One of Hollywood's most infamous rivalries was never between Jim Carrey and Adam Sandler or rom-com queens Julia Roberts and Sandra Bullock. It was between Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sylvester Stallone. While many celebrity feuds were fueled by the media, these two action icons openly competed against each other for years. 

The pair kept a close eye on each other's films, box office numbers, and paychecks, always looking for ways to beat each other. And their fierce rivalry often pushed them into awkward, unexpected, and even hilarious situations. One of the most memorable instances was when Schwarzenegger took on a role he did not even like, only to beat Stallone.

Arnold Schwarzenegger admitted during an appearance on the 2 Bears, 1 Cave podcast that he accepted $30 million to play the villain Mr. Freeze in the 1997 film Batman & Robin starring George Clooney. He initially turned down the role because he had no interest in playing the antagonist. However, when the studio increased the offer to $30 million, he accepted the part in hopes of finally getting a chance to beat his longtime rival, Sylvester Stallone.

"I’m like, Jesus Christ, I can’t catch up, there was always some number bigger than mine," he said. “Then I did Batman and Robin where I got $30 million, they really wanted me for the movie but I didn’t want to play the villain. They said, ‘$25 million is petty cash, what’s the matter with you guys?’”

Schwarzenegger also recalled how difficult it was to catch up to Stallone's massive paychecks early in his career. He remembered earning a million dollars for Conan 2 while Stallone landed a $5 million deal for another film. Even Schwarzenegger's $10 million payday for Total Recall was later eclipsed when Stallone signed a $15 million contract.

"This was kind of my way to pay back for all the tortures over the years that he got more than I did," he said on the show.

Their fierce rivalry was no secret, with both actors openly admitting they constantly tried to outdo each other. Stallone even revealed that the two "loathed" each other at the height of their competition. Now, Schwarzenegger was not the only one willing to make career choices just to stay ahead of his rival. The feeling appeared mutual.

The One Interview That Led to Ryan Gosling’s Casting as Ghost Rider in the MCU

In fact, Stallone once accused Schwarzenegger of luring him into starring in what turned out to be a terrible movie.

During an appearance on ITV's The Jonathan Ross Show, Sylvester Stallone, who has several hits to his name, admitted that he and Arnold Schwarzenegger disliked each other at the height of their rivalry. Stallone even accused Schwarzenegger of tricking him into taking a movie that was terrible. And it was none other than the 1992 comedy Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot. 

“He's quite clever. He goes around town saying, 'I can't wait to do this film.' I go to my agent, 'Get that thing away from him. Get people options on me.' I got it and I said, 'What a piece of s--- this is.' He goes,” he said.

The film went on to become both a critical and commercial failure. Both instances explained that their intense rivalry sometimes backfired and that the two action stars occasionally fell for each other's pranks. Now, decades later, however, they have put that competitive feud behind them and, as good friends, often look back on their rivalry humor.

15 Shows Like 'Dexter' That Will Feed Your Obsession With Crime Thrillers

What do you think about Arnold Schwarzenegger's effort to beat Sylvester Stallone?