The Expendables was released in 2010, but its director and actor Sylvester Stallone remembers the film to date because of an injury he got from WWE wrestler Stone Cold Steve Austin.
The action moves in The Expendables were highly praised, but did you know that the film’s director and actor, Sylvester Stallone, had to go through 7 surgeries? This is because of a neck fracture he got while filming an action scene with the film’s villain, Stone Cold Steve Austin.
Stone Cold body slamming Sylvester Stallone left an everlasting effect on the actor
It is said that the back governs the person. Sylvester Stallone knows this all too well, as he has had to undergo seven surgeries to treat a back issue that originated from a stunt gone wrong with wrestler Stone Cold Steve Austin. In the second season of “The Family Stallone,” Stallone spoke about his struggle with a back injury that he initially sustained while working on The Expendables.
During a fight scene in the 2010 film, he was slammed against a stone wall by co-star Steve Austin, resulting in dislocated shoulders and a neck fracture. As a result, he had to undergo spinal fusions and have a metal plate inserted into his neck.
Stallone recently made this startling revelation when he said that the action scenes he shot with Steve in the movie took a heavy toll on his body, and the actor could recover from those.
“I did stupid stuff. I was directing ‘Expendables’ and, like an idiot, I’m doing take 10, take whatever, and I remember one slam and I could actually feel one bang. Steve knew. I never recovered from ‘Expendables 1.’ After that film, it was never physically the same. I’ve warned people: Don’t do your own stunts,” Stallone said while speaking in his own reality show, ‘The Family Stallone,” said Sylvester Stallone.
The actor mentioned that he had to undergo spinal fusions and treatment for dislocated shoulders. Jennifer Flavin, his wife and former supermodel, revealed that she gets terrified whenever her husband has to go for surgery. According to her, Stallone tries to hide his pain and act like nothing happened. She added that Stallone prefers to keep his surgeries private and not let too many people know about them.
Flavin said that every time Stallone goes through surgery, it becomes very scary for their family since they never know what the outcome will be.
Stone Cold once broke Paul Lazenby’s nose on set
Paul Lazenby is a well-known stunt performer with hundreds of credits to his name. He is often recognized for his bald head and goatee, which give him a striking resemblance to Stone Cold Steve Austin. Lazenby has done stunt work for Austin in several films. He recently spoke about his experiences as Austin’s stuntman in an interview on the “WINCLY” podcast.
“That was an absolute career highlight, and Steve’s one of my closest friends now. It’s kinda surreal for me because I thought I was going to work with him once, and that’s it. We worked together initially on Damaged, where I played his opponent in a bare-knuckle fight where he accidentally broke my nose. We went out and had a drink afterward and had a laugh about it,” said Lazenby.
According to him, Austin was cast in several movies, and he ended up being his stunt double in six of them. Lazenby mentioned that he appreciates the fact that despite Austin’s success, he has remained the same person. Lazenby began his career as a wrestler and shared his experience of transitioning into stunt work.
“He’s the single greatest income generator in the history of pro wrestling history but you would never know it. He’s a great guy and it was a fantastic run doubling him,” stated Lazenby.
What are your thoughts on the acting of Stone Cold Steve Austin and Sylvester Stallone in The Expendables? Let us know in the comments below!
