‘I broke myself in pieces’: Sylvester Stallone on doing his own stunts

Hollywood star Sylvester Stallone has opened up about his stunt work, admitting he regrets continuing to perform his own action sequences because his body was never the same after the physical injuries.

In a recent interview with Fox News Digital, the Rocky star said he has “millions, millions of regrets” about his action career.

“I could literally spend a half hour talking about injuries, the amount, not even like one, I’m talking about 30 hours, 30 minutes of just individual ones, because it becomes compounded. I have been injured many, many times, but after Expendables, I ended up with nine back operations, three neck fusions. Both shoulders ripped out, eye, you know, all kinds of lens put…it’s been brutal,” he said.

After a stunt went wrong on the set of his 2010 action thriller, Stallone said he has never been “quite the same” since he went through multiple surgeries. The Expendables starred him alongside Jason Statham and Mickey Rourke

Stallone was left with dislocated shoulders and a fractured neck that required him to undergo more than seven back surgeries.

“Don’t be a stage hawk, or whatever you call it, a showboat. I know a lot of people are thinking about doing stunts...don’t. Don’t. Let the pro do it,” Stallone said.

“You cannot beat gravity; when you hit the ground, you lose, and it’s going to come back. I mean, just ask every football player in the world. So yeah, and people go, ‘Aren’t you proud of them?’ No. I think I’m an idiot for doing that. I’m proud that I broke myself in pieces. Like, duh, no,” he added.

The 80-year-old actor’s memoir, titled The Steps, was released last month.