We've seen Robert De Niro and Sylvester Stallone in a boxing ring. But never together. Until now. As 'Grudge Match' brings together two of Hollywood's longest-serving A-listers to the canvas, we ask - which of these two is actually the bigger star?
It was one of the biggest shocks in the annals of Hollywood when Sylvester Stallone stole the Best Picture Oscar in 1976, with his boxing epic 'Rocky'.
Stallone was also - oddly to think now - nominated for Best Actor that year, for his title role. Alongside him in the shortlist, such luminaries as Peter Finch, who won, William Holden and Robert De Niro.
grudge match
For De Niro, this was at the height of his purple patch, when his name was synonymous with commitment to gruelling, vanity-free roles, and portrayals of complex, solitary anti-heroes with almost audible internal monologues. He'd already won an Oscar for his unique, still presence to The Godfather Part II ( 1974) and formed his partnership with Martin Scorsese in 'Mean Streets' (1973). By the time Sly was polishing his Oscar, De Niro was ready for his career-defining position as Marty's Muse.
Scorsese took him under his wing and steered performances from him that still set the bar today. In 'Raging Bull', 'Taxi Driver', later 'Goodfellas' and 'Casino', he proved a master in depicting the underbelly of the American dream, with every tic and nuance rooted in an authentic, hard-earned observation of the minute, the localised and specific, and the disappearance of Robert De Niro as we knew him.
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