‘Tulsa King’ Star Garrett Hedlund Says It Was “So Fun” To Be On Set With Country Superstar Jelly Roll: “He’s A Beautiful Man”

Paramount+’s Tulsa King is back for Season 2 and the stakes continue to get higher. As Dwight Manfredi ( Sylvester Stallone ) keeps on expanding his empire in T-town, he relies on his crew to protect his interests and look out for investment and growth opportunities. No one has taken that more to heart than former bull rider Mitch Keller, played by the versatile Garrett Hedlund . After transforming his Bred 2 Buck Saloon into the Bred 2 Buck Cabaret & Casino, Keller has become one of Manfredi’s most valuable partners. “Mitch’s decision to trust Dwight has opened up a world of possibilities for him,” explained Hedlund.

“Dwight makes Mitch believe in himself,” said Hedlund. A former bull rider and addict, Keller had found himself in a rut. “He really thought there wasn’t going to be much else for him until Dwight came along.” Reinvigorated by Manfredi, Keller has his eyes on bigger things after his catalytic converter scheme proves to be fruitful. “It’s a colorful direction for Dwight and Mitch,” teased Hedlund.

A talented musician in real life, Hedlund also gets to sing in character as Keller when he performs at the Bred 2 Buck. While Hedlund has “a lot of pals who are musicians who never want to jump in and perform as a musician on screen,” he doesn’t share the same notion. “I don’t give a damn,” said Hedlund. “I love music so much.” Hedlund was honored to perform a song—a beautiful cover of Willie Nelson’s “Nothing I Can Do About It Now”—in the same episode as country music sensation Jelly Roll . “He was so nice to be around,” remembered Hedlund. “I really love what he’s doing and what he’s about.”

Hedlund spoke to DECIDER over Zoom to talk about the new season, what’s in store for his character, and being a part of the Taylor Sheridan Universe.

DECIDER: Tulsa King immediately raises the stakes in its Season 2 premiere. How will Dwight’s growing ambitions affect the group going forward?

Stream It Or Skip It: ‘Tulsa King’ Season 2 On Paramount+, Where Sly Stallone’s Dwight And His Gang Have High Ambitions And Bigger Enemies

GARRETT HEDLUND: It’s never a dull moment [laughs]. As Dwight looks to expand his business, he sees only the potential and not any consequences. There are some disasters, but also triumphs. I hope audiences will be entertained and eager to see what’s about to be revealed.

We’ve already learned important parts of Mitch’s backstory—such as he’s an ex-bull rider, and has struggled with addiction—but where does his savviness as an entrepreneur comes from?

Trust. Dwight makes Mitch believe in himself. Mitch had come to a point in his life where he was at a standstill. He made amends for his wrongs. He enjoyed the exhilaration of bull riding. He bought the Bred 2 Buck bar where he serves hardworking people. He really thought there was not going to be much else for him until Dwight came along.

Dwight carried a grudge on his shoulders. He wanted to give the bird to the boys in New York, but he also wanted to get back the life he had been robbed of for the last 20 years. He came in swinging with guns blazing. Along the way, Dwight sought Mitch’s kinship, trust, and fellowship, and now Mitch is along for the ride. Mitch’s decision to trust Dwight has opened up a world of possibilities for him.

I am a huge Country Strong fan, so it’s been a pleasure to get to watch you perform as Mitch. Was Mitch a musician before you were cast or did that integration come later?

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Sly spoke to me about singing in the middle of the first season, and I think the creative team always planned for me to play music. I’ve got a lot of pals who are musicians who never want to jump in and perform as a musician on screen. I just say, fuck it [laughs]. I don’t give a damn. I love music so much. The opportunities in my career I’ve had to play musicians on-screen or integrate music into my roles have been wonderful and vastly different. [Creator] Terence Winter also had some glorious choices of songs for Mitch to sing, and I just said “so be it.”

Can you talk about the song by Willie Nelson that you perform in episode 2, “Nothing I Can Do About It Now”?

Getting up and performing a Willie Nelson song was a little daunting. Those are some big shoes to fill. The song is in a different octave for a guy like me. I sometimes can sound like I have a little mud in my throat . It was really fun.

It’s a great cover, and you got to sing it in the same episode that country superstar Jelly Roll makes an appearance and sings his song, “I Am Not Okay.”

I didn’t even know it was going to be the same episode [laughs]. I can’t keep track of everything. Jelly Roll is a beautiful man. It was so fun the day he came in. He was great. He was so nice to be around. I really love what he’s doing, and what he’s about. He’s a wonderful soul. I’m so glad he came in and enjoyed this season. I hope for more.

It seems like Dwight is about to get into the used car business. What can you tease about what’s to come with Mitch and Dwight’s latest team-up?

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Well, not much [laughs]. I can definitely say there is a potential idea that may give Dwight and Mitch the opportunity to spread their reach. What they are building may happen to involve cars. It’s a colorful direction for Dwight and Mitch, that’s for sure. I think a lot of people are going to get a kick out of what they end up doing. That’s about all I can say.

I am so happy you are part of the Taylor Sheridan universe, and I was even happier to see you pop up on Lawmen: Bass Reeves . How did that guest spot come about?

David Glasser, the head of 101 Studios, called me and said: “I’m sending you something that I want you to read. Will you do it?” I was already familiar with Bass Reeves, so I immediately read the script. I thought the character they had in mind for me was hilarious. They were shooting the show way over in Texas, just outside of Fort Worth, so I popped in for a second. I couldn’t resist. It was such wonderful material. I loved working with the director, Christina Voros. David Oyelowo was great to work with also. I’m open to anything within the Taylor Sheridan universe. Bring it on.

It really seemed like you were having a good time.

You can be sitting in L.A., and then you get a job offer that requires you to fly to Texas to ride some horses during a magic hour. For a guy like me, they didn’t really have to twist my arm too hard.

I do think the world of Taylor Sheridan brings out the best in some actors. It’s such a rich environment to play in. I thought your friend Tim McGraw was incredible in 1883 . What’s it been like to watch him continuing to grow as an actor?

What has always been one of the most beautiful things about Tim is that he’s a never ending student. He’s so eager to learn. When I first met him doing Country Strong , he was the biggest country star in the world. He had just done Friday Night Lights , which was an incredible learning experience for him. He brought that same curiosity to our movie.

He’s a true storyteller. He just wants to find great stories to tell, whether they are heartwarming or gripping or dangerous or Western or what have you. I still consider Tim to be one of my heroes. He’s also a dear friend and my son’s godfather. To have one of your heroes be so eager to continue to learn and grow as a man and an artist? There’s nothing truer than that to me.

New episodes of Tulsa King drop Sundays on Paramount+

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