Executive producer and showrunner Chad Feehan serves as ramrod for the series starring David Oyelowo.
Legendary lawman Bass Reeves will finally get his shot as a TV Western protagonist this weekend, thanks in part to the determined efforts of series creator, showrunner and executive producer Chad Feehan (Ray Donovan, Rectify). Working in concert with actor David Oyelowo, who stars in the title role and shares co-executive producer duties, and multitasking multihyphenate Taylor Sheridan, a fellow executive producer, Feehan has high hopes for Lawmen: Bass Reeves, which will premiere with two back-to-back episodes Sunday on Paramount+.
Judging from what we’ve seen in episodes available for preview by the press, those hopes are entirely justified.
Oyelowo is excellent as the first Black man ever to wear the badge of Deputy U.S. Marshal west of the Mississippi, and he’s backed by a terrific supporting cast that includes Emmy and Golden Globe nominee Dennis Quaid U.S. Marshal Sherrill Lynn; Lauren E. Banks (City on a Hill) as Jennie Reeves, Bass’ strong-willed and fiercely loyal wife; Forrest Goodluck as Billy Crow, a young Cherokee man with an affinity for dime store books and gaudy style; Demi Singleton (King Richard) as Sally Reeves, Bass and Jennie’s precocious daughter; and veteran actor and Honorary Academy Award-winner Donald Sutherland, who joins the series in Episode 3 as Judge Isaac Parker.
We recently had the opportunity to talk with Feehan about Lawmen: Bass Reeves. These are some highlights from our conversation, edited for length and clarity.
Cowboys & Indians: First off, congratulations on succeeding where many others have tried and failed to launch a major movie or television series focused on Bass Reeves.
Chad Feehan: I wouldn’t put it on my shoulders. I would actually say it was, first, the eternal will of David Oyelowo, and then the power of Taylor Sheridan. I was lucky to craft a narrative with several other writers that they both believed in and fought for, and that allowed us to get out of the starting blocks.
C&I: You’ve avoided many of the clichés common to Western movies and TV dramas. Especially in your depiction of Jennie, Bass Reeves’ wife. Unlike many worried wives in similar situations, she actually encourages her husband to go hunting for outlaws because, hey, the farm isn’t working out too well.
Feehan: [Laughs] Yeah, yeah. No, I was raised by a very strong woman. I’m married to a very strong woman. So it was important to me to have Bass Reeves’ wife Jennie have quite a strong constitution and be a fully actualized human that was not a cliché. It gives me great joy to hear you say that.
C&I: Do you remember the first time on set when it hit you: “Wow! We’re actually going to get to do this!”?
Feehan: Yeah. Vividly, vividly. It was the first day of principal photography. We were shooting in Fort Worth about an hour’s drive from — well, I was actually living with my father, because I grew up in Fort Worth. And I never thought I’d live with my father at 44. But yeah, I was living with my father and got up early in the morning and drove to our location, and the sun was rising over base camp. I’ve worked on a lot of big shows, but I was like, “This is what it must feel like to work on a Marvel movie.” Because it was massive, and it hit me like a ton of bricks. Great relief, great fear, great joy. And then it really solidified while I was watching the camera roll on David for the first time that day. Just seeing him embody the character, and all of his hard work and talent. I got misty-eyed. I’m not embarrassed to say so.
C&I: Were you surprised or intimidated — or maybe a little of both — that you were able to sign major stars like Dennis Quaid and Donald Sutherland in supporting roles?
Feehan: I couldn't be happier with our cast. See, I grew up in the ‘80s, and so I was inundated with Dennis Quaid and Donald Sutherland as a child. Always admired them. You put your best foot forward on the page, and you hope that it’s good enough to attract the talent. And so when it started to, I was humbled by that. And not just the two of them. When Lauren Banks auditioned, I was blown away. I mean, I turned to [director] Christina Voros and said, “She's going to be a superstar.” Or Demi Singleton, who I just watched in King Richard — who gave a phenomenal performance in King Richard —and had her wanting to play Bass’ daughter. And Shea Whigham [as the slaveowner Bass Reeves rebels against]. I’ve loved everything Shea’s ever done, and he agreed to play this very, very difficult role. It was all very, very flattering. And humbling.
