NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
Sylvester Stallone isn’t afraid of much, but going head-to-head with this Hollywood star on screen made the « Rocky » legend sweat.
In a candid interview, Stallone admitted he felt the heat when Samuel L. Jackson signed on to join Season 3 of « Tulsa King. »
« When I heard that was gonna happen, I went, ‘Oh, this is gonna be a fist fight. This is gonna be a battle,’ » Stallone told People. « Like two boxers in a ring, and who is gonna throw the first punch? So you’re getting nervous because you’re dealing with serious competition. »
SYLVESTER STALLONE SAYS FLORIDA ‘FITS MY PERSONALITY’ AS HE LEAVES HOLLYWOOD FOR GOOD
Sylvester Stallone admits feeling nervous about working with Samuel L. Jackson in « Tulsa King » Season 3, comparing their on-screen dynamic to boxers in a ring. (Getty Images )
Stallone, 79, leads the series as Dwight « The General » Manfredi, a mafia capo exiled to Tulsa. Jackson, 76, joins the cast as ex-con Russell Lee Washington Jr., setting the stage for a heavyweight face-off between two icons.
Instead of a showdown, Stallone said what he got was synergy.
« Once he walks in, he goes, ‘Hey, dude brother,’ and I went, ‘Oh, here it goes.’ But now we’re good. Now we’re flowing, » Stallone shared. « We could do a show called ‘Tulsa King and Buddy.’ We just worked that well together. »
LIKE WHAT YOU’RE READING? CLICK HERE FOR MORE ENTERTAINMENT NEWS
Sylvester Stallone admits feeling nervous about working with Samuel L. Jackson in « Tulsa King » Season 3, comparing their on-screen dynamic to boxers in a ring. (Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Paramount+)
Despite the two sharing the same zip code for decades, they had never worked together — or even really crossed paths.
« We lived about a hundred yards away from each other for almost 30 years, » Stallone revealed. « Yet we didn’t — you know, we’re always working. So, we never really saw each other, except at Planet Hollywood-type things or openings. »
SYLVESTER STALLONE SAYS KENNEDY CENTER HONOR IS ‘SOMETHING I STILL CAN’T FATHOM’
Samuel L. Jackson lived near Sylvester Stallone for decades, the « Rocky » star shared. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)
While their careers took different routes, both actors seem to have landed in the same place now, looking for roles with deeper meaning.
« I guess he got to the point that I did that he’s done pretty much everything, » Stallone said. « But at this age in life, you want to be a little bit more grounded, steady, have your own show so you develop this thing, really flesh it out instead of working someplace for 10 days or a gig here and there. »
CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR THE ENTERTAINMENT NEWSLETTER
Sylvester Stallone led all of the « Rocky » movies. (Sunset Boulevard/Corbis via Getty Images)
And though « Tulsa King » is the latest win in a legendary career, Stallone admitted he still looks back on his rise to fame with a sense of disbelief and some regret.
« That journey — I wish I had been more aware, » he reflected. « But you’re just trying to survive. You’re not even aware of the chaos around it, because I said, ‘I’ve got to do this.’ I told myself, ‘You’re probably not going to make it, but I don’t want you to have any damn regrets. You have to go 100%, not 99.' »
Fox News Digital has reached out to reps for Stallone and Jackson.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
