The action icon has been accused of verbally abusing background actors on the set of his most recent project.
Sylvester Stallone has been accused of mistreating cast and crew members on the set of the Paramount+ drama Tulsa King, including referring to one extra as “a tub of lard”.
The claims have emerged from the Casting Supervisor of the series, Rose Locke, who runs an Atlanta-based casting company called Catrett Locke Casting that were originally hired to source supporting actors and extras for the show.
Locke claimed that Stallone and the show’s director, Craig Zisk, called the extras “ugly, “tub of lard” and referred to one actor as a “fat guy with cane.”
In a post on Facebook, the casting company announced that they had “chosen to part ways with Tulsa King“. In the comments section of the post, a user who acted as an extra on set claimed that the man with the cane said the comment “hurt his soul.”
According to the post, Locke also claimed the Rocky and Rambo creator said: “Bring in pretty young girls to be around me.”
Both Stallone and Zisk refute the claims, and told TMZ that no such insults were hurled and that Rose quit because she was called out for not doing her job.
The Facebook post by CL Casting led to an outpouring of confessions from other background actors who spent time on the set, and a post from another casting company by the name of Charleston SC Background Actors/Crew, who wrote: “Several groups are talking about what happened on the set of Tulsa King filming in Atlanta. At first I had hoped it was just a bad rumour started by one person who may have felt some type of way; but there have been countless people who were on set and have stated what they saw, how they were treated, etc.
“Sadly Sly Stallone and crew made things miserable for the background artists and many have said the set was completely unprofessional and a total mess. Although I have not personally worked with Rose Locke & CL Casting…I have great respect for them for pulling out of the project and looking out for their background artists.”
Julie Benson, a TV writer on Star Trek: Prodigy, but not affiliated with Tulsa King, posted about the rumours on Twitter.
The claims are being looked into by the production company in charge of the show, 101 Studios.
Locke’s original social media post, which detailed the events that led up to her company’s withdrawal from the production, has since been removed, but it has since been reshared in the form of screenshots.
She wrote: “I have been informed of certain things that happened on Thursday … I came the 2nd day (Friday) to see what was happening.
“At the end of the day I resigned because it was a clear toxic environment that I was not comfortable putting myself or background artists in. I will finish out this coming week and someone else will take over.
“I want to apologise for anything you experienced. I would also like you to text me … what you experience, saw or heard, I will be sending the info to HR.”
Zisk not only denied the claims to TMZ, but accused Locke of not doing her job properly, and improperly casting extras.
Zisk claimed that the extras were supposed to be in a ‘hip, young bar’, and the plan was to get actors in the 25 to 35-year-old range, but the actors who were cast were considerably older.
He then told Rose Locke that she needed to submit photos — headshots — of the extras so they would vibe with the premise of the film, but he says she responded, “I don’t work that way.”
He claims he shot back, “That’s the way I work and everyone I know works that way in extras casting.” Zisk says Locke responded, “Ok,” but then quit an hour later.
He also denied that Stallone said anything about bringing “pretty girls” around him, adding his wife, Jennifer Flavin, was right there during filming.
Tulsa King follows a mobster who tries to build a new crime empire in Oklahoma after being released from prison.
Last season’s showrunner Terence Winter left the show after clashing with the executive producer Taylor Sheridan.
Stallone made the decision to re-hire Sheridan for season two following the conflict.
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