In the 1980s, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sylvester Stallone competed for roles, and now Schwarzenegger said he’s jealous of one of Stallone’s more recent roles.
He told the Hollywood Reporter he would “absolutely” like to collaborate with “Yellowstone” showrunner Taylor Sheridan, just as Stallone is with “Tulsa King.”
“I think he’s very talented,” Schwarzenegger said of Sheridan.
“And the cast on [Yellowstone] is phenomenal. Today, I see much more of other people’s performances than I did in the ’80s, when I was only seeing myself. I was thinking: ‘I have to win.’ It was a competition against Sly, against others … to be No. 1.”
Until he potentially teams with Sheridan, Schwarzenegger has an exciting new role in the Netflix series “Fubar,” premiering May 25.
He stars as Luke Brunner, a divorced CIA agent whose marriage failed in part because of his infidelity.
Given that his own marriage to Maria Shriver famously crumbled after he cheated on her with their former housekeeper Mildred Baena, it’s a bit of art imitating life.
“We were laughing about it — it feels like it’s a documentary,” Schwarzenegger said.
“The difference is, in the show, he doesn’t consider it cheating because [seducing CIA assets] was part of his profession. His wife moved on because he never was home … But in [my situation], it was my f–k-up. It was my failure.”
Schwarzenegger’s divorce from Shriver wasn’t finalized until 2021 — 10 years after she filed.
Their split “was very, very difficult in the beginning,” he said. “Eventually, you move on. I have a wonderful girlfriend, [physical therapist] Heather Milligan, who is very successful. I’m really proud of her, and I love her.”
But, he added, “At the same time, I love my wife. She and I are really good friends and very close, and we are very proud of the way we raised our kids. Even though we had this drama, we did Easter together, Mother’s Day together, the Christmases together, all birthdays — everything together.
“If there’s Oscars for how to handle divorce, Maria and I should get it for having the least amount of impact on the kids. The sweetness and kindness you see in them, that’s from my wife. The discipline and work ethic is from me.”
Schwarzenegger has admitted to being guilty of other bad behavior with women, including groping them, in the past.
“I behaved badly,” he said. “All of those things I’ve addressed in the past. I feel bad about it. But I cannot roll the clock back. I have to be careful and be wiser. I’m smarter. I’m more sensitive about other people’s feelings.”
Although “the times were different,” he said, “it doesn’t matter if it was 100 years ago or today. You have to treat women with respect and you have to treat people with respect. None of it is an excuse. I should have behaved better.”
Even at 75, the former bodybuilding champion is still determined to keep himself in buff shape.
“I still work out every day, I ride my bike every day,” he said. “I’m still on this side of the grass, so I’m happy. My plan is to live forever — and so far, so good!”
But the actor — who also has a three-part documentary, “Arnold,” premiering on Netflix June 7 — admits that it’s not the same looking in the mirror as it once was. When asked what he likes about his body today, the former Mr. Olympia said “nothing!”
“My whole life I look at the mirror and see the best-built man, and all of a sudden I see a bunch of crap. It’s terrible! You get these wrinkles under your eyes. You get wrinkles under your pecs … It’s not pleasurable. But you cope with it.”
