In one of the most remarkable creative detours of his career, Sylvester Stallone , the star synonymous with the taciturn action hero John Rambo, turned down two guaranteed blockbusters to star in the 1984 musical comedy, Rhinestone . The film, which paired him with country music legend Dolly Parton , was a commercial failure but delivered an unforgettable, bizarrely charming moment: Rambo truly attempts to sing country music.
The Box Office Miss and The Duet
Rhinestone stars Parton as a country music star who bets she can transform Stallone’s character, a tough New York cab driver named Nick Martinelli, into a country singer. The result was the surreal spectacle of Stallone awkwardly yet sincerely singing on the mic.
The film’s soundtrack features four duets between the two stars, including ” Sweet Lovin’ Friends ” and ” Stay Out of My Bedroom ” (all written by Parton), alongside Stallone’s infamous solo, ” Drinkin’ Stein .” While these performances are cult favorites for their sheer novelty, the film’s financial and critical data were harsh:
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Financial Failure: Against an estimated budget of $14 million (some sources cite $28M), the film only grossed $21.4 million domestically.
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Critical Backlash: Critics overwhelmingly panned the film, and Stallone earned the Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Actor for the role. The song “Drinkin’ Stein” also won for Worst Original Song.
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Stallone’s Salary: Stallone reported earned a high salary of $4 million for the film, a significant sum that he collected at the cost of his artistic reputation that year.
The Cost of the Detour: Two Blockbusters Gone
What makes Stallone’s commitment to the project so profound is what he reported ignored to make it, highlighting the enormous risk of his creative choice:
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Skipped Beverly Hills Cop : Stallone was famously offered the lead role of Axel Foley. He rewrote the script to turn it into a heavy action film, which the studio rejected. The role went to Eddie Murphy , and the film became one of the biggest hits of the decade, grossing $234.8 million worldwide .
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Blocked from Romancing the Stone : Stallone was also reported offered the lead role of Jack T. Colton, which went to Michael Douglas . That adventure-comedy was a massive success, grossing $115 million worldwide .
Although Stallone would quickly reclaim his action throne with Rocky IV and Rambo: First Blood Part II a year later, the image of ‘Rambo’ trading ammo for a rhinestone-studded microphone remains a peculiar, unforgettable footnote in the career of an action legend.