Sylvester Stallone Shares Story of Getting Punched by Kirk Douglas on ‘Oscar’ Set

Sylvester Stallone once shared a funny and painful moment from the set of the 1991 comedy Oscar while speaking at the American Film Institute. The film starred Kirk Douglas as Stallone’s character’s father, and one scene involved Douglas giving Stallone a staged “movie slap.”

Stallone explained that during the scene, Douglas had his eyes closed tightly while swinging, often missing his target. To push Douglas a bit, Stallone jokingly challenged him: “Look, Kirk. Ever since I made Rocky, you’ve been dying to take a shot at me. I tell you what? Go for it. I can take it. Let me have your best.”

Although Stallone meant it as a joke, Douglas didn’t hold back. Stallone recalled, “I was joking about having his best, but Kirk wasn’t. He gave me back hand, right hand, everything. Then the director said, ‘that’s beautiful, let’s do another one’. I was saying, ‘are you crazy? I’m suffering brain damage over here.’”

Interestingly, Stallone noted that Douglas had once been considered for the role of Rambo, a part that eventually made Stallone famous. By the time they worked together on Oscar, any past tension had faded, but Douglas still delivered his signature intensity on set.

Despite the rough scene, Stallone expressed deep admiration for Douglas, saying, “Out of all the heroes that I saw on the screen growing up, no one had a greater impact than [him]. That’s probably one of the main contributing factors that made me want to go into films. And wherever Michael [Douglas] is, don’t mess with your father.”

Stallone’s story highlights the respect between actors, even when the work gets physically intense. It also reminds us that behind every hilarious or dramatic movie moment, there’s often a mix of fun, challenge, and admiration.

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