Sylvester Stallone admitted he was “an idiot” when he turned down an offer of $34 million back in the 1980s to make “Rambo IV” because he thought filmmakers were jumping the gun on the franchise’s success.
In a wide-ranging interview with The Hollywood Reporter, the 76-year-old actor explained that back he was filming “Rambo III” he wasn’t convinced another sequel would do well.
The reporter asked Stallone, “What’s the most you were ever paid for a role?”
“We were doing Rambo III,” the superstar actor shared. “We thought it was going to be the biggest hit – this was before it came out. And I was paid a fortune for it.”
“Then they go, ‘We want Rambo IV. Here it is: Pay or play, 34 [million],'” Stallone shared. “I go, ‘Let’s not jump the gun here…'”
Sylvester Stallone is still fighting.
The 76-year-old Hollywood icon gets candid about his career, regrets, family, aging, the future of #Rocky and #Rambo and his new TV projects: https://t.co/yzIuNgU1jx pic.twitter.com/ptDZyLSCzw
— The Hollywood Reporter (@THR) November 7, 2022
The interviewer noted that $34 million back then would be about $85 million today. This knowledge hit the “First Blood” star hard.
“For real,” Stallone replied. “That’s not a joke. Oh boy, what an idiot. Now I think about that and … wow.”
At one point, the “Rocky” star talked about his latest headlines after his wife of 25 years, Jennifer Flavin, had filed for divorce. The two have since reconciled.
“Hopefully you’re involved with people who understand the foibles of life and the fragility of it and how rare a real good relationship is,” Stallone explained. “Sometimes I put the work ahead of [my family], and that is a tragic mistake which won’t happen again.”
Flavin, 22 years younger than Stallone, married the actor in 1997 following his second marriage to Brigitte Nielsen, the Daily Mail noted.
The couple went on to have three daughters together, Scarlet, 20; Sistine, 24; and Sophia, 26.
Stallone is also a father to son Seargeoh from his marriage to his first wife, Sasha Czack, and the former couple’s late-son Sage, who died in 2012.
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