Tessa Quinn
Dolph Lundgren and Sylvester Stallone's on-screen rivalry in Rocky IV extended to their real-life relationship, with the two actors engaging in a series of dramatic exchanges over the years. One of the most notable incidents occurred during the filming of Rocky IV when Stallone, who also directed the movie, told Lundgren to really hit him. The result was Stallone being hospitalized in the intensive care unit for nine days. However, despite this incident, the two are still friends and have collaborated on several other movies, including Creed II and The Expendables franchise.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Incident | Dolph Lundgren hit Sylvester Stallone during the filming of Rocky IV |
| Reason | Stallone asked Lundgren to hit him for real |
| Injury | Stallone spent 4-9 days in the intensive care unit with a bruised heart muscle |
| Location | Vancouver |
| Aftermath | Stallone and Lundgren remain friends and have collaborated on multiple projects |
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What You'll Learn
Dolph Lundgren's punch hospitalized Sylvester Stallone
Sylvester Stallone and Dolph Lundgren's on-screen partnership in the Rocky franchise is one of the most iconic in cinematic history. However, the pair's relationship off-screen has been a little more tumultuous, with a few "run-ins" over the years. One of the most famous incidents occurred during the filming of Rocky IV, when Stallone was hospitalized after asking Lundgren to punch him for real during a fight scene.
Stallone, who wrote and directed Rocky IV, wanted the fight scenes to look as realistic as possible. On the day of the final fight scene, he told Lundgren to forget the choreography and "just go out there and try to clock me; for the first minute of the fight, it is going to be a free-for-all." Lundgren, a former European heavyweight karate champion, obliged and delivered a thunderous uppercut that "caught the ribs and hit the heart against the ribcage," according to Stallone.
The punch was so powerful that Stallone was airlifted to the hospital and spent four to nine days in the intensive care unit. Doctors told Stallone that his injury usually happened during "head-on collisions," to which Stallone replied: "Close. I did hit a bus, of sorts."
Lundgren recalled that he only found out about Stallone's hospitalization when the producer called to tell him he had a couple of weeks off. He also remembered that Stallone had been under a lot of pressure and stress as he was "directing, acting, fighting me, who was ten years younger, who was the European heavyweight karate champion in the ring. Fighting me 12 hours a day and directing and producing and writing."
Despite the incident, Lundgren and Stallone remain friends and have collaborated on several more films, including Rocky V, The Expendables franchise, and Creed II.
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Stallone asked Lundgren to hit him for real
Sylvester Stallone and Dolph Lundgren's fight scene in Rocky IV has become part of Hollywood lore. Stallone, who also directed the film, wanted the fight to look as real as possible, so he asked Lundgren to hit him for real.
Stallone told Lundgren to forget the choreography and "just go out there and try to clock me. For the first minute of the fight, it is going to be a free-for-all," he said. Lundgren, who played the towering Ivan Drago, obliged, and his powerful punch sent Stallone to the intensive care unit for nine days.
Lundgren recalled:
> "I think, you know, he was directing, acting, fighting me, who was ten years younger, who was the European heavyweight karate champion in the ring. Fighting me 12 hours a day and directing and producing and writing. I think he was under a lot of pressure, stress."
Stallone later joked about the incident, saying:
> "Dolph Lundgren put me in the hospital for nine days. I knew I was in trouble when I showed up and nuns met you at the ICU. [...] They said that type of injury usually happens in head-on collisions. I said, 'Close. I did hit a bus, of sorts.'"
Lundgren, meanwhile, joked that "all [he] did was obey orders." The two have since reunited on-screen in Rocky V and Creed II and have co-starred in all four movies in The Expendables franchise. Despite having "a few run-ins over the years," they remain friends.
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Stallone was in the ICU for nine days
Sylvester Stallone and Dolph Lundgren's fight scene in Rocky IV has become a legendary story in Rocky folklore. Stallone, who was directing, acting, and producing the film, wanted the fight to look as real as possible. So, he asked Dolph Lundgren, who played Ivan Drago, to hit him for real during filming.
Stallone told Lundgren to forget the choreography and "just go out there and try to clock me." He also said, "for the first minute of the fight, it is going to be a free-for-all." Lundgren, who was 10 years younger than Stallone and a former European heavyweight karate champion, obliged and delivered a powerful punch.
The punch that did the most damage was an uppercut that "caught the ribs and hit the heart against the ribcage," as Stallone later described it. The impact was so severe that Stallone was airlifted to a hospital and spent time in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). While some sources claim Stallone spent nine days in the ICU, others state it was four days.
