Donald Sutherland Joins Taylor Sheridan’s ‘Lawmen: Bass Reeves’ Series For Paramount+

Donald Sutherland has been cast in a key recurring role in Taylor Sheridan’s Lawmen: Bass Reeves (fka Bass Reeves), exec produced by and starring David Oyelowo.

The Paramount+ anthology series, which is currently filming in Texas, has been renamed Lawmen: Bass Reeves, with future iterations following other iconic lawmen who have impacted history in subsequent seasons, according to the streamer.

The show tells the story of Bass Reeves (Oyelowo), a legendary lawman of the Wild West. Known as the greatest frontier hero in American history, Reeves worked in the post-Reconstruction era as a federal peace officer in the Indian Territory, capturing over 3,000 of the most dangerous criminals without ever being wounded.

Sutherland will play Judge Isaac Parker, an imposing and commanding judge in the Fort Smith Courthouse with a complicated legacy.

In addition to Oyelowo, Sutherland joins series regulars Lauren E. Banks, Forrest Goodluck, Barry Pepper and Demi Singleton. Dennis Quaid, Joaquina Kalukango, Lonnie Chavis, Rob Morgan, Ryan O’Nan, Grantham Coleman and Justin Hurtt-Dunkley will recur and Shea Whigham and Garrett Hedlund are set to guest star. 

Lawmen: Bass Reeves is created for television by Chad Feehan who also serves as showrunner.  Executive producers are Taylor Sheridan, Chad Feehan, David C. Glasser, David Oyelowo, Jessica Oyelowo, David Permut, Christina Alexandra Voros, Ron Burkle, Bob Yari and David Hutkin. The series is produced by MTV Entertainment Studios,101 Studios, Sheridan’s Bosque Ranch Productions and Oyelowo’s Yoruba Saxon.

Sutherland is an Honorary Oscar, Emmy and Golden Globe winner whose recent credits include John Lee Hancock’s adaptation of the Stephen King short story, Mr. Harrigan’s Phone, starring opposite Jaeden Martell, and director Roland Emmerich’s sci-fi thriller Moonfall. His other credits include HBO’s The Undoing, with Nicole Kidman and Hugh Grant; James Gray’s astronaut pic Ad Astra, with Brad Pitt, Tommy Lee Jones and Ruth Negga; and FX’s series Trust, which had him portraying J. Paul Getty. He’ll also soon be heard as the voice of Albino Crocodile in the animated film Ozi – Voice of the Forest from Appian Way. Sutherland is repped by CAA and The Characters Talent Agency.