It took persistence, but David Oyelowo finally got ‘Bass Reeves’ to the screen

When David Oyelowo, compact and composed in his white suit, sits on the throne-like chair outside his hilltop house, it’s easy to picture him as the king of Tarzana. “So that’s where the obsession began.” Teaming with producer David Permut, Oyelowo in 2015 pitched a Bass Reeves project to networks and cable companies. “The overwhelming narrative was: ‘No one is doing westerns, they’ve had their day.’ So we thought: ‘OK, I guess we’re the only ones who feel this way about Bass Reeves.’” Playing Bass Reeves is “the hardest thing I’ve ever done, physically, emotionally, mentally,” says David Oyelowo. 1 show in America, and his advocacy is what got this thing made.” Oyelowo also notes, “In the wake of George Floyd’s murder, we were trying to do better as a country when it comes to representation of people of color, so there was this perfect storm where it felt like now was the time for this show.” Once “Lawmen: Bass Reeves,” created by showrunner Chad Feehan, got the greenlight, Oyelowo prepared for the title role by upgrading his horsemanship skills and studying 19th century recordings of former slaves. It’s a “Bass Reeves” poster of Oyelowo rearing back on a beautiful white horse in grand cowboy style.