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Sylvester Stallone’s contribution to the action genre is unmatchable. The man behindRockyandRambohas worked immensely over the years and established himself as a successful action hero. However, despite being one of the most renowned names in the genre, theDemolition Manactor has a controversial take on action heroes.
With prominent franchises likeRocky, Rambo,The Expendables, and several other action blockbusters, Sylvester Stallone is one of the most successful action heroes ever. Besides being an incredible star, he is also a successful filmmaker. But his opinion on the action genre goes against numerous other renowned stars who had massive contributions to this field.
Read More:“My grandmother could do it better than that”: Sylvester Stallone Made Dolph Lundgren Cry By Humiliating Him in Front of Everybody
Why is Sylvester Stallone’s opinion on action heroes so controversial?
Sylvester Stallonehad to struggle a lot before getting his life-changing role inRocky, which was also written by him. Before landing in films, he did several odd jobs to make a living. The actor was so desperate for a job that he even agreed to a softcore p*rn film early in his career.
Recently, a Netflix documentary film titledSlydepicted several aspects of theEscape Planactor’s life and career. While presenting the film at the Toronto International Film Festival, Stallone made an eyebrow-raising comment on action heroes (viaThe Hollywood Reporter).
“Action heroes should shut their mouth. Action guys who perform heroic deeds don’t talk about it. They just do it. And it’s that simple. That’s the kind of thing you have to be really ruthless and not care about how foolish you look… That’s when I realized what it is to lose yourself in acting. I didn’t care. I literally was this guy for that moment.”
It must be noted that the term “action hero” is subjective as the genre is presented differently in different projects. Similar to action in a film, which can be showcased in different ways, action heroes also feature several varieties. While Sylvester Stallone fits his description of a silent action hero, actors like Bruce Willis,Arnold Schwarzenegger, and Jackie Chan would beg to differ.
In projects likeJames BondandDie Hard, we can witness the action leads breaking Stallone’s stereotype of an action hero. While every iconic action hero delivered memorable performances, each one had his unique approach to the genre.
Read More:Before Christian Bale Made It Mainstream, Sylvester Stallone’s Lethal Dedication To Method Acting Left Him In The Hospital
Did Sylvester Stallone call Arnold Schwarzenegger a superior action hero to him?
Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger can be considered two pillars of the action genre. The stars shared one of the most high-octane rivalries in the industry. Despite sharing the screens in a handful of projects likeEscape PlanandThe Expendables,the two stars have always tried to outshine the other in the race.
However, when Stallone addressed the rivalry in the Netflix documentary on the life of theTerminatoractor, he did not hesitate to admit that the latter is the superior action star between the two. In the documentary,Arnold, Sylvester Stallone referred to hisFirst Bloodas the turning point in the action genre and stated (viaVariety):
“I saw that there was an opportunity, ’cause no one else was doing this…except some other guy from Austria, who doesn’t need to say much. He had the body. He had the strength. That was his character. I had to get my a** kicked constantly, whereas Arnold, he never got hurt much. And I’m going, ‘Arnold, you could go out and fight a dragon and you’d come back with a Band-Aid.'”
On the other hand, Arnold Schwarzenegger also stated that the healthy rivalry between him and Stallone helped him to do better and give his 100 percent to his projects. It acted as a primary motivation for him.
Subham Mandal
Senior Writer
Articles Published :1461
Subham Mandal is currently working as a content writer for FandomWire with an ardent interest in the world of pop culture. He has written more than 1000 articles on different spheres of modern pop culture and is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Arts degree in English. He’s also an experienced student journalist having demonstrated work experience with the Times of India. He aspires to be a column writer in the future.
