VIDEO: ‘The Expendables’ premiere and the ‘genius’ of Sly Stallone
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Los Angeles Times film reporter Amy Kaufman, embedded among some of action’s elite stars, brings us this report from the Hollywood ‘black carpet’ premiere of ‘The Expendables.’ There were tough guys aplenty at Tuesday’s Hollywood premiere of ‘The Expendables,’ where renowned action stars and bulky athletes gathered to promote Sylvester Stallone’s testosterone-fueled new film.
But on the black carpet, the film’s cast of macho men got downright mushy as they extolled the virtues of their director and costar. Many of the actors said they were so eager to work with Stallone that they barely knew anything about the movie before signing onto the project.
‘I didn’t even read the script. I said yeah, I’ll be there. Thank God it was a good script,’ said Eric Roberts, who recently wrapped filming VH1’s ‘Celebrity Rehab,’ on which he battled a medical marijuana addiction.
Roberts, who was flanked by his stepson at the premiere, plays the chief villain in ‘The Expendables.’ The role was guided largely by the direction of his longtime friend Stallone, he said.
‘[Stallone] wrote, he produced, he starred, he directed. It’s an over and abused word, but he might be a genius.’
Retired professional wrestler Steve Austin described Stallone as an ‘extremely tough individual,’ but said that the filming experience allowed him to see a different side of the ‘Rocky’ star.
‘When he gets behind the camera, you get a chance to see an artistic side of Sly that you didn’t know existed,’ Austin said. ‘And he’s very picky about what he wants from his actor. He knows what he wants to see and he knows what he wants out of the scene. So I learned a lot from the guy.’
Former NFL player Terry Crews has even clung to some of Stallone’s words of wisdom.
‘One of the best things he’s ever told me was, ‘If you’re going to make music, you’ve gotta play with both hands. Don’t go with one hand, because that’s the music you’ll get,’ ‘ recalled Crews, who was accompanied by his wife. ‘And I’ll never forget that. It was like give your all, every time.’ -- Amy Kaufman
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