Samuel L. Jackson steps into NOLA King without a grand entrance or warm welcome. He’s a seasoned actor returning to New Orleans with unfinished business. The Tulsa King spinoff isn’t built around redemption or second chances. Jackson plays a man who understands how the city works and plans to use the crime world to his advantage, even if it means kicking up every old problem he initially left behind.
Jackson plays Russell Lee Washington Jr., a character that viewers will meet in Tulsa King season 3 before NOLA King pulls him into his own story. He’s introduced as a hitman for the Invernizzi family, but nothing about him feels disposable. He’s intentional, deliberate, and mild-mannered instead of reckless or loud. He’s controlled, patient, and aware that one wrong move can ruin an entire plan. That’s the version audiences will glimpse in Tulsa, but the version in NOLA King will be sharper, better defined, and more personal.
A Return Home That Isn’t Sentimental
According to EW, Washington Jr.’s assignment in New York goes sideways, sending him back to New Orleans, a city he hasn’t touched in years. He isn’t returning for comfort or to reconnect with his roots. He’s coming back because he knows New Orleans is the one place where he can have a fresh start, but only after settling old debts.
The people who knew him don’t offer him hugs or forgiveness. They’re cautious, curious, and in some cases, hostile. New Orleans isn’t the kind of place where someone with his past shows up unnoticed. Everyone remembers something, and some of his worst memories come with consequences.
This is the backbone of NOLA King: a man with history walking into a city that refuses to forget.
Jackson Leads NOLA King Like It was Built Around Him
TVLine pointed out that this is Samuel L. Jackson’s first time leading a full ongoing series instead of a limited run or a supporting role. This is an entire crime drama built around his character’s past, present, and future, focusing on his mistakes and ambitions.
Jackson has spent decades elevating scenes with a look or a line. Giving him a character like Washington Jr. is different because he’s not a cameo or side player who pops in and out to provide manic energy or drop an F bomb. When he makes a choice in NOLA King, the city reacts. When he exposes a flaw in someone, it’s intentional. The entire point of this Tulsa King spinoff is to follow a man who knows how dangerous he is and owns it.
For Paramount+, Tulsa King found its footing through charisma and character power. Jackson brings both for NOLA King, but with a colder, more calculated edge.
New Orleans is a Character, Not a Setting
New Orleans is more than a backdrop. The city shapes conflicts, informs the alliances, and tightens the pressure on Washington Jr. at every turn. New Orleans carries its own mix of music, corruption, loyalty, and territorial pride. And NOLA King embraces all of it.
Washington Jr. grew up in New Orleans. He knows the shortcuts, the dangers, and the kind of people who need to be kept in line with a sharp look or a violent reminder of who’s boss. When Jackson walks back into the city, he’s walking into the middle of everything he left behind. And this time, he’s not letting anyone else set the rules. He’s the boss, the NOLA King.
Production of NOLA King and What Comes Next
Filming for NOLA King is set to begin in 2026. Paramount+ hasn’t announced the supporting cast or release date yet, but the network didn’t need to reveal much to generate interest. Samuel L. Jackson’s involvement put this project on the map. Add the New Orleans setting, the criminal tension, and the personal stakes, and NOLA King has every ingredient for a cold, focused crime drama.