Tulsa King has proven to be a uniquely compelling entry in the Taylor Sheridan universe of shows. Focusing on a career criminal who is forced to relocate to a rural setting for his next enterprise, Tulsa King benefits from a strong cast of experienced and fresh faces alike. Surrounding Sylvester Stallone’s Dwight is a hodgepodge of gifted actors, who bring a lively energy to Tulsa King‘s third season.
That supporting cast is key to the show’s success. During an interview with TVBrittanyF, Bella Heathcote, Garrett Hedlund, Jay Will, and Annabella Sciorra discussed their favorite elements of Tulsa King, how their dynamics evolve over the course of season 3, and what makes TV such a compelling medium for actors.
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What can you tease about your dynamics heading into season 3?
Bella Heathcote: Oh, it’s fun that I get to be the ball of chaos. I get to add to that — I certainly am a ball of chaos in Mitchell’s life, even just watching the first few episodes. You know, I actually like being a ball of chaos in Garrett’s life, too.
Garrett Hedlund: Bella is like that in my life too, now. [Laughter]
Bella: I did actually text him the other night, saying, ‘You’re so charming in the show,’ and then I sent a follow-up message saying, ‘You make me sick.’ I mean, I hope that he would know me well enough by now to know my sense of humor. I do love just bringing the tension to this show.
Garrett: I love that we get to do the press together. It’s just it’s a whole different experience for me, even for the better. I mean, she brings such charisma and charm and mischief to this role that’s just like infatuating, and I love working with her so much.
Jay Will: We get to do some fun stuff, especially at the end of the season. That will lead us into the future.
Martin Starr: I get to tie some loose ends here at the beginning of this season. That’s part of the fun of getting to be on a show that has run this long already. There are storylines, there is so much depth to the characters, because you’ve got multiple seasons to pull stories and emotional arcs from.
Annabella Sciorra: We get to see Joanne evolve into the head honcho number two. That’s direct from the old Italian verbiage [Laughter].
Garrett, what can you tease about how the dynamic between Mitch and Dwight evolves this season amid the expansion of the criminal empire?
Garrett: That’s what I think we’ve been kind of focused on, dipping our toes into different arenas of expansion. Season 1, we had the bikers and this and that. Season 2 was Thresher and the obstacles with him. Now, with the addition of him continuing to be in with our world with new villains, and the whole prospect of this bourbon venture just spices things up, keeps it all interesting. We dabble with new directions, and we all reel it back into the family. And I think the audience is absolutely gonna love this season.
What are some of the biggest surprises you can tease about this season?
Garrett: [Tulsa King] never ceases to surprise me, just from primarily having done film, because of just how wonderful the pacing is. I take it as a blessing that you can get through so many pages of scenes daily. In other films, a three-page scene could potentially take you three days. The pacing on this is wonderful. What I think it does is keep everybody fresh and energized. Things come off a little more natural and effortless when you don’t have the time to get in your head, and that’s a blessing.
Martin Starr: We also get to watch the evolution in the episodes, because a lot of stuff might get cut out that still, in my mind, educates who the character is. Some backstory and moments get cut out. Sometimes you’re like, oh, okay, that wasn’t valuable in this moment. Is that still a part of the character? And you get to re-figure out whether it is a part of the show or the story. It’s always fun to get to interact with each other and evolve our dynamics, because that’s always the most fun.
[Annabella] and I have some fun play at the beginning of this season where she pinches my cheek and kind of takes on a Dwight-like role in my life, where she can kind of get under my skin with her bravado, and she’s just a dominant force. Jay and I have consistently had scenes here and there throughout the seasons where we get to figure out our dynamic more and more. That’s always fun. Jay is just so much fun to play with, really malleable, and we always find moments that didn’t exist before. With the help of the directors and writers on set, we get to play and find new things. The same was true with all the cast who were fortunate to work with.
Annabella Sciorra: I like the bravado. I do like how in television, things evolve, and a writer will find out, ‘Oh, you like that. I can put that in. Let me use this.’ I like how things grow on television, like Martin said. Some things are there, and then you’re like, oh, that’s an interesting thing about her. Then it gets taken out. And sometimes I just still play with that.
Tulsa King is now streaming on Paramount+
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