It would be fair to say their heartthrob days are behind them.

Stars Sylvester Stallone, Bruce Willis and Arnold Schwarzenegger gather for premiere

Local residents protest against Governor of California Schwarzenegger’s role
Brazilian production company says Stallone owes them nearly $2.2 million for movie

But these three movie veterans – with their combined ages totalling 176 – are determined to stay very much in the limelight.

Sylvester Stallone, 64, was joined by Bruce Willis, 55, and 57-year-old Mickey Rourke at the Hollywood premiere of their movie The Expendables.

Veteran action stars: The Expendables stars Arnold Schwarzenegger, Willis and Stallone as well as a host of other veteran movie stars

Looking dapper: Stallone, Willis and Rourke all made an effort and dressed up for the occasion

The trio, who first found worldwide fame in the Seventies and Eighties and have also notched up seven marriages between them, posed on the red carpet outside Grauman’s Chinese Theatre.

Their new movie is a throwback to Eighties action movies, telling the story of a team of mercenaries who head to South America on a mission to overthrow a dictator.

Stallone is also the director of the movie – and turned to his old acquaintances when it came to casting.

Explaining how he became involved in the film, Willis said: ‘He [Stallone] just asked and we’re friends.’

The trio are joined in the film by other action heroes from the Eighties including Dolph Lundgren, 52, and 63-year-old Arnold Schwarzenegger.

The Terminator actor, who is now the governor of California, has a cameo role in The Expendables.
Others to appear in the movie include British tough guy actor Jason Statham and Chinese martial arts star Jet-Li.

The actors donned sharp suits and ties for the premiere of the film, which tells the story of a ‘team of mercenaries head to South America on a mission to overthrow a dictator.’

With violent fight scenes, explosions and more weapons than can be imagined, The Expendables is sure to be a hit among both fans of the genre and those looking for an action-packed cinema experience.

And while some of the film’s stars aren’t as young as they used to be, Stallone, 64, said it was important to him to still be able to appear in a movie of this genre.

He said: ‘Usually at my age, you’re out there fly fishing somewhere in Ireland. For me to keep on doing this and prove it can be done.

‘I’m trying to get the younger guys to step up and try and get these kind of films made, because I know they watch them.’

Stallone plays Barney ‘The Schizo’ Ross in The Expendables, the leader of the group who is void of emotion but full of cynicism, who leads his men in a mission to overthrow General Gaza, played by David Zayas.

Watch out! Stallone messes around with Rourke on the red carpet as they pose for photographers

New best friend: Swedish action star Dolph Lundgren and football player Terry Crews pose up

Despite featuring some of the most famous action movie stars of all time, Stallone, who also directed the film, said everybody involved in the making of the film started to get nervous when they started shooting.

He told the New York Post: ‘The thing is, that once we got on the set, everyone got nerves.

‘We probably have 150 movies between us, but we were sitting there like amateurs. “Oh, my God. I don’t want to be the one that drops the ball.” All this stuff is going through people’s minds.

‘Finally, I said, “Here’s the deal. You be Bruce, you be Arnold, you be Sly. Let’s just be who we are.” What you see there is everyone’s real personalities coming to the surface, and I think that’s why it works.’

Dolph Lundgren, who plays combat veteran Gunnar Jensen in the film, also said it was daunting starring alongside what reads as a who’s who of action stars.

He said: ‘In everybody’s mind, there is a little competition when you hear who’s signed on. You want to be as great as the other guy, but you don’t want to affect the film itself.’

Family night out: Stallone arrived at the premiere with wife Jennifer Flavin and daughters Sophia, Sistine and Scarlet

Stunning family: Bruce Willis was accompanied by wife Emma Heming (right) and eldest daughter Rumer wearing a slinky black Crepe Delux dress by British fashion company French Connection

Lundgren, who first shot to fame when he beat 5,000 men to be cast alongside Stallone in Rocky IV in 1985, added: ‘My character is funny and interesting.