Stallone recalled the incident, saying: "Dolph Lundgren put me in the hospital for nine days. I knew I was in trouble when I showed up and nuns met you at the ICU." Lundgren, on the other hand, joked about the incident, saying: "All I did was obey orders. He was the boss. I did what he told me."
Despite this incident, Lundgren and Stallone remain friends and have collaborated on several more films, including Rocky V, Creed II, and the Expendables franchise.
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Dolph Lundgren played Ivan Drago in Rocky IV
Dolph Lundgren is a Swedish actor, filmmaker, and martial artist. He made his acting debut in 1985 with a cameo in the James Bond film A View to a Kill. The same year, he had his breakthrough in Sylvester Stallone's Rocky IV, in which he played the imposing Soviet boxer Ivan Drago. Lundgren went on to play lead roles in over 40 movies, almost all of them in the action genre.
Lundgren's role as Drago is considered one of the Rocky movies' biggest villains. Drago's character was an emotionally bereft, almost robotic enemy, stripped of his humanity. Drago's infamous line, "If he dies, he dies," was delivered after he fatally struck Apollo Creed in the ring. This negative characterisation meant that Lundgren was often asked his opinions on the Cold War during Rocky IV's worldwide press tour.
Lundgren's imposing physique and fitness contributed to his memorable performance as Drago. At his peak, he stood at 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) and weighed 240 pounds (109 kg). In the film, he was billed at 250 pounds (113 kg), emphasising Drago's exceptional size and strength.
Lundgren's performance as Drago was so impactful that it led to a resurgence of the character in Creed II. In this 2018 sequel, Lundgren reprised his role, portraying an older and impoverished version of Drago, introducing a new dimension to the character.
Beyond his memorable portrayal of Ivan Drago, Dolph Lundgren is also known for an incident during the filming of Rocky IV. Sylvester Stallone, wanting to make their battle look as real as possible, asked Lundgren to hit him for real. Lundgren's punch landed Stallone in the intensive care unit of St. John's Hospital for nine days. Stallone later joked about the incident, acknowledging the severity of his injury.
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Stallone and Lundgren are still friends
Sylvester Stallone and Dolph Lundgren have been friends for decades, dating back to their Rocky IV days. During the filming of Rocky IV, Stallone urged Lundgren to punch him for real, which resulted in Stallone being hospitalized in the intensive care unit for nine days. Despite this incident, the two maintained their close bond in the years to come. They have since worked together on several other projects, including The Expendables sequels and Creed II.
In a 2023 interview, Lundgren revealed that there was almost another physical altercation between the two during the filming of The Expendables. Stallone had been harsh to him on set, yelling at him in front of the whole crew and making him do about 20 takes of a scene. Lundgren recalled being so upset that he considered quitting the film. However, Stallone later approached him and apologized, and the two were able to move past the incident.
Lundgren has referred to Stallone as a "crazy Italian" and has stated that they have had their "ups and downs" over the years. Despite this, he considers Stallone a friend and has expressed his love and respect for him. In 2022, when Stallone criticized Lundgren for being involved with a Drago spin-off project, Lundgren responded by saying he thought Stallone had been informed ahead of time and referred to Stallone as his "friend".
Stallone has also maintained that he and Lundgren are friends, even referring to Lundgren as a "good friend" in a 2022 Instagram post. Additionally, when announcing a director's cut of Rocky IV in 2020, Stallone acknowledged that Lundgren was the hardest puncher of all his Rocky opponents, demonstrating a continued respect for Lundgren's physical prowess.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, Dolph Lundgren hit Sylvester Stallone hard enough to put him in the hospital during the filming of Rocky IV. Stallone told Lundgren to hit him for real during the filming of a fight scene.
Stallone was in the hospital for nine days, according to some sources. However, other sources claim he was only there for four days.
In an interview, Lundgren joked, "All I did was obey orders. He was the boss. I did what he told me." He also said that Stallone may have been under a lot of pressure and stress during filming.
Yes, despite having "a few run-ins over the years," Stallone and Lundgren are still friends. They have since worked together on several other films, including Rocky V, Creed II, and the Expendables franchise.
Stallone joked that doctors told him the type of injury he sustained usually happened in head-on collisions, to which he replied, "Close. I did hit a bus, of sorts." However, there is no information on any long-term effects Stallone may have experienced.
