Sylvester Stallone calls himself an ‘idiot’ for doing his own stunts
Stallone reflects on the toll of decades in action movies, citing nine back operations, three neck fusions and other injuries. He says performers should leave stunts to the professionals.
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Sylvester Stallone admitted that he was an “idiot” for performing his own stunts after extensive medical procedures.
During an interview with Fox News Digital, the “Tulsa King” star opened up about the “millions” of regrets he has after decades of being an action star.
“Millions, millions of regrets. I could literally spend a half hour talking about injuries, the amount, not even like one, I’m talking about 30 hours, 30 minutes of just individual ones, because it becomes compounded. I have been injured many, many times, but after ‘Expendables,’ I ended up with nine back operations, three neck fusions. Both shoulders ripped out, eye, you know, all kinds of lens put … it’s been brutal,” Stallone began.
Sylvester Stallone called himself an “idiot” for performing his own stunts.(2026 NBCUniversal Media, LLC)
Stallone admitted that he’s never been “quite the same” since the surgeries.
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“Now you have to like make peace with the pain as much as you can,” he shared.
The biggest lesson he has now, at 80 after decades of crazy stunt work, is to “let other people do their job.”
“I think I’m an idiot for doing that.”
— Sylvester Stallone
“Don’t be a stage hawk, or whatever you call it, a showboat. I know a lot of people are thinking about doing stunts … don’t. Don’t. Let the pro do it,” Stallone said. “Let me explain something, you cannot beat gravity, when you hit the ground, you lose, and it’s going to come back.”
He continued, “I mean, just ask every football player in the world. So yeah, that and people go, ‘Aren’t you proud of them?’ No. I think I’m an idiot for doing that. I’m proud that I broke myself in pieces. Like, duh, no.”
The Stallone-led “Tulsa King” is gearing up to release its fourth season on Oct. 16. The actor told Fox News Digital what still excites him about his character, Dwight Manfredi.
“He still hasn’t achieved his goal, just when he thinks he’s arrived, another situation, another dramatic episode presents itself, which is exactly what the show needs. We don’t want him to be like, ‘I can finally exhale.’ No, you don’t wanna,” Stallone said.
Sylvester Stallone and Dolph Lundgren starred in “The Expendables” franchise.(Kiyoshi Ota/
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Stallone said the new season opens with a jolt, putting Dwight under pressure from new enemies and tensions within his own crew.
“Well, it’s quite shocking to start off with because certain elements happen that it’s … quite unnerving. And now I’m presented with a new level of, you might say, adversaries, gangsters, criminals that are coming at me technologically, politically, and mafioso-ishly from New York,” he said. “So, I’m getting bombarded from all sides. Plus, I have internal struggles with some of my own crew. So it’s kind of like having like a cuckoo’s nest and trying to reign it all in, you know what I mean?”
“Tulsa King” season 4 comes out on Friday, October 16, 2026, on Paramount+.
Sylvester Stallone and Jennifer Flavin currently live in Florida.(Ethan Miller/
Stallone also discussed a major change in his life outside of Hollywood: moving from California to Florida.
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He told Fox News Digital the move helped him feel “invigorated” after he began growing complacent in California.
“In New York, I was a New York animal, like we all are here, I just said, you have to be. And then I got to California and I thought I was in Nirvana,” Stallone began. “I did very well in California. And then California sort of changed. And became more populous and everything else. And I felt myself becoming very complacent and dull.”
Stallone and his wife, Jennifer Flavin, moved out of California for Florida permanently in 2024.
“When we went to Florida, I didn’t know one person. And now we have a great circle. So it’s the best move. And my wife was also … I think a lot of people would like to get a little peace and quiet. You know, they’ve been around so many billions of people that actually have water and birds and things like that. There’s something that’s invigorating and nourishing, and I think goes to our biology that makes us happier,” he said.
Sylvester Stallone as Dwight Manfredi in “Tulsa King” Season 4.(Steve Swisher/Paramount+)
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Flavin and Stallone share three daughters: Sophia, Sistine and Scarlet. His oldest daughter, Sophia, announced her engagement to boyfriend Michael Sheehan in August.
Stallone told Fox News Digital that Sheehan is making him “look bad.”
“I thought I actually did it pretty well because she found a guy that I wish every woman found. So I went, ‘Wow, he’s making me look bad.’ With the flowers and this and the constant, ‘Oh, here’s breakfast, honey.’ I went wow, calm down, guys, you’re gonna make it terrible for us,” Stallone said. “But he is very nurturing. So I actually wish I was sort of like that when I was younger. I didn’t learn those skills from my family. A good morning was good morning, punch in the face. He’s wonderful and two more to go.”
