TV Squad Interview: Tulsa King’s James Russo

Chickie might be gone, but New York is still trying to seize a cut of Dwight “The General” Manfredi’s crime empire. Tulsa King Season 3 introduces James Russo as Quiet Ray, the new kingpin of New York City, and he’s arguably even more dangerous. While Chickie was unhinged and borderline feral in his ambition, Quiet Ray, true to his name, is much wiser, smarter, and even more ruthless. He’s the embodiment of the old adage, “Speak softly and carry a big stick.”

I had the chance to chat with Russo about Tulsa King. In our brief conversation, we went on a little trip down memory lane to his notable guest spot on a 1985 episode of Miami Vice (the feature-length Season 2 opener, Prodigal Son) as well as the uncertain future of Kevin Costner’s Western epic, Horizon: An American Saga. He also shares his thoughts on his decades-long body of work and how he’s not particularly precious about any of the characters he’s played over the years.

Catch new episodes of Tulsa King every Sunday on Paramount Plus.

Zak Wojnar, TV Squad: I’m caught up on the show as it’s aired. We’ve just seen you in your first big shootout of the season.

James Russo: Mm-hmm.

Tell me a little bit about… Well, first, tell me about at this stage in your career, going from playing the muscle, playing the hitman, playing the bodyguard, to getting to be the boss. Is it the same? Is it all just acting? Or are you kind of like, hey, I’m promoted?

James Russo: I think I played the boss in a few things.

Oh, sure.

James Russo: Yeah. But no, it’s no difference. You just get into it.

So far this season, we’ve seen you… First, we saw you on the phone a lot. And now we finally get to see you and Dwight together, you and Stallone. Tell me a little bit about him as a scene partner and kind of… You’ve been through it. You’ve acted with all the greats. But when you’re with someone like that, are you like, all right, “I got to toughen up, bring my A-Game!”

James Russo: You’ve got to divide it, because I admire the man so much. You know. And I’m a huge fan. And so you kind of put that in the background. You don’t, you know, you don’t want that. It’s just another actor. This is just another actor. But after a while, you’re sitting there working. And you’re like, “Oh my God, this is Sly!”

I imagine that for him especially, the last thing that he wants is for someone to mess up a scene because they’re starstruck or whatever.

James Russo: It’s not starstruck. It’s just such admiration for him as an actor. I just… But you gotta put that aside, and you do the work. And I think our chemistry together was just so natural. And we fed each other, you know? It was great. Because sometimes you can work with someone of that stature, and it can be a real pain in the ass, you know?

And you’re both Italian-American New York guys!

James Russo: Yeah, and we grew up in the same type of environment, family, the same type of family structure and whatnot. Yeah, but there was an instant connection. And I think the two scenes that I’ve had with him turned out to be amazing, for me, anyway.

Yeah, I’m such a huge fan of the show. I can’t wait to see where your character goes next. You know, New York is always pounding at the door.

James Russo: Yeah, it’s a great divide there to go from Tulsa to New York. The crossover, I think, really works on the show.

So, I’m a big fan of yours. And I’d be remiss. Anytime I’ve interviewed someone who was on my personal favorite TV show of all time, Miami Vice…

James Russo: Yeah! Yeah.

So I have to… 1985, just a month ago, was the 40th anniversary of your episode.

James Russo: Wow. I forgot all about that, that I was on Miami Vice… With Pam Grier! Pam Grier was my girlfriend!

I know! You get to make out with Pam Greer. You get to have a shoot-out with Tubbs.

James Russo: I can’t believe that was like 150 years ago. Was it 1981?

1985.

James Russo: ’85? Wow.

Yeah, season two. So where were you in your career at that point? And was that kind of like a…

James Russo: ’85, I think I… Was it 85 when we did that?

Yeah. Well, maybe you shot in early ’85, but it was a second season premiere September 27th.

James Russo: I think I had done a couple of movies. I had done Fast Times. I don’t think I did Beverly Hills Cop yet. I might have. I was working for a long time. I think I got hired for that. I was doing a play called Extremities, off-Broadway. And I think that’s how I got that job. I don’t remember. That’s a long time ago!

Sure!

James Russo: I mean… I haven’t even heard that. I forgot it was in Miami Vice!

That Bonnie Timmerman, so many stories about just her discovering people. And it’s funny because it’s a…

James Russo: There were so many people that started out on that show.

I mean, just in your episode, you’ve got Penn Jillette and…

James Russo: That’s right. That’s right. They were in that show.

Gene Simmons. Well, anyway, kind of as your career has evolved, tell me a little bit about getting to represent the New York City Italian American, getting to play a lot of these kind of characters. And I don’t know, do you ever come up against the, “oh, you shouldn’t be playing gangsters so much,” that whole thing?

James Russo: I never shied away from diving into that or, ya know, am I compounding it too much? And I think it’s been varied. I mean, coming from New York, I’m still amazed to this day that I’ve done, like, twelve Westerns.

Have you seen Horizon Two?

James Russo: No, I have not. I don’t know who has! And I’m dumbfounded. I don’t know what’s going on. I’d love to see it. And I was contracted to do two more. So that character comes back, 12 years later, in three and four. But I don’t know, I guess, the financing. I don’t know what happened there. It’s another Hollywood mystery right now.

We get an intro to your guy in the first movie and we’re kind of like, oh, okay, that’s a seed that’s been planted. And you’re just kind of, you’re just waiting for, I don’t know, the powers that be to put water on it, right?

James Russo: Yeah, I don’t know. And I think he got a bum rap, Kevin. I think it’s a very good movie.

Yeah, I loved it.

James Russo: I mean, compared to what’s out there, it’s, you know, it’s The Searchers. I mean. But, you know, it’s… I don’t know.

So, you know, we’re talking about, you know, this breadth of films that you’ve done. You know, is there something on your resume that you want to shout out to the TV Squad reader or something that like that you’re particularly proud of that you feel maybe didn’t get the views that it deserves, something you kind of want to be like, hey, you know, if you like me on Tulsa King, watch this movie or this show or something like that?

James Russo: Not really. I mean, no, nothing that comes to mind.

It’s all just jobs?

James Russo: In a way, yeah.

That’s fair enough. That’s one way to look at it. You know, so you’re not like terribly precious about the work that you’ve done. You’re kind of like, you know, it’s gotten me to the next thing and to the next thing and to the next thing?

James Russo: It’s a job.

Hey, that’s fair enough!

James Russo: I made some dogs, you know, and I made some good movies, I think, you know. I was telling another interviewer that I think I’ve done, I lost count, maybe 160 movies, and I may have only seen maybe 100 of them. And maybe I probably would only go back and watch 30 of them.

That’s more than I’ve been in!

James Russo: Hey, I’d love to see an actor say, “I’ve done 160 movies and I love every one of them.”

I don’t think that actor exists.

Related: Tulsa King Triple Interview: Mike “CashFlo” Walden, McKenna Harrington, & Chris Caldovino