Sylvester Stallone, the iconic figure of the big screen, has enjoyed a longstanding presence in Hollywood. He often made headlines for various reasons, including his lucrative paychecks, missed opportunities, and romantic entanglements.

During the earlier stages of Stallone's career, before he rose to the status of a mega-star, an intriguing encounter unfolded between him and another future Hollywood luminary: Richard Gere. Let's journey back to the 1970s and explore the dynamics between these two prominent names.

Even in his early days, Stallone exhibited remarkable acting talent, but it was when he penned the script for Rocky that he skyrocketed to global stardom, laying the foundation for decades of success in the entertainment industry. However, prior to achieving stardom, Stallone faced significant challenges and embarked on a noteworthy project that has since acquired infamy.

‘He was impossible to deal with’

In 1974, a young and unproven Sylvester Stallone took on a role in ‘The Lords of Flatbush’. Alongside Stallone, the film featured other talented performers like Henry Winkler and Perry King. Interestingly, this movie nearly had a completely different lineup, as Richard Gere was originally cast as one of the leads.

In 1973, during the early stages of both actors' careers, Gere and Stallone were slated to appear in the 1974 film ‘The Lords of Flatbush’. It would have marked Gere's cinematic debut, with him playing the protagonist Chico Tyrell, while Stallone portrayed Stanley Rosiello. However, fate had other plans.

During an improvisation session, Stallone vividly recalls a moment when things took an intense turn. "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," Stallone shared.

The breaking point eventually arrived during a meal, which turned out to be a catalyst for their relationship's deterioration. Stallone recounted the incident, saying, "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.' 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, Gere was out of the picture. Stallone firmly believes that his former co-star still harbors ill feelings toward him.

Gere and Stallone never hit it off

The two simply did not get along. Stallone revealed, "Yeah, the original part of Chico, which was played by Perry King, was originally supposed to be played by Richard Gere, but we never hit it off. He would strut around in his oversized motorcycle jacket like he was the baddest knight at the round table." From there, the tension between the two actors only intensified.

In a surprising twist, Elton John, of all people, claimed to have witnessed another alleged physical altercation between Gere and Stallone. In his memoir, 'Me', John disclosed that the two actors engaged in a dispute over Princess Diana during a dinner party he hosted for the former chairman of Walt Disney Studios, Jeffrey Katzenberg, while the singer was working on 'The Lion King' in 1994.

Coinciding with Princess Diana's separation from Prince Charles, Gere, and Stallone apparently saw an opportunity to vie for the affections of the newly single icon, leading to an intriguing and somewhat unexpected rivalry between the two.