Sylvester Stallone is opening up about why he relates so deeply to “Tulsa King” creator Taylor Sheridan. Amid the season 3 premiere of the Paramount+ hit, Stallone shared how their career struggles mirror each other — and why he understands the “dilemma” Sheridan faced in Hollywood.
Sylvester Stallone Connects With Taylor Sheridan’s Career Pivot
The 79-year-old actor told People that he recognized himself in Sheridan’s journey from struggling actor to acclaimed screenwriter.
“There was a crossroads where I knew I was always going to be ‘thug number three’ coming through the door,” Stallone explained. “I saw the handwriting on the wall and knew I had to pivot, big time, and the same thing happened with him.”
Stallone added, “He was a serious actor, but no one was giving him his break. He realized the clock was running out, and he had to learn to write. He was always kind of a lonely kid, like I was. I was always making up fantasy stories in the mirror and all that stuff. But I get his dilemma. I get the reason he pursued another career. It isn’t because you wanted to, you had to, or you’re gone. He’s a survivalist.”
Sheridan previously told Deadline that his departure from “Sons of Anarchy” stemmed from being offered a “very unfair” wage. His attorney was even told he was “not worth more,” which prompted him to leave the show — and ultimately find success writing projects like “Sicario” and “Hell or High Water.”
How “Tulsa King” Brought Stallone and Sheridan Together
Stallone recalled first meeting Sheridan by chance: “When we finally met — unwittingly at a barn, both riding horses — I started to talk to this kid. I go, ‘Why don’t you help me write “Rambo,” the fourth one?’ He says, ‘I’m working on this thing called “Sicario.”’ So he went off in his own direction, and so did I. About ten years later, here he comes with this idea.”
That idea became “Tulsa King,” where Stallone stars as Dwight “The General” Manfredi. “My career started out dramatic, then it got very physical, and I wanted to stay in that action genre for a reason,” he explained. “Since we don’t really have new heroes like Achilles or Hercules, these were the characters we created.”
“But as time moved on, I thought, ‘I want to go back to something like “Rocky,” which was a drama. There’s only six minutes of fighting outta two hours, that’s it,” Stallone continued. “Then Taylor Sheridan called me and goes, ‘You want to play a gangster out of water in Tulsa, Oklahoma?’ I go, ‘Oh — now there’s a challenge. Absolutely.’”
Now entering season 3, with a fourth already confirmed, “Tulsa King” has cemented itself as another major milestone in Stallone’s legendary career.
“I’m kind of caught up in the fury of how I made it,” Stallone reflected. “Literally coming here knowing no one from ground level, not a friend, not a dollar. A couple of years later, you’re holding an Oscar. I thought, this is an unbelievable morality tale — and a cautionary tale, and every other kind of tale.”
“Tulsa King” season 3 premiered Sept. 21 on Paramount+. New episodes drop on Sundays.
