Sylvester Stallone has a blunt answer to criticism of his daughter Scarlet Rose Stallone’s casting on Tulsa King: “Of course it’s nepotism, you idiot.”
The 80-year-old addressed the subject in an October 16 interview with USA Today, published as the Paramount+ crime drama returned for its fourth season. He stars as mob boss Dwight “The General” Manfredi and serves as an executive producer.
Scarlet, 24, joined the show when it launched in 2022, playing Spencer. She is the youngest of Stallone’s three daughters with wife Jennifer Flavin, alongside Sophia and Sistine.
Stallone argued that parents should give their children whatever professional advantages they can. He went as far as questioning whether parents who refused to help were putting their children first.
Stallone Says Keeping the Job Depends on What Happens Onscreen
Stallone said sustaining the required level of performance was something parents could not control. Once an actor is appearing in front of millions of viewers, he added, “you either got it or you don’t.”
Scarlet has also worked on films outside her father’s series. Her 2025 credits include Hunting Season with Mel Gibson and Gunslingers, in which she played Bella alongside a cast that included Nicolas Cage, Stephen Dorff and Heather Graham.
Scarlet Says Her Father Teases Her About Her Delivery
Speaking separately to PEOPLE at PaleyFest NY on October 10, Scarlet said working with her father had allowed them to become friends. She remembered his earlier filming schedule leaving them less time together.
He sometimes mouths the words at her on set because he prefers more deliberate pronunciation and old-fashioned language, she said. Scarlet pushes back by pointing out that she belongs to a different generation. Adopting his delivery, she jokes, would make her seem his age.
She has also acknowledged the pressure of acting alongside him. In a November 2, 2025, interview with TV Insider, Scarlet credited her father with helping her learn the craft while they worked together.
Scarlet’s Role Is Growing as Dwight Faces New Enemies
Spencer began as a coffee shop barista before taking a job caring for horses at Fennario Ranch. Her connection with Dwight gradually brought her into contact with the people running his criminal operation.
By Season 3, she was helping Tyson, played by Jay Will, and Goodie, played by Chris Caldovino, scout a fraternity house for a drug theft. Scarlet told TV Insider that Spencer had grown more comfortable with the crew. The character drew on her college business classes when negotiating her share of the proceeds, determined that the men should recognize the value of her ideas.
Spencer takes on a larger part in Season 4, according to USA Today. Dwight’s efforts to legitimize his businesses now bring him up against political interests, including Gretchen Mol’s Amanda Clark, as well as returning rivals. The storyline also involves artificial intelligence data centers and a powerful billionaire.
Stallone introduced a silver-topped cane into Dwight’s wardrobe after briefly using one himself during recovery from spinal fusion surgery. He told USA Today he no longer needed it, but had decided to incorporate the experience into the show. Dwight’s explanation is an old prison stab wound that occasionally troubles him.
Scarlet’s Promotion to Series Regular Comes in Season 5
Paramount+ confirmed Scarlet’s promotion in its announcement of the fifth season. Filming began October 5 in New York, with production moving from Atlanta to follow Dwight’s return to his former mafia territory.
The next season will also add Erik Palladino, Glenn Fleshler, Anthony Skordi and Nickola Shreli as series regulars. A premiere date has not been announced.