When Sylvester Stallone trades the boxing ring for the criminal underworld, magic happens. Tulsa King has captured audiences with its perfect blend of mob drama, Western grit, and unexpected humor—but it’s the characters that truly make this Paramount+ series a must-watch phenomenon.
After serving 25 years behind bars, New York mobster Dwight “The General” Manfredi gets exiled to Tulsa, Oklahoma, to build a criminal empire from scratch. What follows is a compelling character study featuring an ensemble cast that breathes life into Taylor Sheridan’s vision of modern organized crime.
Table of Contents
Tulsa King Character Overview at a Glance
| Character | Actor | Role | Key Trait |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dwight Manfredi | Sylvester Stallone | Mob Boss | Philosophical leadership |
| Joanne Manfredi | Annabella Sciorra | Sister/Advisor | Brutally honest |
| Mitch Keller | Garrett Hedlund | Crew Member | Reformed ex-con |
| Dennis “Goodie” Carangi | Chris Caldovino | Consigliere | Unwavering loyalty |
| Lawrence “Bodhi” Geigerman | Martin Starr | Dispensary Owner | Tech-savvy strategist |
| Tyson Mitchell | Jay Will | Driver/Protégé | Ambitious hustler |
| Margaret Devereaux | Dana Delany | Love Interest | Grounded outsider |
1. Dwight “The General” Manfredi: The Heart of the Operation
Sylvester Stallone delivers career-defining work as Dwight Manfredi, proving he’s far more than an action star. This isn’t your typical mobster—Manfredi is a Renaissance criminal with a philosophical streak that makes every scene captivating.
The Price of Loyalty
Dwight’s journey begins with betrayal. After taking the fall for his New York crime family and serving over two decades in prison, he expected respect. Instead, he’s banished to Oklahoma like yesterday’s news. This rejection becomes his liberation, allowing him to break from Mafia tradition and forge his own path.
What sets Manfredi apart is his code of honor. He operates with fairness, treating people with the same respect they show him. His poetic way with words reveals a man who’s spent years reflecting on life, power, and what truly matters. Whether he’s negotiating a business deal or handling a threat, Dwight’s cunning intelligence shines through.
As Stallone himself has demonstrated throughout his career from Rocky to Rambo, he brings depth to characters that could easily be one-dimensional. Dwight Manfredi stands as perhaps his most nuanced performance yet.
2. Joanne Manfredi: The Truth-Teller
Annabella Sciorra transforms Joanne Manfredi into the series’ moral compass wrapped in a no-nonsense exterior. First appearing in Season 1, Episode 4 (“Visitation Place”), she immediately establishes herself as someone who doesn’t play games.
Business Before Everything
While Dwight builds his Tulsa empire, Joanne runs operations back in New York with ruthless efficiency. She’s confident, business-minded, and completely fearless when speaking her mind. Most importantly, she’s the one person Dwight trusts unconditionally—someone who will always deliver brutal honesty when he needs it most.
Sciorra, best known for her role as Gloria Trillo in The Sopranos, brings entirely different energy here. Joanne isn’t a victim of circumstance; she’s an intuitive powerhouse who keeps her brother grounded. Her blend of loyalty and blunt honesty makes her indispensable, both to Dwight and to the show’s emotional core.
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3. Mitch Keller: The Reformed Cowboy
Garrett Hedlund’s Mitch Keller represents redemption in Tulsa King. As a former bull rider and ex-con, Keller has walked the line between respectable citizen and criminal outlaw. Now he runs the Bred-2-Buck Saloon and manages a used car dealership for Manfredi’s crew.
More Than Just Muscle
Keller becomes one of Dwight’s earliest recruits, and for good reason. He possesses street smarts honed through hard experience, combined with a quiet toughness that doesn’t need constant demonstration. He’s learned from his mistakes and rebuilt his life with genuine determination.
What makes Keller fascinating is his restlessness. Despite his success, he dreams of something more—a universal feeling that resonates beyond the criminal world. His grounded nature and charming demeanor make him both relatable and reliable, while his readiness to defend those he cares about proves his loyalty runs deep.
Keller’s humility in success is rare in crime dramas, making him one of the show’s most refreshing characters.
4. Dennis “Goodie” Carangi: The Old Guard
Chris Caldovino’s portrayal of Dennis “Goodie” Carangi brings gravitas to Tulsa King. As Dwight’s longtime friend from New York and former consigliere for the Invernizzi family, Goodie represents old-school mob wisdom.
Choosing Conscience Over Orders
Goodie’s defining moment comes when he’s ordered to travel to Tulsa with Chickie Invernizzi and Vince Antonacci to kill Manfredi. Instead of following orders, he tips off his old friend, effectively saving Dwight’s life and severing ties with the New York family he’d served loyally for years.
