Stepping into the role of Tina Manfredi on Tulsa King was no small feat for Tatiana Zappardino.
Playing the daughter of a mob boss — especially one portrayed by Sylvester Stallone — brings its own set of challenges, but for Tatiana, it was exactly the kind of role she’d envisioned for herself from the start of her acting career.
When asked if she ever imagined landing such a role, Tatiana doesn’t skip a beat. “I believed in myself,” she says confidently.
After serving in the Marine Corps as a public affairs officer, Tatiana decided to pursue her dreams, maxing out credit cards, taking classes, and diving headfirst into the world of acting.
“Everyone thought I was crazy,” she laughs, recalling how she left her job as a server to focus on acting full-time. “But I knew it was going to happen. I didn’t necessarily think I’d be playing Sly’s daughter, but I did expect work with the greats one day.”
One of Tatiana’s highlights in portraying Tina is the character’s biting sense of humor and no-nonsense attitude. “I like her snark,” Tatiana laughs.
“She’s kind of the only person in the show that gets away with trash-talking Dwight and putting him in his place sometimes.” Unlike the other members of Dwight’s circle, who often treat him with reverence, Tina keeps him grounded.
“A lot of people on the show in the gang have that pedestal for him and respect him a lot, and she’ll be like, ‘No, quiet. Stop it. Enough.’ And I think my favorite thing is that she gets away with murder a little bit.”
Tina’s relationship with Dwight is complex, made even more layered by their 25-year estrangement. Yet, despite the years of distance, their bond seems to have developed quickly on the show.
Tatiana draws from her own experiences when discussing Tina’s decision to reconnect with her father. “From personal experience of losing my father, I think that Tina decided that 25 years was enough time. And it’s like, ‘What am I supposed to do? Wallow in self-pity?’
“You have to kind of move on from it and decide, ‘Do I want it in my life? Yes. Okay, then we’re just going to let it go,’ and that’s her decision.”
Tatiana’s personal connection to her character adds depth to Tina’s actions. Tina’s very decisive. Once she makes up her mind, she sticks with it.
That decisiveness is evident in how Tina takes control of her life, whether it’s standing up to Dwight or taking steps to protect herself and her family.
“Tina isn’t the kind of person who wants to stand on the sidelines. She wants to take control of her own destiny and of her own children’s lives. She doesn’t want to rely on other people to do that. She’s tough.
“She’s a tough cookie; she’s a Manfredi,” Tina said, noting that Dwight still sees her as a child. “She hasn’t grown up in his eyes.”
So, Tina takes control by buying a gun. Tatiana explains, “She’s waking him up saying, ‘No, I’m not a kid anymore. It’s time to let go a little bit and let me handle things too.’”
That strength and independence are qualities Tatiana admires in Tina, but she’s eager to see her character evolve even more.
“I feel like Tina’s stuck in the Betty Crocker home-style character, and I really want to be one of those characters that women can look up to and say, ‘Man, I’m a Tina Manfredi. I’m the girl who takes care of business when everyone else is talking and does it,’” Tatiana says passionately.
It’s not just Tina’s strength that makes her stand out on the show, but also the way she navigates the male-dominated world of Tulsa King. “It’s a very ‘man’s world’ show,” Tatiana says, acknowledging the heavy presence of male characters in the series.
But that doesn’t mean the women are sidelined. The female characters are finding their own ways to assert themselves. Whether it’s Tina or Joanne, they’re not just standing by quietly.
Tatiana has taken an active role in shaping Tina’s character, even advocating for certain changes on set. She recalls a scene where Tina was supposed to say she’d try to make things work with her husband simply because of proximity, but Tatiana pushed back.
“I said, ‘No, that’s not Tina. She doesn’t need a husband to be okay.’” The showrunners listened, and the line was changed. But that doesn’t mean that Tina should be man-free.
Tina’s personal life takes a turn in Tulsa King Season 2 Episode 6 when she is introduced to a potential romance with Mitch, the rugged, laid-back character who is the polar opposite of her ex-husband.
“I think the show needs romance somewhere, and I do think Tina and Mitch, even though I never spoke to him all of Season 1, as soon as they got together, it was just kind of like, ‘Oh, I could see that. I like that. That’s cute.’”
“He’s got that rugged vibe, completely opposite of her ex-husband, and kind of still gives remnants of her father. We marry our father’s kind of thing.
“And I think that he’s such a good counterweight to Tina because she is a little dominating, kind of loud, maybe a little bit New York. And he’s a little bit country, so he kind of like ways her out a little bit. And I think it’s going to go somewhere. I do. I hope it does.”
While the romance is still in its early stages, Tatiana sees potential for it to grow. “I love working with Garrett so much, so I hope that flourishes more, and it could eventually be like a Beth and Rip situation,” she laughs, clearly excited about the idea.
Outside of Tina’s storylines, Tatiana’s work on Tulsa King has given her some insights into the world of fandom. While she may not be getting recognized at the grocery store just yet, she’s noticed how passionate the show’s fanbase has become.
“I don’t really wear makeup, and nobody recognizes me,” Taniana admits. “They kind of make me up a little bit more. “I wear T-shirts that say Aragorn or The Office. No one recognizes me, which I’m okay with. I like having my private life private.”
For Tatiana, acting is about more than just fame. It’s about the craft and the opportunity to inspire others — especially women.
“I want to play roles that inspire women,” she says. That’s one of the reasons she’s so passionate about Tina’s evolution as a character.
“When she was in New York, she had her own business. She wasn’t a stay-at-home mom, and now suddenly she’s in Oklahoma, in the kitchen, just cooking and tucking kids in.” Tatiana thinks Tina wants more.
“I don’t think she’s found her place yet in Oklahoma. I think in Season 3, I’m hoping they’re going to really find where she belongs in the storyline, not necessarily just this happy area behind closed doors.”
As for how the rest of the season plays out, Tatiana offers a tantalizing glimpse into the chaos that awaits in the season finale. She warns not to get too attached to anyone, hinting that there might be some shocking exits as the season wraps up.
“I’m not going to tell you specifics. I will say, don’t like any of the characters too much because there is a lot of carnage.”
She laughs, ” There are too many head honchos in the kitchen right now, and I think a few of them got to go.”
New episodes of Tulsa King premiere on Sundays on Paramount+.
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