During the 1970s, Hollywood was experiencing an explosion of talent, testosterone, and inflated egos that didn't always coexist peacefully in the same film projects. Richard Gere and Sylvester Stallone crossed paths at a time when the film industry was fighting over them.
Now, Gere's inner circle has confirmed sad news about him and Stallone: they had problems. Everything happened during the filming of the movie Happy Days where both worked together. The tensions between them ended up blowing up any possibility of seeing them together again on the big screen.
The truth between Richard Gere and Sylvester Stallone comes to light
Richard Gere and Sylvester Stallone are two great actors who for years dominated the billboards of all movie theaters. Although with different styles, their beginnings promised successes that would soon come to light. However, in an industry where ambition and ego run rampant, tensions soon surfaced.
Stallone already had some fame for his tough-guy roles, while Gere was still trying to establish himself as a heartthrob with a rebellious attitude and a defiant presence. According to reports, things started to go wrong over details as absurd as Gere's behavior during breaks in filming.
Both competed for attention, protagonism, and respect on a set where male ego overflowed any scene written in the film's original script. In this tense environment, a simple gesture from Richard was enough to unleash a brutal confrontation with Sylvester.
On one occasion, while they were eating in a car between takes, Richard Gere brought in some greasy fried chicken. Gere, apparently, didn't care much about his manners and ended up spilling chicken grease on Stallone's pants, unleashing a contained fury. Stallone didn't take that lack of care well and, as he himself confirms, he elbowed him, causing a real scandal.
The atmosphere became tense and, after several verbal clashes and friction, the producers decided that Gere had to leave the project.
Richard Gere and Sylvester Stallone ended their relationship forever
This bad experience on the film set caused the relationship between both protagonists to be marked by resentment for decades. Stallone has commented in interviews that he could never stand Richard Gere's attitude, whom he considers arrogant, haughty, and very difficult to deal with.
Meanwhile, Gere has rarely spoken about the subject, but it seems that the enmity didn't cool down over the years. Even when both were considered for roles in the same movie, there was always the condition that the other wouldn't be involved in the project.
This greatly complicated the work of directors at a time when having two well-known actors promised box office success. Although both eventually succeeded in their respective careers, they never worked together professionally again nor tried to reconcile their personal differences.
Stallone continued with the Rocky saga and became an action icon, while Gere excelled in romantic movies and dramas with emotional weight. The character differences between Stallone and Gere were too deep to find common ground. To the point that a simple fried chicken triggered a conflict that still endures.
Stallone has admitted that the experience marked him and made him more careful when choosing partners for his future film projects. Meanwhile, Richard Gere kept building his image as an elegant, sensitive actor committed to social causes, far from the muscular and violent action cinema. Two totally opposite profiles that we'll never know if they would have fit together on the big screen.