Working on a movie or a television series is a tough gig for all involved, and while things should go smoothly, the truth is that plenty of unexpected things arise. Sometimes, co-stars can seriously get under one another’s skin, causing a multitude of problems for everyone else on set. We have heard stories of stars like Dwayne Johnson, Nicki Minaj, and Miley Cyrus all having issues with people that they are working with, causing a wave of coverage from the media.
Back in the 1970s, Richard Gere and Sylvester Stallone worked together on a forgotten film called The Lords of Flatbush. The film may not be remembered, but an incident that took place between Stallone and Gere has lived on in infamy.
Let’s hop back to the 70s and see what took place between these two future stars!
Stallone Never Liked Gere’s Attitude
Back when The Lords of Flatbush was made, neither Stallone or Gere were huge stars in the business. Things, of course, would change over time, but it should be noted that neither guy was a bankable star when this film went into production,
According to Stallone, it was predominantly an attitude problem that he took exception with when he was working with Gere.
In 2006, Stallone would tell Ain't It Cool News, “We never hit it off. He would strut around in his oversized motorcycle jacket like he was the baddest knight at the round table.”
Egos can run high in the entertainment industry, and Stallone immediately was not a fan of Gere. Now, while there are plenty of egotistical people in the business, things will usually never reach a point where another performer gets physical with the other, but this would not be the case here.
Despite the issue at hand, filming still continued on. However, once things reached a boiling point between the pair, a massive change on set was needed.
The Mustard Incident
Stallone has been pretty honest and upfront about the situation over the years, and he has never minced words about the dislike between him and Gere. When speaking with Ain’t It Cool News, Stallone would elaborate on the incident that changed everything.
Stallone would say, “One day, during an improv, he grabbed me (we were simulating a fight scene) and got a little carried away. I told him in a gentle fashion to lighten up, but he was completely in character and impossible to deal with.”
Physicality is a part of filming, but there is absolutely no reason to disregard your co-star's wishes. This shows a lack of awareness on Gere’s part, and it was a catalyst for what came next.
Stallone would continue, saying, “Then we were rehearsing at Coney Island and it was lunchtime, so we decided to take a break, and the only place that was warm was in the backseat of a Toyota. I was eating a hotdog and he climbs in with a half a chicken covered in mustard with grease nearly dripping out of the aluminum wrapper. I said, 'That thing is going to drip all over the place.' He said, 'Don't worry about it.'"
Finishing his account of things, Stallone continued, “I said, 'If it gets on my pants you're gonna know about it.' He proceeds to bite into the chicken and a small, greasy river of mustard lands on my thigh. I elbowed him in the side of the head and basically pushed him out of the car.”
And just like that, Stallone took things into his own hands. What this meant was that the director of the film had to make an immediate choice about the situation and whether or not to continue filming with the duo or stop to recast someone. Turns out, Gere was the odd man out here, and he was subsequently fired from the film.
The Princess Diana Rumor
Now, this is all just Stallone’s side of things, and through the years, some of the details may have gotten muddled. However, there is a side of the story that states that the issue between the guys stems from pining for Princess Diana.
Elton John is the source behind this one, and in his autobiography, he would elaborate on some of the finer details about what happened between the two men.
According to John, Gere and Princess Diana were quite fond of each other, and this did not sit well with Stallone, who was the odd man out in this scenario.
John would say, “Diana and Richard Gere's newly blossoming friendship was not going down well with Sylvester Stallone at all. I think he may have turned up to the party with the express intention of picking Diana up, only to find his plans for the evening ruined.”
This scenario caused the incident between the two, according to the singer. Regardless of where the truth lies, we can all agree that Gere and Stallone should have handled things differently.