This wasn’t betrayal in the traditional sense—it was a judgment call. Goodie recognized that Chickie, who murdered his own father Pete “The Rock” Invernizzi, wasn’t fit to lead. In the mob world where loyalty often means blind obedience, Goodie chose a higher principle.
Now part of Manfredi’s Tulsa crew, Goodie serves as a mentor figure, providing wisdom during the operation’s most tense moments. His by-the-book approach balances Dwight’s more unconventional methods, creating a perfect partnership.
5. Lawrence “Bodhi” Geigerman: The Underestimated Genius
Martin Starr brings quiet brilliance to Lawrence “Bodhi” Geigerman, owner of the Higher Plane dispensary. As Manfredi’s first business partner in Tulsa, Bodhi initially hesitates before accepting the deal—but only after Dwight agrees to let him maintain operational control.
Brains Over Brawn
Bodhi’s easygoing demeanor often leads people to underestimate him, which is exactly his advantage. He knows the cannabis trade inside out, bringing legitimate business expertise to Manfredi’s operation. His tech savvy and quick thinking provide the crew with a serious edge in an increasingly digital criminal landscape.
While Bodhi won’t win any fistfights, his intelligence and strategic thinking make him invaluable. He represents the modern criminal economy—where technology, market knowledge, and strategic partnerships matter as much as muscle. His loyalty to Manfredi, despite the obvious risks, speaks to the respect Dwight commands through fairness rather than fear.
6. Tyson Mitchell: The Ambitious Protégé
Jay Will’s Tyson Mitchell embodies the eternal tension between ambition and morality. Starting as Manfredi’s driver, Mitchell quickly climbs the ranks through intelligence and drive. As a college graduate with big dreams, he’s drawn to the criminal lifestyle’s thrills and financial rewards.
The Cost of Aspiration
Mitchell’s journey explores a question many young people face: how far will you compromise your values to achieve success? His new lifestyle creates friction with his hard-working parents, particularly his father (played by Michael Beach), who envisioned a different future for his son.
Beneath Mitchell’s confident exterior lies genuine internal conflict. He’s not a natural criminal—he’s a smart kid seduced by fast money and the excitement of organized crime. His flashy choices sometimes create problems for Manfredi, but his loyalty and drive make him worth the investment.
Mitchell’s character arc resonates with audiences who understand the allure of taking shortcuts versus the satisfaction of earning success legitimately. For more compelling character studies, check out our analysis of complex protagonists.
7. Margaret Devereaux: The Grounding Force
Dana Delany elevates Margaret Devereaux beyond the typical “mob wife” trope. As a prominent figure in Tulsa’s equestrian community, owner of Fennario Ranch, and trustee of the Annie Oakley Society, Margaret exists entirely outside Dwight’s criminal world—yet she becomes his emotional anchor.
Love Without Illusions
What makes Margaret special is her clear-eyed acceptance of who Dwight is. She’s not naive about his career, nor does she attempt to change him. Instead, she provides stability, perspective, and honest advice from an outsider’s viewpoint.
Margaret understands Dwight’s world without being consumed by it. She offers him something he rarely finds: a safe space to escape the constant pressure and moral compromises of his criminal enterprise. Their relationship develops naturally, built on genuine connection rather than mob movie clichés.
Delany brings warmth and intelligence to the role, creating a character who’s strong enough to stand beside Dwight without being defined by him.
Why These Characters Matter
Tulsa King succeeds because it treats its characters as real people navigating impossible situations, not just crime drama archetypes. Each member of this ensemble brings unique strengths, flaws, and perspectives that create rich, layered storytelling.
From Dwight’s philosophical leadership to Bodhi’s quiet genius, from Joanne’s brutal honesty to Margaret’s grounding influence—these seven characters form the heart of what makes Tulsa King essential viewing.
Ready to experience these unforgettable characters yourself? Stream Tulsa King exclusively on Paramount+ and discover why critics and audiences alike have fallen for Taylor Sheridan’s latest masterpiece.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Is Tulsa King based on a true story or real mobster?
No, Tulsa King is entirely fictional, created by Taylor Sheridan. While the show draws on real mob history and culture for authenticity, Dwight Manfredi and his crew are original characters. The series explores what might happen when traditional East Coast organized crime meets modern Middle American culture, creating fresh territory for the crime drama genre. Sheridan’s expertise in character-driven storytelling shines through in creating believable, complex characters that feel real even within a fictional framework.
Q: Do I need to watch The Sopranos or other mob shows to understand Tulsa King?
Not at all. While Tulsa King features several actors from classic crime dramas (like Annabella Sciorra from The Sopranos) and uses familiar mob terminology, the show stands entirely on its own. New viewers can jump right in without any prior knowledge of mob culture or crime drama conventions. The show actually works better as a fresh take on the genre rather than a continuation of past series. That said, fans of shows like The Sopranos, Boardwalk Empire, or Sheridan’s other work (Yellowstone, Mayor of Kingstown) will appreciate the nuanced character development and moral complexity.
