Sylvester Stallone Says Taylor Sheridan Couldn't Catch a 'Break' as an Actor: 'He Had to Learn to Write' (Exclusive)

Sylvester Stallone sees himself successful Tulsa King creator Taylor Sheridan.

The 79-year-old character — who stars successful play 3 of nan deed play series, premiering connected Sept. 21 — says there’s a “very absorbing similarity” betwixt his ain profession way and Sheridan's acquisition successful Hollywood.

“There was a crossroads wherever I knew I was ever going to beryllium ‘thug number three’ coming done nan door,” Stallone tells PEOPLE. “I saw nan handwriting connected nan wall and knew I had to pivot, large time, and nan aforesaid point happened pinch him.”

“He was a superior actor, but nary 1 was giving him his break,” Stallone continues of Sheridan, 55, who appeared successful projects including Hell aliases High Water. “He realized nan timepiece was moving out, and he had to study to write. He was ever benignant of a lonely kid, for illustration I was. I was ever making up imagination stories successful nan reflector and each that stuff. But I get his dilemma. I get nan logic he pursued different career. It isn't because you wanted to, you had to, aliases you're gone. He’s a survivalist.”

Although it didn’t hap overnight, some nan Rocky prima and nan Yellowstone creator yet recovered their footing.

“When we yet met — unwittingly astatine a barn, some riding horses — I started to talk to this kid,” Stallone recalls. “I go, ‘Why don’t you thief maine constitute Rambo, nan 4th one?’ He says, ‘I’m moving connected this point called Sicario.’ So he went disconnected successful his ain direction, and truthful did I. About 10 years later, present he comes pinch this idea.”

That thought became Tulsa King, and nan domiciled of mafia capo Dwight "The General" Manfredi arrived astatine nan cleanable clip successful Stallone’s career.

“My profession started retired dramatic, past it sewage very physical, and I wanted to enactment successful that action genre for a reason,” he explains. “I thought it was benignant of for illustration modern mythology. Since we don't really person caller heroes for illustration Achilles aliases Hercules, these were nan characters we created.”

“But arsenic clip moved on, I thought, ‘I want to spell backmost to thing for illustration Rocky,’ which was a drama. There’s only six minutes of fighting outta 2 hours, that’s it,” Stallone adds. “So I thought, ‘But what americium I going to do?’ Then Taylor Sheridan called maine and goes, ‘You want to play a gangster retired of h2o successful Tulsa, Oklahoma?’ I go, ‘Oh — now there’s a challenge. Absolutely.’”

Now successful its 3rd season, pinch a 4th connected nan way, Tulsa King has go different precocious constituent successful Stallone’s storied career.

“I’m benignant of caught up successful nan fury of really I made it,” Stallone reflects. “I mean, virtually coming present knowing nary 1 from crushed level, not a friend, not a dollar. I didn’t moreover cognize wherever to sleep. A mates of years later, you’re holding an Oscar. I thought, this is an unbelievable morality communicative — and a cautionary tale, and each different benignant of tale.”

Never miss a communicative — motion up for PEOPLE's free regular newsletter to enactment up-to-date connected nan champion of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from personage news to compelling quality liking stories.

Season 3 of Tulsa King premieres connected Sept. 21 connected Paramount+.