There have been numerous occasions in Hollywood history where casting changes had a big impact on how a movie turned out. One such fascinating event occurred in the 1974 drama film The Lords of Flatbush by Columbia Pictures. Perry King, Paul Mace, and Sylvester Stallone were among the cast members of the movie, which was helmed by Martin Davidson and Stephen F. Verona. Even though the film was not a huge success, the altercation between Richard Gere and Stallone has ruled the tabloids.
How did Gere come into the picture? He supposedly had conflicts with Stallone during rehearsals and was ultimately fired from the role of Chico Tyrell, which was later played by Perry King.
Sylvester Stallone, a legendary actor and one of Hollywood’s favorite actors, has been in the media for many years. He has generated a lot of controversy with his enormous pay, missed opportunities, and even his love life. As a result, Gere developed a rivalry with one of the most influential action stars in the industry.
Richard Gere’s Controversial Departure From The Lords Of Flatbush
The Lords of Flatbush (1974), despite not being one of Sylvester Stallone‘s most memorable films, did leave a lasting impression on Hollywood history and his relationship with a different icon from the same generation. Richard Gere was originally supposed to appear alongside Stone, but the latter acknowledged that they never “hit it off”.
The actor, 77, once revealed to Ain’t it Cool News, saying:
“We never hit it off. He would strut around in his oversized motorcycle jacket like he was the baddest knight at the round table. 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.”
According to Stallone, Gere received his “walking papers” from the movie as a result of their “lunchtime” argument. To quote him (via Ain’t it Cool):
“Then we were rehearsing at Coney Island and it was lunchtime, so we decided to take a break, and the only place that was warm was in the backseat of a Toyota. 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. The director had to make a choice: one of us had to go, one of us had to stay. Richard was given his walking papers and to this day seriously dislikes me.”
Richard Gere and Sylvester Stallone’s ‘Fist-Fight’ Over Princess Diana?
Elton John, a British singer, pianist, and composer, once claimed that Sylvester Stallone and Richard Gere were significantly influenced by Princess Diana.
The musician recalled a dinner party he once hosted where Stallone and Gere appeared to be very close to battling it out for Princess of Wales in his autobiography, Me, which was exclusively excerpted in the Daily Mail.
The singer, 76, wrote:
“Straight away, Richard Gere and Diana seemed very taken with each other. As the rest of us chatted, I couldn’t help notice a strange atmosphere in the room. Judging by the kind of looks he kept shooting them, Diana and Richard Gere’s newly blossoming friendship was not going down well with Sylvester Stallone at all. I think he may have turned up to the party with the express intention of picking Diana up, only to find his plans for the evening ruined.”
When it was time for dinner, the group noticed that Stallone, 77, and Gere, 74, were both missing. According to John, his now-husband David Furnish found them as
“Squaring up to each other, apparently about to settle their differences over Diana by having a fist-fight.”
Furnish managed to calm things down, but John noticed that the tension between the trio persisted for the rest of the evening. Fortunately, the hosts of the dinner party were able to divide the two diners, but Stallone reportedly acted sourly for the rest of the evening.
Anyway, Stallone’s latest flick, Expend4bles (also referred to as The Expendables 4), was just released after The Expendables 3 (2014). Gere’s last film appearance was in Michael Jacobs’ 2023 romantic comedy film, Maybe I Do.
You can stream The Lords of Flatbush on Amazon Prime Video.
Source- Ain’t it Cool; Daily Mail
