Former wrestler turned actor Dwayne Johnson a.k.a. The Rock is one of the biggest superstars in Hollywood today with numerous movie deals and endorsements under his belt. The Black Adam star became one of the highest-paid actors of 2019, following his $700,000 per episode earnings for HBO’s Ballers.
For a regular person, that hefty pay-check could possibly solve poverty, but as compared to Sylvester Stallone’s salary for Paramount’s Tulsa King, The Rock’s income is merely a penny. The Expendables star reportedly earned $1M per episode from the Taylor Sheridan series.
Dwayne Johnson Acknowledges Sylvester Stallone As His Hero
Sylvester Stallone’s lengthy career spans six decades filled with Oscar-winning action movies and iconic roles that truly stood the test of time. Although he has frequently starred on the big screen, his TV roles are quite a few. With Tulsa King, Stallone marks his first-ever major small-screen role.
The 76-year-old actor portrays a mobster exiled in Oklahoma after spending 25 years in prison. In a report from Variety, Stallone earned $1M per episode for his role as Dwight “The General” Manfredi.
Stallone talked about the character that earned him a position in the lineup of elite TV actors who receive salaries of seven figures per episode (via TV Insider):
“Dwight Manfredi has a dark side, but he’s also witty and a real tactician. He was at the top of his game until he took the fall for someone else. During 25 years in prison, he goes through a revival and finds his philosophical side.”
Tulsa King is directed by Taylor Sheridan, who is also known for producing Yellowstone and Mayor of Kingstown. Stallone expounded on his character’s internal struggle:
“Dwight has regrets and remorse, but it’s the only life he knows. Upon his release, he returns to that life, expecting a reward, but instead has been exiled to Tulsa, almost as a punishment, to start a mob.”
Dwayne Johnson, on the other hand, reveals that Sylvester Stallone is one of his role models. Apart from the Rocky actor, he also acknowledged Arnold Schwarzenegger (via Men’s Health):
“Sly and Arnold were MY HEROES growing up and I will forever be GRATEFUL to them both for being so incredibly kind and supportive of me and my career when I first broke into Hollywood. I just got to be the lucky SOB they welcomed to stand on their shoulders.”
Despite their good friendship, Dwayne Johnson and Sylvester Stallone have never starred in the same movie.
What’s Keeping Sylvester Stallone And Dwayne Johnson Busy This Year?
Sylvester Stallone will be reprising his role as Barney Ross in the fourth installment of the action-thriller franchise The Expendables, together with Jason Statham, Dolph Lundgren, Megan Fox, Tony Jaa, Andy Garcia, Curtis ’50 Cent’ Jackson, Jacob Scipio, and Eddie Hall, among others.
Dwayne Johnson has recently appeared in Fast X in a cameo scene despite announcing he will no longer return to the franchise following disagreements with other co-stars. The actor chose to return after the box office failure of Warner Bros’ Black Adam film last year.
Fast X is now showing in theaters worldwide. The Expendables 4 arrives on September 22, 2023.
Sources: Variety, TV Insider, Men’s Health
