Dolph Lundgren says he 'always understood' Sylvester Stallone due to similar abusive childhood

Dolph Lundgren believes his shared abusive childhood helped him better understand Sylvester Stallone throughout their 40-year friendship.During an interview with Fox News Digital, Lundgren – who recently released his documentary "Dolph: Unbreakable" – explained the gratitude he has for the "Rocky" star after he "resurrected" his career."I think part of what's kept it going is I always have been very grateful to him and loving towards him.We've had our ups and downs, but I think, you know, he's discovered a lot of new talent and I think some of them perhaps haven't been as grateful maybe as some others, and I've always paid my respects to him because he's responsible not just for 'Rocky IV' but 'The Expendables.' I did four of those movies, which resurrected my career," Lundgren began.Sylvester Stallone and Dolph Lundgren have had a friendship that has spanned four decades.

(Kiyoshi Ota/Getty Images)He continued, "I hadn't been on the big screen for 25 years when I did 'Expendables.'"SYLVESTER STALLONE SHARES HARROWING NEW DETAILS ABOUT ABUSIVE CHILDHOODLundgren went on to share that Stallone is a "complicated guy," but he understands him.WATCH: Dolph Lundgren opens up about the ‘ups and downs’ in his friendship with Sylvester Stallone"I've always appreciated him.I always understood him.

I know he's a complicated guy, but we have a similar background, so I always knew where he was coming from, which I think he knows.And I think also, it got more emotional, and I believe that I have a feeling that you know, he's also opened up like I have over the years about his upbringing and what he's gone through," Lundgren said.Dolph Lundgren and Sylvester Stallone on the set of "Rocky IV." (Getty Images)The actor said the parallels in their lives go deeper than a shared abusive childhood."We have daughters; he has three, I got two.

And you know if you think about it, who can you...if you're an action star, who had an abusive childhood, who has three daughters, who ha...