Whether you think Sylvester Stallone is a great actor, writer, director, or filmmaker is secondary to the fact that the man knows what works in the industry.
The legendary story of his believing in his passion project of Rocky Balboa and then anchoring a second legacy character when he took on the Vietnam War veteran, Rambo, should be enough to sell his perspective on an upcoming action project. But the conversation with Jean-Claude Van Damme led to choice words from the "Rambo" lead.
In the interview, Stallone recalled the fellow action star's words, "Sly, I think you are above this. Why are you making this movie?" In an attempt to sell the project, he returned, "Well, I think it's financially sound, and it's what we do, Jean-Claude." What followed was a suggestion from Van Damme that led to name-calling from Stallone. "He goes, 'I believe you are at the point in your life where you should play a priest in East L.A. helping young people,'" Stallone says. "I go, 'A priest? Does he carry a gun?" What followed was Stallone calling Van Damme an idiot and moving on the project without him.
No word in the interview reveals what part Van Damme was supposed to play. He very well could have played any role on the team (existing or written out), or he could have been on the villainous side instead of Eric Roberts, Gary Daniels, or even "Stone Cold" Steve Austin. In retrospect, it worked out for the best because his starring in the second film allowed him to pair with his frequent co-star, Scott Adkins, who's starred with him in a handful of movies.
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