‘Of course it’s nepotism’: Sylvester Stallone’s daughter is now a regular on ‘Tulsa King,’ where he reportedly earns nearly $2M per episode

“Of course it’s nepotism, you idiot. That’s why we’re parents. We want the best for our children. So obviously we let them have every advantage,” Stallone said in an interview with USA Today.

However, he notes that giving your child an opportunity and your child proving themselves to be worthy of it are two very different things.

“First, they go, ‘Nepotism is terrible.’ I said, ‘Oh please, if you’re not a good parent and you haven’t performed a little nepotism, then obviously you don’t care about your kids, because they come first,’” he said. “Now, can they maintain that level of excellence? That’s out of our hands.”

A growing role

Stallone and the other showrunners of “Tulsa King” seem to feel Scarlett has risen to the challenge. Her character has become a bigger part of the show over the past four seasons, growing from a recurring role initially to a series regular in the fourth season.

Scarlett started in the storyline as a barista and her character, Spencer, has evolved into being a caretaker for the horse belonging to Dwight Manfredi (her father’s character) and working at his bar. Spencer has also become tied to the show’s criminal storyline.

Scarlet says working with her father, who reportedly made nearly $2 million per episode on the show’s third season, has been a life-changing experience for both of them, redefining their relationship beyond father and daughter.

“We’ve grown as friends. We’ve really become friends,” she told People. “We really got to know one another and really respect each other throughout this whole process, through the ups and downs.”

The upside of nepotism

While some might grumble about so-called “nepo babies” in the entertainment world, there have been several second-generation actors who have become big stars in their own right since their debuts.

Maya Hawke, daughter of Uma Thurman and Ethan Hawke, was a hit on “Stranger Things” and has launched a successful career in the indie film world. Zoe Kravitz, daughter of Lenny Kravitz and Lisa Bonet, has been praised for her work in “The Batman” and “Big Little Lies.” And Dan Levy, son of Eugene Levy, served as a writer, director and star of “Schitt’s Creek,” which made him a household name.

Singer Gracie Abrams, the daughter of director J.J. Abrams, addressed the label in a recent episode of The New York Times’ “Popcast” podcast, saying “I mean, the nepo stuff is obviously in the discourse, appropriately. I had a safety net and that allowed me the ability to experiment and concentrate, and I had the gift of time to dedicate to doing this thing I loved. I wasn’t growing up afraid, financially, and that’s the biggest deal.”