Behind the Scenes of Sylvester Stallone's 'Tulsa King': Inside the Exceptional Treatment of the Talent by Main Cast and Crew

Talent on Sylvester Stallone s Tulsa King Was Treated Very Well by Main Cast and Crew Says Booking Manager 598

Sylvester Stallone. Jon Kopaloff/Getty Images for Fontainebleau Las Vegas

A booking manager is standing up for Sylvester Stallone amidst accusations of insulting background actors on the set of Tulsa King.

“I’ve heard so much from different people about their time on set,” says Tasha Walker-Carroll of The Walker Talent Management Group. Her talent, Lisa Hopkins, was on the Paramount+ series set on Tuesday, April 4. Walker-Carroll exclusively tells We that her talent was never made to feel belittled on set. Additionally, she did not hear any profanity from the main cast or crew. Overall, her talent was treated very well by the crew.

Walker-Carroll is defending Stallone, 77, following a casting company in Atlanta cutting ties with the series. This came after Stallone and a director reportedly made derogatory remarks towards background actors, including calling them "ugly," "tub of lard," and "fat guy with cane." One actor mentioned that the last insult deeply affected him.

There were also claims that Stallone requested for "pretty young girls to be around me" during production. (We have contacted Stallone's team for a response on this matter.)

The claims first appeared in a private Facebook group named "Backgrounders - stories from set," as reported by Deadline. (A screenshot of the Tulsa King accusations has been shared on X and has garnered over 36,000 views).

Talent on Sylvester Stallone s Tulsa King Was Treated Very Well by Main Cast and Crew Says Booking Manager 599

During an interview with TMZ on Tuesday, April 9, Craig Zisk, the executive producer and director of Tulsa King, refuted claims that Stallone made any insults. He clarified that Stallone never mentioned anything about wanting attractive young women on set, noting that Stallone's wife, Jennifer Flavin, was also present during the conversation.

Zisk claimed that the casting company was casting extras who were older than the age range requested and did not submit headshots of background actors before filming. As a result, Zisk stated that the casting company decided to quit.

In response, Catrett-Locke Casting company announced their decision to end their partnership with Tulsa King in a statement posted on their Facebook page on Sunday, April 7.

We wanted to give you an update on what's going on in our casting world. We have decided to part ways with Tulsa King. Our last day will be on the 12th next week. We wish the best to whoever takes over the show. Thank you to all the amazing background artists for your support.

After the allegations were in the news, the actor's union SAG-AFTRA released a statement on Wednesday, April 10.

A union spokesperson stated through The Hollywood Reporter that there is no place for disrespectful remarks towards background actors or any performers on any set. Even though SAG-AFTRA has not been directly informed about the incident on the Tulsa King set in Atlanta, they are dedicated to ensuring the safety and well-being of all cast members in every production.

Production for season 2 of Tulsa King kicked off earlier this month. The series, which premiered on Paramount+ in November 2022, features Sylvester Stallone as Dwight “The General” Manfredi, a mobster who is released from prison and sent to Oklahoma by his crime family's leader. The cast also includes Garrett Hedlund, Andrea Savage, Domenick Lombardozzi, and Vincent Piazza.

With reporting by Sarah Jones

Editor's P/S:

The accusations