David Oyelowo is ready to bring Bass Reeves’ story to the masses. In a video exclusive to ET, the 47-year-old actor shares why the story of the Old West’s legendary lawman, who was once a slave and eventually became the first Black U.S. Marshal west of the Mississippi, isn’t widely known — and how he wants to change that with Lawmen: Bass Reeves.
“There’s a myriad of reasons why I believe we’re not familiar with this story. I think that history is a very powerful tool. There are times when certain history is kept back because of how powerful it is. It’s the only reason I can think of why incredible, prominent actors have tried to tell this story and not been able to,” Oyelowo said of his character, who’s thought to be the inspiration for The Lone Ranger. “I’ve been part of historical narratives and still to today there remains a resistance… so it’s sort of a miracle that were getting to tell this story now.”
Dennis Quaid, who plays Sherrill Lynn on the series, had nothing but praise for his co-star.
“He’s fantastic,” Quaid said of Oyelowo. “David is somebody who shows up every day with the greatest attitude. There’s a quiet strength about him and a mystery that he really kind of conveys. He has this quiet strength himself. In many ways, he is Bass Reeves.”
“I love being with him. I love watching him. He’s just deeply and profoundly within the body of his character,” Donald Sutherland, who plays Judge Parker on the show, agreed.
When ET spoke to Oyelowo back in June 2022, the actor spoke about taking on the long-awaited role.
“I’ve been wanting to to play Bass Reeves for many years now. To be perfectly honest, it’s a world in which it’s been rejected a couple of times, until Taylor came along and reinvigorated the Western genre,” Oyelowo said of Taylor Sheridan, the mind behind both Yellowstone and Lawmen: Bass Reeves. “… He really knows his stuff.”
“I feel elated… It’s a blessing to do this. That’s not lost on me how fortunate I am,” he added. “I just feel very excited. I spend a lot of time working to pay homage and to do them the honor, and I just hope I do just that.”
Lawmen: Bass Reeves will begin streaming Nov. 5 on Paramount+.
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