The casting agency that was hiring extras for the Paramount+ drama Tulsa King quit the show Sunday after it was reported that star Sylvester Stallone was heard disparaging the extras on the set.
Atlanta-based casting company Rose Locke Casting announced a break with the producers of Tulsa King after a Facebook page frequented by background actors — once called “extras” — went viral. The actors were complaining about how Stallone was allegedly treating them on the set during filming of the second season of the Taylor Sheridan series, according to Deadline.
The commenters on the Facebook page claimed that Stallone and the director on set called the hired extras “ugly,” “tub of lard,” and “fat guy with cane.” The man who as supposedly the target of the last barb said the insult “hurt his soul.”
One commenter even claimed Stallone openly said he wants “pretty young girls ” to be around him.
Got this disturbing news from my Atlanta friend who’s background on Tulsa King this wk. Casting agent quit because she was so disgusted. My friend is feeling anxious about working now. @TheSlyStallone what do you have to say for yourself, sir? Beyond disappointed, I’m livid. pic.twitter.com/EYEuiaWtkf
— Julie Benson (@TheJulieBenson) April 9, 2024
After the comments went viral in the community, the casting group announced on Sunday that it was ending its association with the show.
“We wanted to send you an update on the happenings here in our casting world. We have chosen to part ways with Tulsa King. We will be finishing up next week and the 12th will be our last day. We send well wishes to whomever takes over the show. We thank all of you great background artists for your continued support,” the company’s message read.
However, others say that the comments were taken wildly out of context and Tulsa King Director and Executive Producer Craig Zisk told TMZ that none of the accusations were true.
Indeed, Zisk puts the blame squarely on Rose Locke Casting itself because they were told to hire young people for a scene to be set in a “hip young bar,” but the casting company instead supplied older people.
Zisk added that he then told the casting company that he would need headshots of future background artists so that he could be sure the company was supplying the sort of people they needed for any given scene. But Rose Locke Casting said they don’t work that way and then quit an hour after the conversation.
The producer also insisted that Stallone never made any comments at all about “pretty young girls.”
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