‘It was just a typical Sly Stallone script, which means humour, action and a lot of people getting shot.’

The film also stars Jason Statham as former SAS soldier Lee Christmas, Jet Li as close-quarter combat master Yin Yang and football star Terry Crews as long-barrel weapons specialist Hale Caesar.

In addition, Mickey Rouke appears as arms dealer and tattoo parlour owner Tool, while wrestler Randy Couture plays demolitions expert Toll Road and Bruce Willis stars as Mr. Church, the man who hires the expendables.

And while the group believe they have been hired to complete an essentially simple mission by overthrowing General Gaza, they run into trouble when they meet their contact Sandra in Vilena.

Loved-up: Mickey Rourke arrived with girlfriend Anastasia Makarenko, who looked pretty in a blue and green dress

Guests: Actor Terry Crews and wife Rebecca looked smart in black and grey, while Charisma Carpenter looked pretty in a white full-length dress

It’s only when they start talking to freedom fighter Sandra that they realise their most dangerous enemies are rogue former CIA agent James Monroe, played by Eric Roberts, and his bodyguard, the appropriately named Paine, played by wrestler Stone Cold Steve Austin.

In fact, it was during a fight scene between his character Barney and Austin’s Paine that Stallone ended up with his most serious injury – breaking his neck.

Speaking about the injury which saw him have emergency surgery and a metal plate inserted into his neck, Stallone said: ‘It was a fight scene with Steve Austin. I told him to crack me as hard as he can. It snapped my head back and cracked my neck.

‘They had to put some cadaver bones, which means I have ghosts in my neck.

‘That plate goes off every time I go through airport security. I say I can take the belt buckle off, but not the screw.’

Protests: Many people gathered with signs and placards to protest against Governor of California Arnold Schwarzenegger appearing in the film

Controversial: The signs included ‘Arnold, terrible actor, worse Governor’ and ‘Arnold, our families are not expendable’

However, while fans worldwide are thrilled about the upcoming film, the movie has not been without controversy – mainly due to Governor of California Schwarzenegger’s cameo role in the film, which was seen as a conflict of interest by many local residents.

But explaining his decision, Schwarzenegger said: ‘Sly and I became very good friends over the last 10 or 15 years. We’ve had a terrific time and so he was very helpful to me when I ran for Governor.

‘He came to fundraising in different places and he was always there to pump up the people and all that. So naturally when he asked me if I would do a cameo, it will be something very simple, I promised him I’d do that.’

Stallone is back: Sly, who plays Barney ‘The Schizo’ Ross in the film, pulls his best mean face

Buff: Stallone worked hard to get into the best shape possible for the film, which he also directed

But his explanation didn’t stop protesters gathering outside Grauman’s Chinese Theatre with signs and placards for the premiere.

Other controversy has come as a movie production company in Brazil says Stallone owes them nearly $2.2 million for its work on The Expendables.

In a statement, O2 does not specify what work it did but says it was not a co-producer on the project.

However, Stallone’s publicist Michelle Bega told The Associated Press on Monday that she would not comment on the case.

Regardless of any arguments surrounding the film, Stallone looked happy and excited as he attended the premiere with wife Jennifer Flavin and their three children, Sophia, 13, Sistine, 12, and eight-year-old Scarlet.

Controversial: Arnold Schwarzenegger’s cameo role in the movie has been met with criticism by locals

Who’s who: Bruce Willis stars as the mysterious Mr. Church, the man who hires the expendables for their mission

And he wasn’t the only one to have turned the event into a family night out, as Willis was accompanied by model wife Emma Heming and eldest daughter Rumer.

Meanwhile, it was revealed today that Stallone once auditioned for the role of Hans Solo in Star Wars, but his audition didn’t go down too well with director George Lucas.

He said: ‘Yes, as a matter of fact I did and it didn’t meet with much approval. When I stood in front of George Lucas he didn’t look at me once, obviously being very shy.