Actor David Oyelowo spent eight years trying to get a film made about Bass Reeves, one of the first Black U.S. deputy marshals west of the Mississippi.
He researched the former slave’s life, talked with people who had a connection and tried to convince producers it was a story that needed to be told.
Like Morgan Freeman – who also wanted to put Reeves’ life on screen – he was met with disinterest. But then, while starring in “The Butler,†he talked with producer David Glasser, who shared the actor's passion with “Yellowstone’s†creator, Taylor Sheridan.
And now? There’s “Lawmen: Bass Reeves.â€
“That’s the power of Taylor Sheridan,†says writer/showrunner Chad Feehan. “We didn’t get everything we wanted. But we got the majority and the support that we had was incredible.â€
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Plotting the course
Feehan, known for his work on “Banshee†and “Ray Donovan,†sat with Oyelowo at dinner one night and realized they had “gravitated toward the same things that we wanted to communicate to an audience – the triumph of the human spirit, the universality of the human condition. He was able to educate me on where fact and fiction converged.â€
Moments in Reeves’ life, Feehan says, served as pillars for the limited series. “We have the transcript of him being sworn in, but we don’t know what happened before or after,†he says. “Our job, as storytellers, is to imagine and create the most compelling narrative that we could.â€
Because Feehan knows the territory – he was raised in Texas – he was well-versed in the area's influences. “We had this great source material that provided an excellent launching pad.â€
Damian Marcano, who directed several of the episodes, says shooting in Texas informed the action each day.
“There was golf-ball sized hail (one day), an actual tornado (the next). You had to lean into your optimistic side on this shoot and sort of go on the fly.â€
Double duty
Even more crucial: the time crunch. To complete the series on time, Marcano and other directors shots different episodes simultaneously. “In the morning, David would be playing one version of Bass and then, in the afternoon, it might be 12 years later,†he says. Assistant directors would ease the transition and make sure there was always something that could be done, no matter what the situation, weather included.
A production designer, he says, built a store “in the middle of nowhere.â€
Before the project materialized, “I couldn’t tell you who Bass Reeves was,†Marcano says. “I fell in love with a script about a man who, at the time, was one of the only Black men with a gun and a badge. He just wouldn’t stop doing his job.â€
Likewise, David Oyelowo. The “Selma†star was so determined to tell the story, he wouldn’t put up barriers to getting it made. “That’s antithetical to who he is,†Feehan says. “If I could use one word to describe him, it’s grace. He was so incredibly giving, graceful and compassionate. If there was something that he was unsure about, there would always be a conversation. He wouldn’t ever say, ‘No, I can’t do that.’â€
And yet the actor was tested repeatedly in the eight episodes.
David Oyelowo as Bass Reeves.
David Oyelowo stars in "Lawmen: Bass Reeves."Â
Massive undertaking
“This is by far the biggest thing I’ve ever done and the hardest production I’ve ever been through,†says Feehan. “I’d ask, ‘Are you sure I can write this?’ And the answer was always yes. We’ll find a way, we’re figure it out.â€
“Bass Reeves†includes Civil War battles, massive herding scenes and intimate family moments.
“I was given the authority to chase the epic,†Feehan adds.
While “Lawmen†nears the time of Sheridan’s series, “1883,†it’s not related. “Our story takes place from roughly 1862 to 1877 and, with the knowledge of Bass Reeves, operating primarily in Indian territory,†Feehan says. “It didn’t seem organic to try to make that connection.â€
Chad Feehan, executive producer, and David Oyelowo discuss "Lawmen: Bass Reeves" on the set.Â
Like “1883,†“Lawmen†was designed to show the universality of the human condition.
Even Marcano, who hails from Trinidad, says it was easy to feel like he fit in. “I’m a Rasta man. We always find a beat.
“There was the Texas of it. Just for my portion, it took five and a half months to film three episodes. We rebuilt a city at one point. And still Texas would say, ‘Not today.’â€
Like Marcano, Feehan says the heartbreak of “Lawmen: Bass Reeves†is that Oyelowo can’t tell his story to the media. Because the actors are on strike, they’re not allowed to talk about projects, no matter how involved they were.
“This is his show,†Feehan says. “It breaks my heart that he’s not here with me, leading the charge to communicate all of his passion.â€
"Lawmen: Bass Reeves" airs Nov. 5 on Paramount+.
Director Damian Marcano with David Oyolewo as Bass Reeves.