‘Tulsa King’: Dana Delany Got Over Her Fear of Horses for the Show
Tulsa King Episode 3 introduced Dana Delany’s character Margaret Devereaux, the owner of Fennario Ranch. When Delany was first offered the part in the Taylor Sheridan series, she admitted that she couldn’t ride a horse. In fact, an incident from her childhood left her afraid of the animals, but Delany went above and beyond to overcome this fear for the show.
[Warning: Tulsa King Episode 3 spoilers ahead.]
Dana Delany plays Margaret Devereaux in ‘Tulsa King’
An unfortunate turn of events leads Dwight Manfredi to Dana Delany’s character Margaret in Tulsa King Episode 3. While taking his driving test, a man named Armand attempts to shoot Dwight. He tracks down the Chevy Caprice that the mysterious man was driving.
Tyson (Jay Will) and Dwight find DMSO, a flammable substance that’s used to treat inflammation in horses, inside the car. They also spot a scrap of fabric that reads “FR.” These clues lead Dwight to Fennario Ranch, owned by Margaret Devereaux.
Delany got over her fear of horses for her as Margaret
Since Dana Delany’s Tulsa King character owns a horse ranch, being around the animals came with the job description. Surprisingly, Delany wasn’t too comfortable with horses when she was first contacted about the show.
“When I was a kid, a horse rolled on me, and I have this fear,” Delany told Vulture. “[Showrunner] Terry [Winter] called me on the phone about the part, and I said, ‘I just want you to know, everyone thinks I can ride — I can’t ride.’ He said, ‘Okay, can you stay on for five minutes?’ I said, ‘Yeah, I can do that.'”
In the end, Delany decided to go above and beyond. She enlisted the help of Chloe Webb, who acted on the TV series China Beach with Delany and now works with horses to do emotional therapy. “She works up in Malibu, so I booked a session with her,” Delany explained.
“You don’t get on the horse, you just talk to the horse, and she explains that horses have been around since prehistoric days: They’re on the caves of Lascaux, and they’re survivors because they’ve been prey, and that’s why they feel everything — because they have to survive. And I just started weeping like a baby,” the actor revealed.
“I felt a kinship with this horse, because women are prey too, and that’s how we’ve had to survive and use our emotional intelligence. I thought, ‘Oh my God, the horse is as scared as I am!’ And I really got over it! I ride in the show!”
‘Tulsa King’ viewers will learn more about Margaret
Margaret remains tight-lipped when Dwight shows up asking questions. “Sly/Dwight comes to the ranch looking for Armand but is telling me he’s a private detective, and I’m like, ‘What?’ He’s wearing a fancy suit and alligator shoes, and I’m like, ‘Yeah, you’re not a detective,'” Delany told Vulture.
“So there’s this dance that starts happening: He keeps showing up, and I’m not quite sure why he keeps showing up, but something is off. And then we get to know more about Margaret, and maybe she has some things she needs to deal with too, that maybe Sly/Dwight could help her with.”
New episodes of Tulsa King drop Sundays on Paramount+.
