Sylvester Stallone is sharing about the moment when he finally decided to make peace with Arnold Schwarzenegger. The two action stars have had one of the longest running feuds in the history of Hollywood. Throughout the 1980s, Stallone and Schwarzenegger were constantly trying to one-up each other over everything from action movie dominance, box office numbers to their muscular physiques and even who could rack up the biggest body count on screen. However, what began as a fierce rivalry eventually gave way to an unexpected friendship. Now, Stallone is finally taking fans back to that turning point.

Stallone recalled what finally made him call a truce with his longtime rival Schwarzenegger.

Sylvester Stallone recently appeared on the Rest Is Entertainment podcast, where he discussed his feud with Arnold Schwarzenegger. He shared that their beef was so intense that they could not even stand on the same stage to make a presentation together. And this went on for about two decades. It was not until Schwarzenegger decided to step down from his acting job to run for governor of California in 2003 that their rift began to soften. 

"I said, enough of this. We’re not in competition," the Rocky actor said. 

  "He was not doing movies anymore. All right. Thank you very much for waking me up, lighting a fire under me. And he felt the same way," Stallone added.   

After Schwarzenegger's political term ended, he made his big-screen return alongside Stallone in 2010 film, The Expendables. They also continued this reunion consecutively through 2012’s Expendables 2, 2013’s Escape Plan, and 2014’s Expendables 3. The following years further brought about a definitive turning point in their relationship.

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The action stars' support for each other completely transformed them from corporate business partners or co-actors into genuine best friends.

Arnold Schwarzenegger publicly supported Sylvester Stallone in 2016 following Stallone's unexpected Best Supporting Actor loss at the Academy Awards. Immediately after the ceremony, Schwarzenegger published a heartfelt video message across social media to uplift his friend. This public display of solidarity quickly went viral for their bond.

Schwarzenegger confidently declared, "Sly, just remember: No matter what they say, to me, you are the best. You were the winner. I'm proud of you." 

Stallone has also been equally generous with his praise for Schwarzenegger. While promoting their projects together, Stallone has often described his former rival as a strategic "genius" who managed to conquer three very different industries on a global scale. He has also openly acknowledged how Schwarzenegger's drive and ambition pushed him to raise his own game. In fact, he believes the action genre would not have reached the heights it did without the two constantly challenging and motivating each other.

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What do you think about Sylvester Stallone looking back at this historical feud? Let us know in the comments!