Dolph Lundgren has revealed he came within moments of knocking out Sylvester Stallone after the Hollywood legend publicly humiliated him during the filming of The Expendables.
It was a remarkable admission from the soft-spoken Swede, whose transformation into the cold, ruthless Ivan Drago remains one of cinema’s greatest villain portrayals.
Despite a sometimes rocky relationship with Stallone, Lundgren has long been regarded as one of Hollywood’s true gentlemen, making his confession all the more surprising.
Speaking to Graham Bensinger, Lundgren recalled one of the lowest moments of his Hollywood career, revealing the pair’s friendship almost ended on set.
Dolph Lundgren and Sylvester Stallone
Lundgren said Stallone’s relentless criticism left him embarrassed and emotionally drained as the cameras rolled.
“He was very harsh on me in the scene in The Expendables, where he kind of yelled at me in front of the whole crew and had me do about 20 takes on the scene,” Lundgren explained.
“It was like, ‘My grandmother could do it better than that! What the… are you doing?’ Basically in front of everybody. There was international press there that day, too.”
After enduring the public dressing down, Lundgren admitted he reached breaking point during the lunch break.
“By the lunch break, I was kind of in tears. I mean, I was really upset,” he said.
“I called my wife at the time and told her, ‘If he says one more word, I’m going to knock him out and I’m out of this movie. I’m just going to punch him out and leave.’”
For a brief moment, Stallone almost found out what his Rocky IV nemesis had in his locker for real.
Lundgren said everyone on set sensed something had changed when filming resumed.
“I think when I walked back on the set, people felt it wasn’t such a good vibration.”
Before the situation could spiral any further, Stallone made the first move.
“Then I had a tap on the back, and it was Sly,” Lundgren revealed.
“He said, ‘Hey, I’m sorry about that. Let’s just do another take, and let’s keep moving on.’”
Longtime Friendship
Despite the explosive confrontation, it did not destroy one of Hollywood’s longest-running action movie partnerships.
The pair first shared the screen in 1985 when Lundgren burst onto the world stage as Drago opposite Stallone’s Rocky Balboa in Rocky IV. They have reunited several times since, including across The Expendables and in Creed II.
Lundgren admitted they have experienced several clashes over the years, but believes their friendship survived because of the respect they have for each other.
“We’ve had a few run-ins over the years, but what can I say? He’s a crazy Italian,” Lundgren said.
“I think he knows that I’ve always respected him and loved him, and I think that’s why we’re still friends.”
Forty years after terrifying audiences as Ivan Drago, Lundgren remains one of Hollywood’s most respected action stars.
Even when pushed to breaking point, he chose to walk back onto the set after Stallone apologized, ensuring one of cinema’s greatest on-screen rivalries never became a real-life fight.
About the Author
Phil Jay is the Editor-in-Chief of World Boxing News (WBN) and a veteran boxing reporter with 16 years of experience. He has interviewed world champions, broken international exclusives, and reported ringside since 2010. Read full bio.
