Raise your hand if you knew that Garrett Hedlund had a lucrative career as a singer-songwriter. I think because I’ve primarily known the 40-year-old from his roles in Friday Night Lights, Tron: Legacy, Triple Frontier and Pan, I wasn’t paying as close attention as I should have to his musical abilities. But then, Hedlung would appear in Country Strong opposite Gwenyth Paltrow, or Inside Llewyn Davis from Joel and Ethan Coen, and you are reminded that, “Oh yeah, this guy can really sing!”
His talents have been on display in Tulsa King Season 2, which aired its third episode Sunday on the Paramount+ streaming service. The turf war between Dwight Manfretti (Sylvester Stallone), his crew, and some Kansas City gangsters who don’t like the way that Dwight has moved in on their territory. There’s time for action in Tulsa King, still one of the best Paramount+ shows out there. But there’s always time for levity, and culture that reflects the food, music, and community of Oklahoma. This was particularly prevalent when red-hot country artist Jelly Roll appeared to sing a song in Episode 2 of Tulsa King Season 2, so when I spoke with Garrett Hedlund about the cameo, he told CinemaBlend:
I'm so glad that Jelly Roll came on. He's such a wonderful human being, (and a) wonderful artist. And we had fun that day.
Coincidentally, Jelly Roll also happened to be a guest on the season premiere of Saturday Night Live. It has been a busy week for the performer.
As you likely know, from watching Tulsa King Season 2, Garrett Hedlund has been taking to the stage of his bar to sing songs and entertain the patrons. And while Hedlund has mainly played covers, he told me why he doesn’t try to get any of his original songs into the show. At least, for now. Said Hedlund:
No, it's just… these moments kind of always demand something so celebratory. And I think I just don't have so many celebratory songs. So maybe that’s something we’ll work on for the future.
The future of Tulsa King looks bright. The show, available with the Paramount+ subscription, has expanded on its core cast to include both Frank Grillo and Neal McDonogh as villains. These character actors are perfectly cast, with Grillo already proving to be a macho foil to Stallone, who is the Top Dawg in every possible way. Dwight, meanwhile, still has plenty to work out with Stacy, the ATF agent who turned him in for bribery. And the drug trade is only getting more complicated in the Midwest.
Keep tuning in to Tulsa King, hopefully to hear more original tunes from Garrett Hedlund, so long as he keeps surviving from episode to episode.
