Sylvester Stallone says Hollywood abandoned Middle America as Taylor Sheridan found an ignored audience
The 'Tulsa King' star said Middle America had been ignored 'since John Wayne' until Taylor Sheridan filled the gap
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Sylvester Stallone didn't hold back when it came to Hollywood's biggest blind spot.
The "Tulsa King" star explained Taylor Sheridan found success by giving a forgotten audience exactly what it had been missing. According to Stallone, Sheridan tapped into something Hollywood had long ignored: an audience eager for stories rooted in Middle America.
"It's very, very important because that audience was ignored for centuries, it seems, since John Wayne," Stallone explained during an appearance on "The Rest Is Entertainment." "And he really mined a consciousness like, 'Oh, we forgot about that guy in the middle of America.' They're always right about California and New York."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}TAYLOR SHERIDAN SAYS HOLLYWOOD DIDN’T BELIEVE IN 'YELLOWSTONE,' NOW IT’S A TV EMPIRE
Sylvester Stallone said Hollywood ignored Middle America for generations, dating the trend back to John Wayne. (Steve Swisher/Paramount+)
"But the middle America, it's a different vibe," he added. "And so people were starving for it. It's like a simpler world and more, I would just say, confrontational."
Despite Sheridan's success, Stallone doesn't think Hollywood has caught up when it comes to film-making and what Middle America might be hoping to see on the big screen.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"But the beauty of streaming is they're fast, and they're nimble, and they can really put a show on the air in a matter of weeks," Stallone said.
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"Tulsa King" star Sylvester Stallone credited Taylor Sheridan with reaching viewers hungry for stories rooted in Middle America. (Steve Swisher/Paramount+)
Stallone's criticism of Hollywood comes as the industry prepares to revisit his own battle to get a story told on his terms.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Stallone's remarkable journey from struggling actor to Hollywood superstar is getting the big-screen treatment in "I Play Rocky," a 2026 biographical drama directed by Peter Farrelly.
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The film follows Stallone's determination to write and star in the 1976 boxing classic, despite Hollywood executives initially resisting the idea of an unknown actor playing the lead.
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Sylvester Stallone's rise to fame is the subject of "I Play Rocky," a biographical drama starring Anthony Ippolito as Stallone. (Getty Images)
Stallone didn't participate in the making of "I Play Rocky," explaining he felt the project would look like an "ego massaging vehicle" if he were involved.
"And then they showed me the fellow who was going to play me and I thought it was me," he said, referring to the film's star, Anthony Ippolito. "He gained weight. I mean, he looked the real deal."
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Sylvester Stallone claimed streaming lets creators put shows on the air quickly. (2026 NBCUniversal Media, LLC)
Stallone became a household name because of the action film, which won the Academy Award for Best Picture. His five most recognizable films include "Rocky," "First Blood," "Rocky IV," "Cliffhanger," and "Creed." His portrayal of boxer Rocky Balboa and Vietnam veteran John Rambo helped establish him as one of Hollywood's most enduring action stars.
The actor found a new television audience with his starring role in "Tulsa King."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Stallone plays Dwight "The General" Manfredi, a New York Mafia capo who is released from prison after serving 25 years. Rather than being welcomed back into the criminal organization he protected, Dwight is sent to Tulsa, Oklahoma, where he begins building his own criminal empire with an unlikely group of associates.