Sylvester Stallone's scorpion scene

Sylvester Stallone made his 'Rambo' co-stars lie beside scorpions during filming. Actor Graham McTavish, who plays the role of Lewis, poses for photographers at the UK premiere of 'Rambo' at the Vue West End Cinema in Leicester Square, London, Britain, 12 February 2008. Set twenty years after the last film in the series, 'Rambo' is written and directed by US actor Sylvester Stallone, who also plays the lead role. EPA/FRANTZESCO KANGARIS

Actor Graham McTavish, who plays the role of Lewis, poses for photographers at the UK premiere of 'Rambo' at the Vue West End Cinema in Leicester Square, London, Britain, 12 February 2008. Set twenty years after the last film in the series, 'Rambo' is written and directed by US actor Sylvester Stallone, who also plays the lead role. EPA/FRANTZESCO KANGARISThe 61-year-old actor - who directs and stars in the fourth instalment of the action franchise - expected his fellow actors to ignore ants, snakes and scorpions while shooting a key battle scene in a tropical jungle. Graham McTavish - who plays a former SAS mercenary in the film - revealed: "There's a scene in the movie where I have to fire a gun from behind a tree stump. It was swarming with biting red ants which were actually on top a nest of scorpions. I thought we would move to another location in case I got bitten or stung."But no, Sly was very no-nonsense and there was no way we were moving. Obviously we were in a jungle on the border of Thailand and Burma and we just had to deal with it."It wasn't just ants and scorpions we had to deal with - there were snakes all over the place too. One of the actors was nearly bitten on his leg."McTavish also revealed it took him a while to adjust to working with legendary action hero Stallone.He added to BANG Showbiz: "Of course it's surreal to be there standing next to Rambo, after you've seen and loved the first three movies."It did take me a couple of days to forget that it was him. You do forget eventually, because he's a nice guy, but there are not many people like him."(C) BANG Media International