Stallone says stunt work left him with regrets and repeated surgery
Sylvester Stallone says he has “millions, millions of regrets” about doing his own stunts, calling himself an “idiot” for taking on the physical risks himself. He made the comments in an interview with Fox News Digital, as reported by Variety on 15 October 2026.
He did his own stunts for years. The bill came later. He says that work left him with lasting damage that required repeated surgery.
Stallone told Fox News Digital the problems followed “The Expendables.” After that production, he said, he needed nine back operations and three neck fusions. A fusion is a procedure that joins bones in the spine to limit painful movement and add stability, and repeated operations of that kind often require long recovery periods.
He said the effect has stayed with him. He told Fox News Digital he has never been “quite the same” since the back and neck procedures. The comment was brief. It summed up years of treatment in a single line.
Asked whether he felt pride in handling his own stunt work, he rejected the idea. “I think I’m an idiot for doing that,” he told Fox News Digital. He then offered direct advice to anyone tempted to follow the same path, saying they should not do their own stunts and should instead “let the pro do it.”
That advice refers to stunt professionals who stand in for actors on falls, fights, crashes and other dangerous shots. They rehearse the movement, plan the impact and use padding, wires and timing that audiences never see. The point is to make risky action look real while reducing harm.
Stallone now stars in “Tulsa King,” according to Fox News, which published the original interview on 13 October 2026. The remarks were also summarised by Cover Media in a report titled “Sylvester Stallone reveals stunt regrets” on 14 October 2026. The Fox News Digital interview appeared on 13 October 2026, with wider reporting following on 14 and 15 October 2026.
For fans, this means hearing a blunt warning from someone known for doing his own action. It puts the focus on the specialists whose work keeps dangerous scenes under control.
