Hollywood legend Sylvester Stallone, a name synonymous with action-packed blockbusters, took centre stage at the world premiere of his biographical documentary, Sly, and delivered a heartfelt reflection on his storied career. The event, held in style, provided fans and media with a glimpse into the life and times of the iconic actor.
As the red carpet unfurled at the premiere, Stallone was quick to describe himself as “the last of the dinosaurs.” He used this term to emphasise his enduring presence in the entertainment industry, particularly in the realm of action films, amid a rapidly evolving cinematic landscape. With a career spanning nearly five decades, Stallone has indeed witnessed seismic shifts in the world of movies.
“It’s just mind-blowing because I don’t know how much longer you can wait,” Stallone remarked, acknowledging the changing face of cinema. “Society is changing, the commerciality in cinema, it’s faster. So longevity would become a premium.”
Stallone remains a revered figure in the world of action cinema, a fact that he takes immense pride in.
“I consider myself like the last of the dinosaurs, you know what I mean? And I’m very proud of that,” Stallone expressed. “But yeah, you have to really think about that. It’s incredible. I mean, it’s been almost 50 years… So I don’t take it for granted, but I really want to spend it with my loved ones. The majority of what’s left.”
At 77 years old, Stallone is set to continue his action-packed journey with the upcoming fourth installment of The Expendables franchise. He shares the screen with another ’80s action star, Dolph Lundgren, in this highly anticip ated movie. Notably, many of Stallone’s contemporaries, like Bruce Willis and Arnold Schwarzenegger, have stepped back from the limelight in recent years.
In Schwarzenegger’s Netflix documentary Arnold, Stallone paid tribute to his fellow action hero and acknowledged Schwarzenegger’s influence on the genre. “The ’80s was a very interesting time because the definitive ‘action guy’ had not really been formed yet,” Stallone noted. “Up until that time, action was a car chase like Bullitt or The French Connection. A film all about intellect and innuendo and verbal this and verbal that.”
Stallone credited Schwarzenegger with revolutionising action cinema by making it more dependent on the actor’s physicality. “You actually relied upon your body to tell the story,” he said. “Dialogue was not necessary. I saw that there was an opportunity, because no one else was doing this except some other guy from Austria, who doesn’t need to say much… He was superior. He just had all the answers. He had the body. He had the strength. That was his character.”
Reflecting on their contrasting action hero personas, Stallone joked, “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.'”
Both Stallone and Schwarzenegger’s careers were marked by intense competition at the box office for over two decades. Stallone admitted last November that they “really disliked each other immensely” during that period, but over time, their rivalry evolved into a strong friendship.
“We were…this may sound a little vain, but I think we were pioneering a kind of genre at that time and it hasn’t been seen since really,” Stallone reflected. “So the competition, because it’s his nature, he is very competitive and so am I… and I just thought it actually helped, but off-screen we were still competitive, and that was not a healthy thing at all, but we’ve become really good friends.”
As Stallone prepares for the release of Expend4bles on September 22, fans eagerly await the chance to see him in action once again. Meanwhile, his biographical documentary, “Sly,” is set to stream on Netflix starting November 3, promising a fascinating journey through the life and career of one of Hollywood’s most enduring and beloved icons.