Sylvester Stallone, the veteran actor known for portraying the iconic role of Rocky Balboa in the Rocky franchise has been left out of a particular genre of movies every time. Ever since his career’s inception, the actor always wanted to play the role of a gangster.
Stallone did audition for several movies such as The Godfather but was ultimately refused due to several reasons. In 2022, Sylvester Stallone was finally able to fulfill his dream by starring in the Paramount+ series Tulsa King.
Sylvester Stallone Always Wanted To Be A Gangster
We all know how Al Pacino slowly took over his father’s business in Francis Ford Coppola’s 1972 movie The Godfather. With Marlon Brando and Pacino helming the screens, Sylvester Stallone auditioned to be an extra in the movie.
Being born to an Italian father and a Jewish mother, Stallone did have the lineage to be able to portray an Italian role. Fans may remember the iconic wedding scene during the opening of The Godfather. Well, Stallone wanted to portray the role of a gangster so badly that he wanted to be an extra in the wedding guests. According to Fox News (via The Things), Sylvester Stallone revealed that he had been left out every time from the role of a gangster!
“For some reason, gangsters have this aura, and I’ve been left out every time.”
The actor further revealed that the reason he was rejected from starring as an extra in The Godfather was because the casting team thought he “didn’t look Italian enough.” Suffice it to say, Sylvester Stallone wasn’t meant to be a gangster or a mobster in the 70s and 90s but in 2022, the veteran actor was able to fulfill his dream by starring in Taylor Sheridan’s series, Tulsa King.
Sylvester Stallone Was Finally Able To Star As a Mobster In Tulsa King
Taylor Sheridan is the creator of multiple projects based on cowboys and stories set in the West. In 2022, Sheridan released Tulsa King in which Stallone portrayed the main lead of Dwight “The General” Manfredi. Speaking about the experience, the Suicide Squad actor revealed to Variety that he felt his dream had come true after portraying the role of a gangster in Tulsa King.
“It’s very hard to find something original. And when it comes knocking on your door, you have to be a fool to say no. This is a fantasy role. I’ve always wanted to play a gangster. Not a cowboy, not an Indian, [but] a gangster. Don’t ask me why, but there’s a romanticism about these kinds of characters.”
After season 1 ended, the show was quickly renewed for a second season but due to creative differences, the showrunner left the series. Tulsa King received a rating of 8/10 on IMDB and 79% on Rotten Tomatoes. The gangster series is available to stream on Paramount+ in the U.S.