Title: Tennessee Man Speaks Out After Alleged Insults by Sylvester Stallone on Paramount+ Set

In an exclusive interview with Deadline, Thomas Mooneyham, a 53-year-old Tennessee man, has spoken out about his experience on the set of the Paramount+ series Tulsa King, where he claims to have been insulted by actor Sylvester Stallone. Mooneyham, who had traveled four hours to serve as an extra on the show, reveals that he learned about the alleged insults on a private Facebook page for background actors.

According to Mooneyham, during his 12-hour day on the Atlanta set, he noticed Stallone glancing at him more than once and engaging in conversations with the director. However, it wasn't until reading about derogatory comments on the Facebook page that he believed the remarks were directed at him personally. Mooneyham uses a cane due to knee pain and claims Stallone referred to him as a "tub of lard" and a "fat guy with a cane."

Mooneyham emphasizes that he was not bothered by being replaced in a bar scene with younger actors but is troubled by the alleged remarks. He states, "It ain't even the part that I am fat. I wasn't the only big one that was there. But I do feel like I was singled out because they said 'old tub of lard with the cane.' I was the only one there with the cane."

The incident has led to the resignation of Rose Locke Casting, the local company responsible for finding background actors for Season 2 of Tulsa King. Deadline broke the story, but representatives for the Paramount+ show and Stallone have yet to comment on the allegations. Director Craig Zisk, however, denied the accusations made by Locke, stating that she failed to recruit extras in their 20s and 30s range for a scene set in a hip bar.

Mooneyham clarifies that the scene he was working on was set in the Bred-2-Buck, a fictional Tulsa saloon owned by Stallone's character. He argues that the bar is not a young hipster establishment but rather an old cowboy country bar, making his presence with a cane fitting. He also mentions that his cane was hidden during the scene.

Despite the ordeal, Mooneyham remains dedicated to his work as an extra and has no intentions of quitting. He cites his positive experience on the film Civil War, where he was treated with respect despite his mobility scooter. Mooneyham questions the ageism criticism surrounding older actors, highlighting that Stallone himself is 77 years old, while he is 53.

Mooneyham insists that he is neither thin-skinned nor making a fuss, but rather upset due to his disability. While he doesn't blame the casting director, he hopes that sharing his story will draw attention to the issue and prevent similar occurrences in the future.

As the controversy surrounding the alleged insults by Sylvester Stallone on the set of Tulsa King continues, fans and industry insiders await responses from the show and the actor himself.

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