Why Sylvester Stallone Turned Down Quentin Tarantino Twice

Sylvester Stallone has starred in some great movies, but like any Hollywood mainstay, he's also been in a few stinkers. One time, Arnold Schwarzenegger actually trolled Stallone into starring in a major flop, so it's fair to say that the "Rocky" star has made some questionable career choices. With that in mind, one would think that he'd jump at the chance to work with an acclaimed director like Quentin Tarantino, whose movies often result in their stars winning awards. However, the "Rambo" veteran hasn't been interested in teaming up with the filmmaker when roles have been offered to him in the past.

While speaking to McClean's in 2012, Stallone revealed that he turned down the roles of Louis Gara and "Stuntman" Mike McKay in "Jackie Brown" and "Death Proof," respectively. He also noted that the latter project didn't sit right with him at the time, seeing as he didn't want to play a woman-hating serial killer like Stuntman Mike. Here's what Stallone had to say on the matter:

"The [Robert] De Niro part [of Louis Gara] in 'Jackie Brown.' And 'Grindhouse,' the part Kurt Russell did [in 'Death Proof'] — I said, 'There's no way. I have two daughters, and this fellow, his hobby is putting teenagers in his car and smashing them into a wall. That's not going to work.'"

Fortunately, for Tarantino (as the actor pointed out), Stallone's "Tango and Cash" co-star Kurt Russell jumped at the chance to play Stuntman Mike in "Death Proof," and the rest is history. That said, while Tarantino has tried to hire Stallone in the past, the latter shut down rumors about him being offered a part in another one of the director's movies.

A longstanding rumor claimed that Sylvester Stallone was in the running to play Butch Coolidge in "Pulp Fiction." Indeed, when you consider that the actor is synonymous with the "Rocky" franchise, the notion of him playing a washed-up boxer doesn't seem far-fetched. However, the role in question ultimately went to Bruce Willis, although it might have gone to Stallone ... had it been offered to him in the first place, that is.

During a conversation with The Hollywood Reporter in 2022, Stallone confirmed that Tarantino never approached him about "Pulp Fiction" while simultaneously commenting on other rumors about projects he reportedly turned down. "[I wasn't offered] 'Arthur' and 'Pulp Fiction,'" he explained. "'Witness' killed me. Also, 'Coming Home.' But I couldn't have done it better than Jon Voight, he was great [in that film]. [But passing on] 'Witness' was a mistake."

As it stands, time is running out for Stallone and Tarantino to work together. Tarantino previously expressed interest in making a "Rambo" movie someday, but he doesn't want to cast Stallone as the titular one-man army. Tarantino's next movie is also (supposedly) set to be his last, which only further decreases the likelihood of the pair teaming up — unless Stallone is offered a role he just can't refuse.