The Expendables written and directed by Sylvester Stallone, was an entertaining homage to the action-packed thrillers of the 80s and the 90s. As the film expanded into sequels, Stallone roped in the biggest action icons of Hollywood like Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jason Statham, Jet Li, Dolph Lundgren, Jean-Claude Van Damme, and Bruce Willis onto the same stage.
Die Hard actor Bruce Willis was an integral part of the first two films. The action star and Sylvester Stallone were also famous friends and business partners off-screen and their camaraderie in the film was evident for everyone to see. But the two actors hit a roadblock personally and professionally when Willis refused to be part of The Expendables 3 thereby earning Stallone’s ire.
Sylvester Stallone Was Harsh On Bruce Willis For Refusing The Expendables 3
After an entertaining first two films that saw Hollywood’s action kings sharing screen space, Sylvester Stallone was encouraged to expand the franchise further. The actor went back to his trusted colleagues including Bruce Willis to reprise their roles from the earlier films. Willis though, threw a spanner in the works by refusing to be part of the project.
According to sources, the actor was reported dissatisfied with the pay check of $3 million that the Italian Stallion was offering him and demanded that he be paid $4 million for the film. The Rambo star, on hearing of this condition, took to social media to send out a cryptic tweet that read,
“Greedy and Lazy ……A sure formula for career failure.”
While Stallone did not take Willis’ name anywhere in his tweet, netizens were sure that it was his brutal response to the demands that his colleague had made. The Rocky star put his words into action a few days later by casting Harrison Ford for The Expendables 3 in place of Bruce Willis.
Sylvester Stallone and Bruce Willis Rekindled Their Friendship After The Expendables 3 Debacle
The friendship between Hollywood action stars Sylvester Stallone and Bruce Willis turn briefly sour after Willis stepped down from doing The Expendables 3 due to monetary issues. But the two actors ultimately let bygones be bygones and patched up their differences. Stallone went on to publicly make a statement in this regard and put an end to all speculations. The Creed star was also among the many actors who expressed support to Willis and his family when The Sixth Sense star was diagnosed with aphasia.
“Bruce is going through some really, really difficult times. So he’s been sort of incommunicado. That kills me. It’s so sad. We go back a long way, praying for the best for you and your wonderful family.”
Stallone hoped that with the Hollywood fraternity firmly behind Willis and his family emotionally, the actor would be able to make a slow but sure recovery in the future.