Sylvester Stallone has spoken out about the injuries he sustained on the set of The Expendables.
Stallone co-directed and starred in the 2010 action thriller, the beginning of a star-studded and much-loved franchise. Think Arnold Schwarzenegger, Bruce Willis, Dolph Lundgren and Jason Statham - what's not to love.
In 2009, during the shooting for the film, the now-77-year-old suffered an injury while performing one of his own stunts, and he's since revealed he's 'never fully recovered' from it.
Stallone was 62-years-old at the time when he took on the role of Barney Ross, and filmed a fight scene with Steve Austin for The Expendables.
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He revealed to FHM Magazine after filming for the movie finished: "Man, it was seven guys, kicking each other's ass, one guy tougher than the next … no joke, our stunt guys were begging for mercy.
"Actually, my fight with 'Stone Cold' Steve Austin was so vicious that I ended up getting a hairline fracture in my neck. I'm not joking.
"I haven't told anyone this, but I had to have a very serious operation afterwards. I now have a metal plate in my neck."
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According to Saint Luke's Health System a neck fracture, whether 'a minor hairline crack' or 'a major break' can be 'very serious if the nerves or the spinal chord are also damaged'.
"In some cases, this can lead to paralysis or death. Any neck fracture is considered a medical emergency and requires medical care right away," it adds.
Stallone carried on filming for the movie anyway, despite medical advice.
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In an interview for Sly - a Netflix documentary about Stallone's 50-year career in the movie industry - the actor admitted the injury still effects him over 10 years on.
He said: "Truthfully, I never fully recovered.
"It did such a number on my body, I've never been the same."
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The Expendables franchise has gone on to become an action thriller staple and Stallone made a whopping $51 million from the movies - $48 million for the first three and an additional $3 million for Expend4bles, according to Parade and Screen Rant.
Stallone admits he's questioned himself over whether the stunt was 'really worth' the resultant injury.
The actor resolves: "Are you doing this for people's approval? Really, that's almost like a child needing a pat on their head by their father. That's constant encouragement. But it's true."
Sly was released onto Netflix US on 27 October and Netflix UK on 3 November.
Topics: Celebrity, Film and TV, Health, Mental Health, Sylvester Stallone, Netflix
Poppy Bilderbeck