Dolph Lundgren and Sylvester Stallone’s love/hate friendship is well known in the land of Hollywood. Their friendship, over the years, has been well documented on the internet thanks to the two often being candid about each other. And now 6 movies and 35 years later, Lungdren describes his co-star as family.

Dolph Lundgren (via his Instagram)

They first met on the set of Rocky IV but Lundgren was also slated to star in Rambo 2 which was released the same year. However, Lundgren was let go from the Vietnam-war-based action film after Stallone realized that it was the same guy he was fighting for in both movies and instead hired his bodyguard for Rambo.

Dolph Lundgren Was Paid $6000 After Being Replaced By Sylvester Stallone’s Bodyguard

Dolph Lundgren and Sylvester Stallone in Rocky IV

Dolph Lundgren and Sylvester Stallone first starred together in Rocky IV and ever since then their friendship has led to numerous other collaborations. While the two have appeared in several movies after Rocky IV, Lundgren was also slated to star in Rambo: First Blood.

Released in the same year, both starring Sylvester Stallone as lead, Lundgren would have been playing the bad guy in both movies. Hence, when the production found out, they had Lundgren replaced in Rambo with one of Stallone’s bodyguards and instead paid the actor $6000 for it (via In Depth With Graham Bensinger).

“I had an agent who got me up for a role in Rambo 2 as this Russian bad guy who ended up being played by one of Sly’s bodyguard. So when I went out for Rocky IV, and Sly realized that ‘Hang on a minute, this is the same guy fighting me in Rambo 2. So they paid me… 6 grand or something.”

And so, to have him in Rocky IV, Lundgren was paid for both movies as compensation after being replaced by one of Stallone’s bodyguards. Fortunately for the Swedish actor, his career took off after his role as Ivan Drago.

Dolph Lundgren Is The Closest To Sylvester Stallone Now

Sylvester Stallone and Dolph Lundgren (via Wikimedia Commons)

Despite their ups and downs, and somewhat of a ‘rocky’ relationship, Sylvester Stallone and Dolph Lundgren remain close friends. While talking to Graham Bensinger, the actor even hailed Stallone as kinda like family to some degree despite their earlier misunderstanding on an alleged Ivan Drago spin-off (via Variety).

While speaking with ET, Lundgren remarked,

“Over the years, it’s grown to a pretty close personal relationship. I’d say he’s the actor that I’m closest to in Hollywood. I would say, him and Arnold Schwarzenegger. We’ve done six movies together over 35 years. He has three daughters, and I have two, and they’re friendly. We don’t talk every day, but we do have a good relationship.”

While they last starred together in Expend4bles, fans can hardly wait for their future collaborations.

Meanwhile, Rocky IV can be streamed on Amazon Prime.