The casting director for Tulsa King took their final bow and exited stage left after Sylvester Stallone reportedly roasted extras on set.
Sly, 77, is reported by TMZ to have insulted extras on set. The Rocky star allegedly called them "ugly" and "tubs of lard," specifically mocking one as a "fat guy with a cane." The targeted individual expressed on Facebook that the comment deeply hurt him.
Rose Locke reportedly resigned as casting supervisor after Sylvester allegedly made inappropriate comments. She claims the veteran action star requested "pretty young girls" to be around him, which she revealed in a Facebook post.
On Monday, Catrett Locke Casting announced on its Facebook page that it is ending its association with Tulsa King, which has recently started rolling on its second season.
The administrator of the Charleston SC Background Actors/Crew casting group also shared their perspective on the controversy. "Several groups are talking about what happened on the set of Tulsa King filming in Atlanta," they wrote on Facebook.
"At first I had hoped it was just a bad rumor started by 1 person," they continued. "[However], there have been countless people who were on set and have stated what they saw, how they were treated, etc. Sadly Sly Stallone and crew made things miserable for the background artists. Many have said the set was completely unprofessional and a total mess. Although I have not personally worked with Rose Locke & CL Casting...I have great respect for them for pulling out of the project and looking out for their background artists."
A 'Tulsa King' Director Defends Sylvester Stallone
Although she claimed she left because of what the actor said, there's another side to the story. Craig Zisk, the director of Tulsa King, informed TMZ that Sylvester Stallone did not disparage the extras. Instead, he suggested that Rose resigned after being criticized for inadequate performance in her duties.
Craig further clarified that Rose was not present on the set on the day of the so-called encounter. He emphasized that no insulting remarks were made. Moreover, Craig accused Rose of inappropriately assigning roles to the extras.
The extras were meant to be in the 25 to 35 age bracket. However, let's just say they had a bit more... "life experience." It seems the aging actors were cast for a scene in a trendy, young bar. That said, Craig mentioned that the baby boomer clubgoers cast were courteous and fulfilled their roles professionally.
The director instructed Rose to provide headshots of the extras, enabling him to determine their compatibility with the film's overall vibe. "I don't work that way," Craig claims Rose responded. "That's the way I work and everyone I know works that way in extras casting," the director recalled replying.
Rose reportedly quit an hour after responding with a simple "Ok". Craig also defended Stallone, stating he made no remarks about "pretty girls". Meanwhile, Sylvester's wife, Jennifer Flavin, was present during filming and didn't hear any alleged remarks.
