The legendary actor Sylvester Stallone never had the chance to play a serious mafia role until the series ‘Tulsa King’ — and here’s why.
Sylvester Stallone is one of the most recognized and beloved actors in the world. From creating and starring in the iconic Rocky franchise to headlining Rambo, he has remained in demand in the film industry for more than fifty years. Stallone had long wanted to star in a mafia-related project but admitted that he was often turned down. In 2022, he finally fulfilled that dream with Tulsa King. The reason he was repeatedly rejected from mafia projects is quite surprising.
Sylvester Stallone was born in July 1946 in New York to an Italian father and a French Jewish mother. He began his career in entertainment in his early twenties and rose to fame with the 1976 film Rocky. In the early stages of his career, Stallone auditioned for mafia films such as The Godfather — even just for background roles — but was constantly rejected. The actor recently shared that the casting team of The Godfather thought he “didn’t look Italian enough.” “For some reason, gangsters have this image, and I was ignored every time,” he said.
The producers of The Godfather believed Stallone wasn’t even suitable for a tiny role at Connie Corleone’s wedding. Interestingly, two of the film’s central actors, Marlon Brando and James Caan, were not of Italian descent.
Although Stallone didn’t land a role in The Godfather, he still made a mark in Italian American cinema with Rocky Balboa. In the Rocky franchise, his character — a young Italian American from Philadelphia — overcomes every obstacle to become a successful boxer. Rocky became one of the most beloved Italian American films of all time, and his character turned into a hero for audiences worldwide.
In the 1991 film Oscar, Stallone played a gangster, but it was a comedy without the traditional mafia boss figure. The film, modeled after Depression-era comedies, was far from being on the same level of mafia cinema as The Godfather, Goodfellas, or A Bronx Tale.
How Did Tulsa King Fulfill Sylvester Stallone’s Dream?
Stallone called Tulsa King a “fantastic role.” “I always wanted to play a gangster,” he said in an interview. The series, which premiered in 2022, tells the story of a mobster who has served prison time and is sent by his boss to set up and run a new criminal operation in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Stallone, who also serves as an executive producer, described the project as a blend of mafia drama and Western. It marked not only his breakthrough mafia role but also his first major television series.
The first season premiered in November 2022. Following its initial success, the series was renewed for a second season. Alongside Stallone, fellow Italian-American actors Domenick Lombardozzi, Vincent Piazza, and Tommy DeVito also star in the show.
