Sylvester Stallone Opens Up About Working With Samuel L. Jackson on Tulsa King

Sylvester Stallone admits he felt a little pressure when he first learned Samuel L. Jackson was joining the cast of Tulsa King.

In a new interview with PEOPLE, Stallone revealed his initial reaction to the news.

“When I heard that was gonna happen, I went, ‘Oh, this is gonna be a fist fight. This is gonna be a battle,’” Stallone said. “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.”

But the tension quickly faded once Jackson walked on set.

“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 continued. “We could do a show called Tulsa King and Buddy. We just worked that well together.”

The two legends actually go way back. Stallone revealed that he and Jackson were neighbors for nearly 30 years but rarely crossed paths due to their busy schedules.

“We lived about a hundred yards away from each other for almost 30 years,” Stallone said. “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.”

For Stallone, taking on Tulsa King at this stage in his career is about grounding himself in roles with more depth.

“I guess he got to the point that I did that he’s done pretty much everything,” Stallone explained. “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.”

As for Jackson, the powerhouse actor continues to prove why he’s one of Hollywood’s most bankable stars. With over $27 billion in worldwide box office earnings, he’s brought to life iconic roles like Jules Winnfield in Pulp Fiction and Nick Fury in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, in addition to unforgettable performances in Jurassic Park, Spike Lee’s Jungle Fever, and the Star Wars prequels.