In a new docuseries focused on Arnold Schwarzenegger's life and career, both Schwarzenegger and his former box office rival Sylvester Stallone opened up about their past rivalry. Despite their competitive history, the Hollywood legends are now good friends and have even collaborated on projects like The Expendables and Escape Plan. However, their relationship wasn't always so cordial, and during the late 20th century, they were major box office rivals.

Schwarzenegger's recently released Netflix documentary, “Arnold,” delves into his journey to fame and success. In the second episode, he candidly revealed that he always needed an enemy to drive himself to new heights, and that enemy happened to be Sylvester Stallone.

Recalling their competitive days, Stallone shared, “In '77, Arnold won Best Newcomer. I go, ‘Really?'” He continued, “The '80s were an interesting time because the definitive ‘action guy' had not really been formed yet. Up until that time, action was a car chase, like ‘Bullitt' or ‘The French Connection,' and films were all about ‘intellect' and ‘verbal' this and verbal that.”

Stallone acknowledged that Arnold Schwarzenegger started to gain momentum and surpass him with movies like “Red Sonja,” “Commando,” and his iconic role in “The Terminator.” While Stallone typically portrayed the underdog who faced constant challenges, Schwarzenegger's characters emerged victorious with seemingly no damage.

“He just had all the answers. He had the body. He had the strength. That was his character,” Stallone admitted. He humorously remarked, “Arnold, you could go out and fight a dragon and you'd come back with a Band-Aid.”

Despite their past rivalry, Stallone gracefully conceded, “He wanted to be number one. Unfortunately, he got there.” It's evident that Stallone holds respect for Schwarzenegger's achievements, and their shared experiences have ultimately brought them closer together.