Sylvester Stallone has heard the nepotism allegations about his daughter’s Tulsa King role — and frankly, he does not care. The 80-year-old star says casting Scarlet Rose Stallone as Spencer was, in his own words, “of course” nepotism.
Scarlet Rose Stallone (Credits: Variety)
Scarlet, 24, has played Spencer since the Paramount+ crime drama’s first season, starting as a barista before being taken under the wing of her father’s character, Dwight “The General” Manfredi. In Season 4, which premiered on October 16, her role expands further as she becomes more involved in Dwight’s family business, and she has been promoted to series regular.
Sylvester Stallone Tulsa King Nepotism Comments
Speaking to USA Today, Stallone pushed back hard on critics who say parents should not use their influence to help their children. “First they go, ‘Nepotism is terrible,’” he said. “I said, ‘Oh please, you’re not a good parent if you haven’t performed a little nepotism. Then obviously you don’t care about your kids, because they come first.”
He went further: “Of course it’s nepotism, you idiot. That’s why we’re parents. We want the best for our children. So obviously we let them have every advantage.”
But Stallone drew a clear line between landing a role and keeping one. Opening a door, he argued, is only the start — staying in front of millions of viewers is down to talent. “Can they maintain that level of excellence? That’s out of our hands,” he said. “But if you can open the door, we’ll see if they have the ability to go through it. People will say, ‘She got that job, it’s too easy.’ You’re right. Perhaps it could be. But to maintain that, to be in front of millions of people, you either got it or you don’t.”
Scarlet herself has said working with her father has changed their relationship, telling People the show brought them closer as friends. Stallone, who also co-writes and executive produces the Taylor Sheridan series, is standing by his daughter as both a father and a colleague — and he is not apologising for the head start.
Also Read: The Lowdown Season 2 Review: Ethan Hawke’s Tulsa Noir Is the Best Show You’re Not Watching
Source: Variety — read the full story there.
