Actor David Oyelowo opened up about why he wanted to play Bass Reeves in the new Lawmen: Bass Reeves series.
The star couldn’t believe that Reeves wasn’t as well known as he should be, which really encouraged him to take the part, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
David Oyelowo discusses Bass Reeves influence on him
When asked about how he became interested in Reeves, Oyelowo opened up about it.
“I think your question is what made me interested in this larger-than-life character,” he said. “That very thing: Larger than life, extraordinary historical figure, couldn’t believe when he was first brought to my attention in 2014 that he wasn’t more widely known; haven’t seen a movie, haven’t seen a TV show. It was like, what the heck? And that’s where my obsession with rectifying that in some way came along.”
Beyond that, he had other reasons for playing Reeves in the new series.
“But also, it’s the uniqueness of the story, to go from being enslaved to empowered in the way he was, and to then have a career — a 32-year career in law enforcement in literally one of the most dangerous territories in those times — to be law enforcement in this country’s history. To have the record he had. You know, if he was white there would be monuments, there would be multiple movies, there would be graphic novels, everyone would be dressed up as him for Halloween,” Oyelowo added. “We know why it hasn’t been the case, and so rectifying that and telling his story as best as I could genuinely has been a seven-to-eight year [journey]. I’m just glad we’re here.”
Be sure to check out David Oyelowo in Lawmen: Bass Reeves, streaming on Paramount+.
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