From “Thug Number Three” to Creative Mogul: Stallone and Sheridan’s Parallel Journeys
Hollywood veterans Sylvester Stallone, 79, and Taylor Sheridan, 55, share more than just a collaboration on the hit Paramount+ drama Tulsa King. As the third season of the series prepares for its premiere on September 21, Stallone reveals a profound kinship with Sheridan, recognizing a parallel “survivalist” spirit born from similar struggles in a demanding industry.
Stallone’s Rocky Road to Stardom
Stallone, renowned globally for iconic roles, vividly recalls a pivotal moment in his early career. “There was a crossroads where I knew I was always going to be ‘thug number three’ coming through the door,” he told PEOPLE. Faced with an industry unwilling to offer him substantial acting breaks, Stallone made a decisive pivot. This desperate need for opportunity led him to pen the screenplay for Rocky in 1975, a move that not only transformed his own career from struggling actor to Oscar-winning screenwriter and star but also redefined the sports drama genre. It was an act of pure will, a forced reinvention to stay in the game.
Sheridan’s Path to the “Yellowstone” Universe
Decades later, Sheridan found himself at a similar crossroads. Before becoming the creative powerhouse behind the “Yellowstone” universe, including hits like 1883 and 1923, Sheridan carved out a respectable, though often unfulfilled, acting career with roles in series such as Veronica Mars and Sons of Anarchy. “He was a serious actor, but no one was giving him his break,” Stallone noted, emphasizing Sheridan’s realization that “the clock was running out.” This existential pressure propelled Sheridan to shift his focus to writing, a path that led to acclaimed screenplays for films like Sicario (2015) and Hell or High Water (2016), ultimately culminating in the creation of his massively successful western sagas.
A Shared Ethos of Reinvention
“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,” Stallone asserted, underscoring the fierce determination that characterizes both their trajectories. He sees in Sheridan the same self-made ethos that propelled him from “ground level, not a friend, not a dollar” to holding an Oscar in a few short years.
Serendipitous Encounters and “Tulsa King”
Their paths, though parallel, intersected serendipitously. Stallone recounted their initial, unwitting meeting at a barn, both riding horses. It was then that Stallone, still seeking compelling projects, asked Sheridan to help him write “Rambo, the fourth one.” Sheridan, however, was immersed in his own burgeoning projects, notably Sicario. Nearly a decade passed before their collaboration truly materialized, with Sheridan approaching Stallone with the concept for Tulsa King.
The role of Dwight “The General” Manfredi, a New York mafia capo exiled to Tulsa, Oklahoma, arrived at an opportune moment for Stallone. Having built a career initially on dramatic roles before transitioning into the physical demands of action films like the Rambo franchise, Stallone yearned to revisit complex dramatic narratives. “I thought, ‘I want to go back to something like Rocky,’ which was a drama,” he explained. Sheridan’s unique premise — a fish-out-of-water gangster navigating an unfamiliar landscape — presented precisely the kind of challenge Stallone sought. “Oh — now there’s a challenge. Absolutely,” he recalled thinking.
“Tulsa King”: A Testament to Perseverance
Now entering its third season on September 21, with a fourth already greenlit, Tulsa King stands as a testament to their shared philosophy of relentless reinvention. It’s another high point in Stallone’s storied career, reflecting a journey that, much like Sheridan’s, has been defined by seizing creative control and forging new paths when old ones closed. It’s a potent “morality tale — and a cautionary tale, and every other kind of tale” about perseverance in the unpredictable world of Hollywood.
