'Tulsa King' Actress Andrea Savage Talks Working Opposite Sylvester Stallone, Reveals if Paramount+ Series Exists in 'Yellowstone' Universe (Exclusive)
Tulsa King is a brand new Paramount+ series starring Sylvester Stallone as Dwight "The General" Manfredi, a New York mobster who is released from prison after 25 years and is immediately sent to Tulsa, Oklahoma by his mafia boss. The series was originally concocted by Yellowstone creator Taylor Sheridan, but the fish-out-of-water story "a hundred percent" does not take place in the same shared universe, says series actress Andrea Savage. Recently, PopCulture.com sat down to chat with Savage, who stars opposite Stallone as Stacy Beale — a woman who catches Dwight's eye, but will almost certainly complicate his plans — and she dished on all things Tulsa King.
While speaking to Savage, we asked about the unsuspecting humor in Tulsa King, which she revealed was a bit of a surprise to the cast and creators as well. "As we were doing it, we knew there was some humor in it, but because it's such a specific tone, I think we were all figuring it out on the fly as well. And weren't totally sure where it was going to go until we saw it." Even though the show was created by Sheridan, Savage noted that showrunner and co-executive producer Terence Winter was "the person who thought of me for this" role, likely because she comes "from comedy, pretty much exclusively."
She explained, "I think he knew he wanted someone to have a little comedy in there. But there's definitely more than we thought because I think everyone started realizing that Sly really likes comedy and is funny. It kind of all started leaning into it. As the season goes along I think it does get more dramatic, but just the element of being a fish out of water lends itself to humor. You kind of can't do a fish out of water and not have it be somewhat funny.
Savage also reassured us that Stallone is just as funny in real life, saying, "This character I think is probably the most similar to Sylvester Stallone that he's ever played, because he is really funny and he's always making a crack, and it's always kind of at someone's expense. It's that kind of humor, which I love, which is my kind of humor. But then he's also really smart and he's a really good actor. You're in a scene with him and you're like, 'Oh, that's right. God, he's really good. Whoa, there it is. There's the movie star.'"
If the scenery in Tulsa King looks authentic, that's because the show was filmed exclusively in Oklahoma. "A lot of the sets, we shot an exterior of an old, well, I don't want to ruin it, whatever, but a bowling alley, like an old bowling alley, in the middle of Oklahoma City," she said. "And outdoor driving. It's just, you can't fake that. I think that's what Taylor Sheridan does so well is he really takes these locations, and they become characters and they have a mood to them."
Finally, we asked Savage if she could tease the rest of the season for us, which she admitted was "hard to talk about, without spoiling" what happens in the series premiere. She continued, "I encounter Dwight in a bar, and [Stacy's] slightly drunk and propositions him, and they go home together. She finds out that he was a lot older than she imagined he was. And quickly excuses herself and is like, 'Oh God.' She's going through a divorce and kind of just wanted to see if she could get through it, and to prove to herself. And then you see her in her place of work where she finds out who he actually is. That is very much in opposition to what she does.
Savage continued, "High jinks ensue, yes... But, really, they mirror each other. They're both transplants from New York, and they're both very lonely. They're both don't, aren't happy with where they are in their lives. She's going through a divorce, no kids, no family, no close friends, living in the middle of Oklahoma. And is just looking for intimacy and any sort of connection."
She went on to say, "When you're at that place, you don't always make the best choices. I think we all understand when our intentions are good and our follow through is not always." The first two episodes of Tulsa King are now streaming on Paramount+, with new episodes launching on Sundays. Those interested in trying out a free trial of Paramount+ can do so by clicking here.
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