Sylvester Stallone reveals backstory of THAT Halloween pumpkin snap with Arnold Schwarzenegger

Sylvester Stallone has revealed the backstory to his recent viral Halloween snap with Arnold Schwarzenegger.

The two ’80s action hunks, who used to be bitter rivals, appeared together on Instagram in a heartwarming click with the pumpkins they’d just carved.

Now starring on the Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon, Sly, 76, said the photo actually came after a “pumpkin-cutting contest” — which he won, of course.

Silver fox: Sylvester Stallone has revealed the backstory of his recent viral Halloween snap with Arnold Schwarzenegger

Icons: The two ’80s action hunks, who used to be bitter rivals, appeared together on Instagram in a heartwarming click with the pumpkins they had just carved

“I’m doing a reality show,” Sly explained, “and I called him up and said, ‘Yeah, can I come over?” He says, “Yes, come over. I’ll bring my donkey, you can pet him.” Pet my donkey, pet my horse.”

After making Jimmy giggle with his double entendres, Sly went on, ‘I come over and there are these fuzzy things in his office, a donkey and a pony – in the office! I don’t mean like, okay, with diapers. Just walk around.’

Rambo’s heartthrob recalled, “I’m going, ‘When is it going to be a mess?” I mean, which secretary would sign that?’

Sly presented that “After we do our little tête-à-tete, talking, he says, ‘Do you want to carve a pumpkin?’ And he goes like, “Pumpkin!” And then pumpkins appear. And then he says, “Knives!” And a man who brings knives. I mean, it’s incredibly choreographed. This guy is the real deal,” he gushed.

Triumph: Now starring on the Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon, Sly, 76, told me the photo actually came after a “pumpkin carving contest” — which he won, of course.

“I’ll bring my donkey, you can pet him””: “I’m doing a reality show,” Sly explained, “and I called him and said, ‘Yeah, can I come over?” He says, “Yeah, come over”‘

‘Just walking around’: Sly continued, ‘I’m passing by and there are these fuzzy things in his office, a donkey and a pony – in the office! I don’t mean like, okay, with diapers’

“So we had a pumpkin carving contest and I’m happy to say I went downstairs, got the head off, both eyes, nose, mouth done before he got one eyeball!”

He posted the original viral Instagram snap on Oct. 18, entranced by fans with an image of himself with Arnie holding huge knives over their pumpkins.

‘Myself and my great friend Arnold, @schwarzenegger spending time in his amazing office Carving Pumpkin Heads for Halloween with Survival Knives!!!’ he captioned. ‘That’s what real ACTION guys do with their free time! LOL…’

The star-studded episode of The Tonight Show on Friday featured a musical performance from One Direction’s superstar singer Louis Tomlinson.

The Big Questions: Rambo’s heartthrob recalled, “I’m going, “When will it be dumped?” I mean, which secretary would sign that?’

‘Incredibly choreographed’: Sly said that ‘after we do our little tête-à-tête, he talks, ‘Would you like to carve a pumpkin?’ And he goes like, “Pumpkin!” And then pumpkins appear

Triumph: ‘So we had a pumpkin carving contest and I’m happy to say I went downstairs, got the head off, got both eyes, nose, mouth done before he got one eyeball!’

Louis played his new song Silver Tongues from the deluxe edition of his new album Faith In The Future, which was released that same day.

“You know, we’re so much happier in times like these,” he murmured, “nights like these we’ll remember those stupid jokes that only we know.”

Sly’s affectionate relationship with Arnie is quite recent – in fact, he recently confessed that they “really, really hated each other” when they were at their peak.

Both men enjoyed thriving careers as action stars in the 1980s, resulting in bitter competition between them.

Superstar: Friday’s star-studded episode of The Tonight Show featured a musical performance by singer Louis Tomlinson of One Direction fame

Promo: Louis played his new song Silver Tongues from the deluxe edition of his new album Faith In The Future, released that same day

Wow: ‘You know, in times like this we’re so much happier’, he sang, ‘nights like this we remember those stupid jokes that only we know’

“We couldn’t stand being in the same galaxy together for a while,” admitted Sly during a recent interview on The Jonathan Ross Show.

Sylvester claimed Arnold even “tricked” him into starring in the 1992 comedy Stop! Or my mother shoots.

However, he managed to joke about Arnie’s own much-discussed 1994 film Juniro, saying, “At least I wasn’t pregnant in a movie, Arnold. We’re even.’

In more recent decades, the pair have become a friendly comparison, even starring together in two Expendables movies and the 2013 movie Escape Plan.