“Get Up, You’re Not Done Yet”: How Arnold Schwarzenegger Helped Sylvester Stallone Reignite His Fire

They were once Hollywood’s fiercest rivals — two icons of muscle, might, and masculinity locked in a cinematic duel for box office supremacy. But decades after trading blows on and off screen, Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger’s relationship has evolved into something far more powerful: brotherhood.

And as Stallone recently revealed, that bond once pulled him out of one of the darkest chapters of his career.

A Call at Rock Bottom

“I was in a bad place,” Stallone admitted during a recent interview. “One of my films had flopped, and I started questioning everything — whether I still belonged in this business. Then I picked up the phone and called Arnold. I didn’t even know why. I just needed to hear from someone who’d been there.”

On the other end of the line, Schwarzenegger didn’t offer pity — he offered perspective.

“He told me, ‘Get up. You’re not done yet. You’re Stallone — fighters don’t quit.’”

Stallone smiled as he recalled the moment. “That call reignited my fire,” he said. “He didn’t give me sympathy. He gave me strength.”

Though Stallone didn’t name the film that triggered his crisis, many fans speculate it happened in the late 2000s, a period when his career momentum had slowed. Not long after, Stallone would return to glory with Rocky Balboa (2006), Rambo (2008), and later The Expendables franchise — which famously united him and Schwarzenegger on screen for the first time as allies instead of competitors.

From Rivals to Brothers

In the 1980s and ’90s, Stallone and Schwarzenegger were locked in what has become one of Hollywood’s most legendary rivalries. Competing for the biggest muscles, the biggest explosions, and the biggest box office paydays, the two stars defined an era of action cinema.

“We used to compete for who had the bigger muscles, the bigger explosions, the bigger paychecks,” Stallone joked. “Now we compete to see who can lift people up more — who can keep inspiring.”

What began as professional competition slowly evolved into mutual respect — and eventually, a friendship forged through shared experience.

“Arnold’s been through the highs and lows too,” Stallone said. “He knows what it feels like to be on top of the world and then wonder if it’s all over. That’s why his words hit so hard — because they came from truth.”

A Brotherhood Beyond Fame

For his part, Schwarzenegger has often praised Stallone in interviews, calling him “a true fighter — on screen and in life.” Their camaraderie, fans say, represents something rare in Hollywood: two legends who learned that strength isn’t just about physical power, but about humility and endurance.

“They started as rivals and ended as brothers,” one fan wrote online after Stallone’s story went viral. “That’s the real definition of respect.”

“He Reminded Me Who I Was”

Looking back, Stallone sees that conversation as a turning point — a reminder of why he started and who he still is.

“Arnold reminded me who I was,” he said quietly. “And sometimes, that’s all a man needs — someone to remind him that his story isn’t finished yet.”

Today, as both men enter the later chapters of their careers, their friendship continues to inspire millions — not because of their fame or fortune, but because of their shared resilience.

Two former rivals, once defined by competition, now united by compassion.

Or, as Stallone put it best:
“Back then, we fought for the spotlight. Now, we fight to keep each other’s lights shining.”