Forget Rocky vs. Drago — the match-up that everyone’s waiting for is Sly vs. Sam.

Sylvester Stallone welcomes Samuel L. Jackson to the Tulsa King universe during Season 3 of the Paramount+ hit, which aired its Jackson-free premiere on Sept. 21. The two actors have known each other for over three decades, but this is the first time they’re squaring off onscreen. Jackson plays Russell Lee Washington Jr., an ex-con who has been tasked with eliminating Stallone’s New York-to-Oklahoma mafioso transplant, Dwight Manfredi. Naturally, the two friends and former jailbirds have other plans in store…

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Jackson doesn’t appear in Tulsa until late in Season 3, but Stallone promises to Gold Derby that it’s going to be worth the wait. “It’s like a heavyweight prize fight,” says the big-screen boxer. “You’re just sitting in your corner, thinking ‘What’s your opponent going to be like?’ I’ve known Sam for 30 years, but when he comes on set, he has a certain walk and voice, and he developed his character. Sparks happen.”

Asked whether Jackson threw any acting haymakers that caught Stallone off-guard, the actor says that his co-star’s best move is a “relaxed confidence” that radiates outward in every scene. (Another secret weapon? A crazy little hat.) “That takes years to develop,” Stallone notes. “It’s the right time for him to jump into this medium, because he pops.”

By “this medium,” he means the streaming industry, of course. Just as Tulsa King marked Stallone’s entry into serialized streaming television, Jackson will head from Tulsa to New Orleans as the star of the spin-off series NOLA King, which follows Russell as he reconnects with his Louisiana roots and sets up his own criminal enterprise. (Taylor Sheridan is the executive producer on both series, which are separate from his Yellowstone universe.) And don’t be surprised if there’s some interstate travel involved for the casts of both shows.

Stallone says that Jackson won’t need any pointers for how to adjust to the demands of being No. 1 on the call sheet for a streaming series. “The hardest thing to do in acting is to try and be unself-conscious and relaxed,” he says of how he made his own adjustments to the medium. “Otherwise, I’d be sitting here in my underwear having a cigar! You obviously have to put on somewhat of a performance.”

Season 3 of Tulsa King also features an expanded role for another Stallone — the actor’s daughter, Scarlet, who plays a ranch hand named Spencer. “I wanted to get her out of the barn,” the proud father jokes. “It’s very difficult to have me around on set. She used to say, ‘drop me off from school three blocks away.’ So you can imagine being stuck with you right behind the camera! I figure if she can get through that, she’ll never be nervous again.”

Besides Jackson, another new face around Tulsa this season is Kevin Pollak, who plays an FBI agent that has Dwight’s number and uses that intel to make the career criminal do extracurricular work for the feds. “I was able to come in with ideas about how to bring my character to life, which I brought to the director,” the actor says of his first days on set. “The director said, ‘Do you want to talk to Sly about your ideas?’ And Sly was instantly supportive; it’s been incredibly fun working with him. If you know what you’re doing, you can play with him and he’ll throw you curveballs. There’s no more present an actor can be.”

Despite Tulsa King‘s popularity on the streaming charts — Season 2 reportedly ranks among the Top 3 original shows in Paramount+ history — that hasn’t translated into success at the Emmys, much like Sheridan’s other streaming shows. That doesn’t surprise Dana Delaney, who plays Stallone’s fiercely independent love interest, Margaret Deveraux.

“Isn’t that always the way with the award shows?” the actress remarks, adding that she’d love to see Stallone win an Emmy for his sly turn as Dwight. “Same thing with the Oscars — it’s rare that the ones fans love get nominated. But I am happy for Jean Smart and Hacks! I like it when the older ladies get recognized.”

Stallone is equally unshocked about Tulsa King‘s regular absence from Emmy nominations, though that didn’t prevent Paramount+ from ordering a fourth season. “Why do you think that is — is it my clothes?” he jokes. “It’s nice to win awards, but the real reward with this show is that it’s held together in an incredibly competitive marketing place. This could be the best season yet, and as for what’s coming up in Season 4? Buckle up.”

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