Jay Will: Tyson preparing to step up when Dwight needs him in 'Tulsa King' S2

NEW YORK, Sept. 15 (UPI) -- Jay Will says his Tulsa King character Tyson is learning to be a leader in Season 2 of the Paramount+ crime drama.

The show from Yellowstone creator Taylor Sheridan and Sopranos writer-producer Terence Winter returns Sunday with its first fresh episode since early 2023.

The Season 1 finale saw former New York gangster Dwight (Sylvester Stallone) hauled off to jail, leaving his newly organized Oklahoma crew, specifically his right-hand man Tyson, to keep their criminal enterprises afloat.

Will said Tyson is deeply affected when he sees Dwight suffer serious repercussions at the hands of the FBI and ATF for his lucrative, but illegal actions.

"He sees: 'Oh, wow, they actually have been on his ass. They have been watching him, and now they got him,'" Will told UPI about Tyson and Dwight in a recent phone interview, noting Dwight's arrest will impact Tyson's decisions for the rest of the season.

"Who's about to take over this? Because it ain't about to be Goodie (Chris Caldovino). It ain't about to be Bodhi (Martin Starr)," he said.

"It's going to have to be me. I've been around [Dwight] the most. I know how he moves, how he thinks, what he eats, what time he wakes up, what tie he likes to wear on a Wednesday," Will added. "With Tyson, his greatest outcome is to be like Dwight, to be the head honcho, the boss, to be the one who calls the shots."

The show is as much about fraternity as it is about shady people seeking money and purpose.

Dwight assembled a tight-knit and loyal crew quickly and, despite their lack of experience in organized crime, they fought alongside him against several rival gangs who tried to challenge them and take what the spoils of Season 1.

"Blood couldn't make us any closer," Will said of the crew.

"Those high-tension, blood-shedding scenes really just bring in that family aspect," he added. "I think it's all just accumulated trust."

Season 1 of the show saw Dwight and company figuring out how to exploit legal marijuana dispensaries, while Season 2 shows the kingpin developing an interest in wind turbine scams.

"It's the opportunist mindset," Will said, noting the show seeks to reflect how the world really is with some people just taking what they want whether it is the right thing to do or not.

Tyson is caught between his new father figure Dwight and his real, hard-working, law-abiding dad Mark (Michael Beach).

This "wild dynamic" between his role models, Will said, feels like a competing devil and angel on Tyson's shoulder.

"The word of the day is 'dilemma,'" Will said.

"Your father's like, 'Go to school, graduate, go to college, do your four years, study, get out, you get a good job. You can even take over my plumbing business if you want. You've got to work hard to get what you need,'" Will added. "He meets this other guy, it's like, 'You yoke people up, you get what you want.'"

Tyson tries to be a hybrid of the two men.

"But something's got to give," Will said. "Tyson wants to be like Dwight, but at what cost?"

Will said working with Stallone and Beach has been an incredible experience that has taught him a lot about his craft.

"I'm kind of just starting my career, so I'm learning," said the real-life Julliard graduate.

"I was raised classically in theater where you can be as big as you want [because] you're trying to reach the nose-bleed seats. I'm trying to translate that to film," he added.

"I was doing the same magnitude and largeness and [Stallone] said, 'Bring it on in, bring in the focus,' and I just sat there and I just did it. I did the scene and he told me to use my eyes. Just a little coaching got me through and made me a better actor."

Will said he has tremendous respect for the work ethic of Beach, who was also acting on Mayor of Kingstown, The Perfect Couple and Dead Boy Detectives at the time he was filming Tulsa King.

"He came in so prepped, so ready, and it wasn't tough for me to step into the son energy," Will said.

"It was easy for me to tap into that because he came so convinced of his own energy as a father. The scenes really got tense, so I'm really excited to see how that's perceived this next season."

The show co-stars Max Casella, Vincent Piazza, Tatiana Zappardino, Annabella Sciorra, Neal McDonough, Frank Grillo, Domenick Lombardozzi, Andrea Savage, Garrett Hedlund and Dana Delany.

Will will also soon be seen in Rob Peace, a fact-based film about a brilliant young man trying to free his incarcerated father.

Directed by Chiwetel Ejiofor, it co-stars Mary J. Blige, Camila Cabello and Gbenga Akinnagbe.

"It was a blessed opportunity just to take on a real story, a pivotal landmark for many communities, but especially my community, to be able to put in my token of appreciation, being a part of something bigger than myself," Will said.

"The best parts of [making] that film were the parts that weren't filmed, like me speaking with the mother of Rob, the character I play, asking for her permission, the conversations I had with Mary and Chiwetel and breaking down the story and the 1:1 coaching classes I had with Chiwetel and breaking down these scientific words I knew nothing about," Will added. "I'm just connected to such a fine group of people on all sides, even off-screen."