.
“The next thing I know is I get a phone call from my lawyer, who was also Sly’s lawyer, he said, ‘Arnold, is there any kind of room for Sly in Planet Hollywood?’”
Schwarzenegger said he quickly saw the potential to turn a rivalry into something positive.
“That’s actually a good idea, because it could bring us together. And I wanted that. At that point I had grown out of my craziness,” he said.
The Planet Hollywood chain officially launched in New York City in 1991 with support from Schwarzenegger, Stallone, and other A-list stars.
Looking back now, Schwarzenegger said, “Sure enough, we made it work,” as the pair eventually moved past the competition and teamed up for films like Escape Plan and The Expendables series.
