Sylvester Stallone's brutal lesson from Michael Caine after 'low point of life' on film set
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Michael Caine didn't hesitate to set his American co-star straight on the set of Escape to Victory, a film that proved to be both an eye-opener and physically demanding for Sylvester Stallone. The Hollywood heavyweight admitted he had arrogantly miscalculated the challenge ahead.
His bold demand for his character, a goalkeeper, to score the winning goal was quickly dismissed. Stallone, who had once written off football as a "sissy sport", changed his perspective after some tough on-set experiences, including a painful encounter with the late football icon Pelé that left him with a broken finger, as reported by the Express.
Escape To Victory features Stallone as a Second World War Allied Prisoner of War who becomes the goalie for a team of captive professional footballers. They concoct an audacious escape plan during a Nazi propaganda match against a German team in Paris.
Meanwhile, Home Alone aficionados have identified a significant 'plot hole' in the beloved film 34 years post its debut. Escape to Victory made headlines not just for its compelling plot but also for assembling a fantasy lineup of football greats alongside Tinseltown's Sylvester Stallone. The cast included luminaries such as Pelé, Bobby Moore, and Osvaldo Ardiles, with Ipswich Town players showcasing their elite skills from one of Europe's top teams at the time.
However, despite all the fanfare, glory, and talk of rigorous training, it emerged that Stallone wandered onto set without even warming up before tackling the goalkeeping scenes. This casual attitude ended with broken bones - something Stallone has previous experience of, having once encouraged Dolph Lundgren to hit him harder during Rocky IV filming in 1985, which landed him in hospital with medics seriously concerned for his well-being.
