Emmerdale star Tony Fillingham revealed a shocking work advice he received from Sylvester Stallone. The 51-year-old quiz show actor has appeared on multiple small-screen projects, making him a familiar face to most fans. Despite his minor roles, he’s happy to work with some of the biggest names today.
Fillingham felt lucky to collaborate with Stallone on one advertisement. Interestingly, the action star took the chance to give his fellow actor a warning about Bruce Willis (via Daily Star):
I once filmed a Warburtons ad with Sylvester Stallone. I’ve been a massive fan since I was a kid – Rocky IV is my favourite film. I even got to salute him in the ad! He told me to call him ‘Sly’ and gave me advice about never working with Bruce Willis. Apparently, Bruce is always late!
Lateness is a big no-no in the movie and TV industry. It derails production and wastes everyone’s time. Of course, this accusation should be taken with a grain of salt. We do remember, though, how Stallone and Willis got into a feud over a decade ago.
Sylvester Stallone & Bruce Willis Clashed On The Expendables Set
Back in 2013, Stallone announced to the world that Willis had been officially replaced by Harrison Ford for the third The Expendables movie. In a series of now-deleted tweets, the Rocky actor shockingly slammed his former co-star and called him “greedy and lazy” while remarking that these two traits are a “sure formula for career failure” (via THR).
An insider reported that a salary dispute led to Willis’ exit from the action franchise. He allegedly wanted a million per day, as he was required to work on location in Bulgaria for four days. Stallone and the team weren’t thrilled about this negotiation.
The “lazy” part in Stallone’s accusation could refer to Willis being late on set, as the latter had appeared in the first two The Expendables movies.
Willis May Have Already Showed Signs of Illness During Filming
In 2022, Willis’ family announced his retirement from acting after he was diagnosed with aphasia. Symptoms for this illness may develop slowly over time, and the exact timing of when his condition began remains unknown.
Two crew members from one of Willis’ past films revealed to the Los Angeles Times that he had trouble remembering his lines, and he also appeared unaware of what was going on around him. He would sometimes ask people why he was there on set.
Although his feud with Stallone happened a decade before his retirement, there’s a possibility that his illness might have been showing symptoms at the time, which caused his alleged laziness on set.
What do you think of Stallone’s advice to Fillingham? Share your thoughts in the comments!
