Bass Reeves should be a household name because he was "the greatest lawman in the history of this country," but the man at the center of a new Paramount+ drama series is just a footnote from a time gone by.
Born into slavery, Reeves went on to become one of the first Black U.S. Deputy Marshals west of the Mississippi and his remarkable life story is captured in the streamer's latest offering, Lawmen: Bass Reeves.
"Bass embodies what is our biggest theme of the show, which is the triumph of the human spirit," Lawmen: Bass Reeves showrunner Chad Feehan told Newsweek. "He overcame unimaginable circumstances and unimaginable horrors to become arguably the greatest lawman in the history of this country."
Who Was Bass Reeves?
A passion project for Golden Globe-nominated actor David Oyelowo, who plays the iconic Reeves, the series documents the lawman's wild life from being forced to fight for the Confederates during the Civil War, to escaping slavery by hiding out with Native Americans and learning their languages.
It also documents his three-decade career making more than 3,000 arrests, but killing only 14 outlaws in self-defense in that time. The series also showed the lengths Reeves would go to lock up outlaws, including dressing in disguise—one time as a woman.
A Taylor Sheridan production set within the producer's sprawling Yellowstone universe of Western shows, Lawmen reveals how the badge weighed heavy on Reeves and how he wrestled with its moral and spiritual cost to his family.
Growing up in Texas, and like many people in the South, Feehan had heard some tales about the "mythical lawman" who seemed like a "dime novel hero," but didn't know much more about Reeves beyond that.
This seemed to be the case for many people, including writer Sidney Thompson, who worked as a historical consultant on the show and has published three books about Reeves. His fascination with the lawman began after hearing actor Morgan Freeman describe Reeves as his "dream character" to play.
"[Reeves] really changed our perspective of justice," Thompson told Newsweek. After hearing Freeman's call for someone to write a script for him to play Bass, he immersed himself in the lawman's history.
"I was trying to figure out how he was the most successful lawman and no one knew his name."
Oyelowo first learned about Reeves in 2014 and was astounded, according to Feehan— the actor was not available for press interviews to promote the series due to the ongoing SAG-AFTRA actor's strike.
"Not everybody knows his name," Feehan explained, adding that both he and Oyelowo became obsessed with Reeves' story and couldn't wait to share it.
"We need these stories now more than ever, me and the other writers were very dogmatic in the pursuit of this idea that the human condition is universal."
Why Don't We Know More About Bass Reeves?
Both Feehan and Thompson agreed that Reeves was "whitewashed" from the history books and his triumphs ignored because of the color of his skin.
"It's a product of the era, and we explore these things in the show and [they] can be difficult to talk about," Feehan said. "The public has been denied a story about the triumph of the human spirit."
He said the world needed to know more stories that had been hidden in the past because they could help "break down some of the divisions that exist amongst us."
Thompson also pondered how the lack of awareness about Reeves' life has consequences for today's society.
"I feel like our country would be different today if his story had not been whitewashed," he said.
"If we had had this magnificent, massive, monumental man as an example... I think our present day police force would think a little differently."
Thompson added: "I think the lesson of that is so timely right now."
Becoming Bass Reeves
Oyelowo immersed himself in the fascinating character and instructed Thompson to not only teach him everything he knew about Reeves but share his impressions of who he was as a man.
They spent countless hours on Zoom and text messaging, going over every bit of information Thompson had so Oyelowo could "claim as much of him as he could."
"Everything was so natural. It was vibrant and I just think nobody could have given a better performance. He's fantastic," Thompson said of watching Oyelowo perform on set.
Feehan said his star is "a special, special human being," who embodies many of the same qualities as Reeves himself.
"To walk in those shoes every day was a tremendous responsibility and it was also a tremendous honor. I think that he is beside himself that he will demonstrate to the general public this story that has been erased from history," he said.
"This is long overdue and I think he probably feels enormous pride. I've always viewed this as David Oyelowo's show and I'm lucky to be the co-pilot."
Not Your Typical Western
Accurately representing the story of Black people who were once slaves, and Native Americans, in the 19th century was critical for Feehan, who wanted to get it right.
"My first job was to hire diverse voices in the writers' room and people who could educate me on things that I possibly couldn't understand or have experienced," he explained.
"And together we collectively used our life experiences to be authentic as possible."
They also hired a number of consultants, including Yellowstone's American Indian Affairs Coordinator, Moses Brings Plenty, who "read every script and noted every single moment that needed to be noted."
Feehan made sure there were Native Americans on set to teach Oyelowo Choctaw but also to make sure all the actors were speaking the language accurately.
The showrunner promised Western fans they will find everything they love about the genre in Lawmen: Bass Reeves, but also something unexpected.
"Hopefully, they will be moved and discover a level of tenderness and heart in a way that's unique for a Western," Feehan said.
The first two episodes of Lawmen: Bass Reeves premiere on November 5 on Paramount+.
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
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