Source : @Variety
LOS ANGELES — Sylvester Stallone has brushed off criticism over the casting of his daughter Scarlet Rose Stallone in “Tulsa King”, admitting that her growing role in the Paramount+ crime drama is “of course” nepotism and arguing that any good parent would do the same, Variety reported on Saturday (Oct 24).
The comments come from an interview Stallone gave to USA Today, published on Oct 16 to coincide with the Season 4 premiere. Deadline reported that the remarks have since gone viral as the new season rolls out.
Stallone said critics are quick to call nepotism terrible, but that in his view a parent who has never “performed a little nepotism” does not truly care about their children, because children come first. He went on to say that parents want the best for their sons and daughters and naturally give them every advantage they can.
‘You either got it or you don’t’
The 80-year-old actor also stressed that opening a door is only the start. Whether a young performer can maintain a high standard is out of a parent’s hands, he said, and the real test is whether they have the ability to walk through it. Deadline quoted him as saying that holding a job in front of millions of viewers comes down to talent, adding: “you either got it or you don’t.”
Scarlet Rose Stallone plays Spencer, a former barista who is hired by Stallone’s character to look after the horses at Fennario Ranch. TheWrap reported that she has appeared in 22 episodes across the show’s four seasons, and her character becomes more involved in the family business in Season 4.
The 24-year-old has spoken warmly about working with her father. She told People earlier this month that the series had “completely changed” their relationship and that the two had become real friends on set, TheWrap reported. In promotional material released by Skydance, Stallone said she approaches the character in her own way and is now “flying on her own”.
Season 4 and beyond
“Tulsa King” stars Stallone as Dwight “The General” Manfredi, a New York mafia capo who is sent to Tulsa, Oklahoma, after serving 25 years in prison and sets about building a new criminal empire there. According to Skydance, the fourth season sees Manfredi’s push for legitimacy threatened by corrupt politicians, dangerous new enemies and a heavy personal loss. Gretchen Mol joins the cast as a series regular.
Paramount+ has already renewed the show for a fifth season, which is filming in New York as the story returns to Manfredi’s mob roots. Skydance said Scarlet Rose Stallone will be promoted to series regular for that season, alongside newcomers Erik Palladino, Glenn Fleshler, Anthony Skordi and Nickola Shreli.
The debate over so-called “nepo babies”, the children of famous parents who follow them into the business, has grown louder in Hollywood in recent years, and Stallone’s blunt answer has quickly become one of the most talked-about takes on the subject. Season 4 of “Tulsa King” premiered on Oct 16, with new episodes released weekly on Fridays at midnight Pacific time, which is 3pm on Fridays in Malaysia.
The original Variety post can be viewed on X: https://x.com/Variety/status/2114046273103757480.
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