Director Damian Marcano talks ‘Lawmen: Bass Reeves’ Series starring David Oyelowo

In order to discuss the new Paramount+ original series "Lawmen: Bass Reeves," which stars British actor David Oyelowo, the winner of an Emmy, we sat up with director Damian Marcano.

The drama "follows the journey of Reeves (Oyelowo) and his rise from enslavement to law enforcement as the first Black U.S. Marshal west of the Mississippi," was developed for television by executive producer, writer, and showrunner Chad Feehan. Even though he had apprehended more than 3,000 criminals in his career, he struggled with the moral and spiritual toll that wearing the badge would have on his cherished family. According to the official description, "LAWMEN: BASS REEVES is an all-new, standalone anthology series. Future iterations will follow other iconic lawmen and outlaws who have impacted history."

"The triumph of the human spirit is our biggest theme as a show, and Bass embodies that," Feehan told Newsweek. "He became arguably the greatest lawman in this country's history by overcoming unimaginable circumstances and unimaginable horrors."

When I was younger, I had heard tales about Bass. They resembled those legendary tales of law enforcement. I fell in love with the idea of joining David on this adventure when he helped me understand how the myth connected to and diverged from reality, according to Feehan in an interview with Tusla World.

"It dawned on David and me that we truly wanted to tell a story about the human spirit—about the triumph," he continued. "And, to be honest, neither Bass Reeves nor David Oyelowo better exemplify that idea in my opinion."

Alongside Lauren E. Banks, Demi Singleton, Forrest Goodluck, Barry Pepper, Grantham Coleman, Donald Sutherland, Dennis Quaid, Shea Whigham, Garrett Hedlund, Joaquina Kalukango, Lonnie Chavis, Tosin Morohunfola, Dale Dickey, Rob Morgan, Ryan O'Nan, Margot Bingham, Mo Brings Plenty, Justin Hurtt-Dunkley, and Bill Dawes, Oyelowo is also an executive producer on the film.

The first two episodes of "Lawmen: Bass Reeves" aired exclusively in the United States onParamount+ on November 5.

We chatted with Marcano, one of the show's directors, about his relationship to the original material and the most thrilling parts of adapting historical scenes and events for the small screen.