Sylvester Stallone has offered his rebuttal to those side-eying his daughter’s “Tulsa King” role. Across the Paramount+ series‘ four seasons, Scarlet Rose Stallone has played Spencer, a former barista and stable hand who goes on to work for Dwight Manfredi’s (Sylvester Stallone) crime empire.
Scarlet’s casting in “Tulsa King” could easily be lambasted as a classic case of Hollywood nepotism, though Stallone doesn’t understand the criticism over supporting his daughter’s career. “First they go, ‘Nepotism is terrible,'” Stallone said during an interview with USA Today. “I said, ‘Oh please, you’re not a good parent if you haven’t performed a little nepotism. Then obviously you don’t care about your kids, because they come first.'”
Stallone doesn’t shy away from the fact that he helped Scarlet land a role on the Taylor Sheridan show. In fact, he sees nepotism as the obvious choice for a parent in his position. “‘Of course it’s nepotism, you idiot,” Stallone added. “That’s why we’re parents. We want the best for our children. So obviously we let them have every advantage.'”
Sylvester Stallone worked with his children before Tulsa King
While “Tulsa King” marks the first recurring TV role for Scarlet Rose Stallone, she worked alongside her father in her professional acting debut. The 2014 Sylvester Stallone-led crime film “Reach Me” briefly featured Scarlet as a young girl. “I literally just had to say one tiny line, and they had to cut that in half!” Scarlet told Harper’s Bazaar. “It was pretty humiliating.”
Of Stallone’s four other children, three have appeared in scripted projects. As a newborn, the star’s second-born son Seargeoh made an uncredited appearance as Rocky Balboa’s (Stallone) infant son in 1979’s “Rocky II.” Eleven years later, Stallone’s eldest son Sage, who died in 2012, played Rocky Jr. in “Rocky V.” The two later collaborated on the 1996 movie “Daylight.” Stallone hasn’t acted with his daughters Sistine and Sophia yet, but the former counts a few small roles in films and TV shows.
Appearing on “CBS Sunday Morning at 92NY,” Stallone was asked if he has offered any advice to Scarlet, now 24, while filming “Tulsa King.” “She gives me advice actually. She’s very like, daddy’s girl,” he said. “So now I don’t suggest anything … She’s really grown up. All my daughters have grown up in this world, so they knew more than I do.” Even though Season 4 has just begun, “Tulsa King” has been renewed for Season 5 at Paramount+. Scarlet has also been promoted to series regular for Season 5, so the father-daughter duo will get to keep their working dynamic going.