Frank Grillo is back for Tulsa King season 4 after Sylvester Stallone personally asked him to return

Just when you thought Tulsa King and its collection of ageing mobsters might finally give Dwight Manfredi a breather, the show is dragging a familiar face straight back into the firing line. Frank Grillo, who played the unpredictable Bill Bevilaqua in Season 2, seemed all but finished after being benched for most of Season 3. Turns out, that was just a pause—not a full stop. Yes, the band is well and truly getting back together.

Mob Boss on Ice—But Not Out

If you’ve been following along, you’ll remember that Grillo’s Bill Bevilaqua turned up in Season 2 determined to muscle in on Manfredi’s patch. While his arrival set off all manner of carnage, Season 3 had Bill parked in FBI custody—out of the main action and generally left to fester as a loose end. You’d be forgiven for assuming Grillo had quietly been written out, but apparently Sylvester Stallone had other ideas. Grillo admits he was never expecting a comeback either; when they took his character off the board, he was satisfied enough to be left in limbo rather than shoved into a shallow grave.

As Grillo puts it, with that classic ‘don’t blame me, blame the writers’ shrug, here’s what actually happened when Terry Winter got back into the showrunner seat and Sly picked up the phone:

When Terry Winter was coming back, who is, for me, one of the greatest writers in TV right now, and Sly called me. I was like, 'Hey, man, if the band is getting all back together, I’ll get my guitar out.' You know what I mean? So that combination was very enticing for me to come back.

The Showrunner Shuffle

Here’s the backstory, since the timeline has been a bit of a revolving door. Terence Winter, who wrote for The Sopranos and ran Boardwalk Empire, was on hand as showrunner for Tulsa King Season 1, but dipped out after clashing with Taylor Sheridan. In Season 2, Winter was only the head writer, then vanished completely for Season 3 to chase other projects. Now, for Season 4, he’s back running the writers’ room and has an executive producer credit as well. It’s a bit musical chairs, but the important part is: he and Stallone wanted Grillo back, and that’s exactly what’s happening.

Stallone’s Loyalty—and Grillo’s Too

Fun fact, Grillo and Stallone didn’t share any screen time before Tulsa King, which makes the latter’s continued support all the more meaningful to him. Grillo describes Stallone as a formative influence—first as a childhood idol, then as a professional colleague, now as a personal friend. His attitude is simple: if Stallone rings, Grillo picks up.

I love Stallone so much in ways that I don’t even realize. Like, you know, I was just with him at his book signing, and I’m so amazed by this person. He’s been such a relevant thing in my life, as you know, in my formative years, and then as a professional, and then as a friend. That, you know, if he calls, I’m coming.

The Big Return—and What’s Next

Season 4 has Bill Bevilaqua freshly out of prison and straight back to stirring up trouble. He’s wasted no time playing opposite sides—telling both Dwight (Stallone) and Quiet Ray (James Russo) whatever they want to hear. He’s not exactly trustworthy, but he’s undeniably fun to watch. The show’s apparently decided Bill deserves a much larger arc, as Grillo’s already been confirmed for Season 5. Given how much of a force he was as a villain in Season 2, it’s about time.

• Frank Grillo (Bill Bevilaqua): major arc in Season 2, background in 3, fully back for 4 and already signed for 5
• Sylvester Stallone (Dwight Manfredi): still king of Tulsa, still at war with basically everyone
• James Russo (Quiet Ray): caught in Bill’s double-dealing now that Bill’s free
• Terence Winter: returns to lead writing duties for Season 4 after his break