In a candid New York Times interview, Sylvester Stallone—the actor famous for Rambo—delivered a blunt rejection of war, calling it “stupid” and “futile.”
Reflecting on a 1985 statement in which he endorsed strong U.S. military power, Stallone admitted that Rambo once reflected his worldview.
“It did. And now I realize all war is futile. It’s stupid,” he said. “It’s a mechanism to make tons of money for the war department and manufacturers, and these kids are just going out there into a gristmill, being chopped up, and then when they come back with no arms it’s, ‘Oh, sorry, you’re on your own.’ I hate it and I’m bitterly opposed to it.”
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The 80-year-old star described his earlier “gung-ho” attitude as naïve, shaped in part by a desire to push against Hollywood norms. After researching for First Blood, he concluded there is “no glory in war. None.”
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Stallone drew a clear line between aggression and self-defense: “If you’re under attack, of course you have to defend yourself.” But he refused to dive deeper into politics, stressing that wars ultimately destroy both sides, create lasting grudges, and redraw borders “for what?”
Though he did not name Iran specifically, his sweeping condemnation of the war machine has been seized upon by commentators as applying to the ongoing conflict.
Coming from a longtime Trump supporter and cultural symbol of patriotic toughness, the comments mark a striking evolution—from action-hero hawk to vocal critic of war’s human and financial costs.
