Sylvester Stallone standing in the middle of a city street in promo shot for the Paramount+ series 'Tulsa King'

Sylvester Stallone Is Earning $1 Million Per Episode for ‘Tulsa King’

For his first major TV role in 'Tulsa King,' Oscar nominee Sylvester Stallone will earn $1 million per episode. The show premieres November 13.

by Megan Elliott

Published on July 25, 2022

2 min read

Sylvester Stallone nabs $1 million payday for ‘Tulsa King’

Stallone’s career in Hollywood spans six decades, but he’s been seen on TV relatively infrequently. His past small-screen roles include a two-episode stint on Las Vegas in the early 2000s and early-career appearances on Police Story and Kojak. But Stallone is set to take the TV world by storm with Tulsa King, the newest show from Yellowstone creator Taylor Sheridan.

In the series, Stallone plays a mobster who is exiled to Oklahoma after a 25-year stint in prison. For his role as Dwight “The General” Manfredi, the actor is earning $ 1 million per episode, according to a recent report from Variety. That puts him in an elite class of TV actors who can command salaries of seven figures per episode. (Other actors on the list include Michael Keaton for Dopesick, Harrison Ford and Helen Mirren for 1923, and Elisabeth Moss for Shining Girls.)

‘Tulsa King’ is from ‘Yellowstone’ creator Taylor Sheridan

Tulsa King is just the latest Paramount+ series from Sheridan, who also created the Yellowstone prequel 1883 and Mayor of Kingstown for the streaming service.

The show will follow Stallone’s Manfredi, a loyal mob soldier whose boss sends him to Tulsa. Dwight has been ordered to set up shop in the Oklahoma capital following his release from prison. But he quickly realizes his mob family might not have his best interests in mind. Once in his new home – which might as well be another planet – Dwight puts together a new crew of unlikely characters who will help him establish a new criminal empire.

“Dwight Manfredi has a dark side, but he’s also witty and a real tactician. He was at the top of his game until he took the fall for someone else,” Stallone told TV Insider of his character. “During 25 years in prison, he goes through a revival and finds his philosophical side. Dwight has regrets and remorse, but it’s the only life he knows. Upon his release he returns to that life, expecting a reward, but instead has been exiled to Tulsa, almost as a punishment, to start a mob.”

‘Tulsa King’ premieres November 13

In addition to Stallone, the Tulsa King cast also includes Andrea Savage, Martin Starr, Max Casella, Domenick Lombardozzi, Vincent Piazza, Jay Will, A.C. Peterson, and Garrett Hedlund. The show premieres Sunday, November 13. The first episode will air on Paramount Network immediately following the Yellowstone Season 5 premiere. Tulsa King’s second episode will also air the next week on Paramount Network. All subsequent episodes will stream Sundays on Paramount+.

For more on the entertainment world and exclusive interviews, subscribe to Showbiz Cheat Sheet’s YouTube channel.