LaMonica Garrett On Why The 1883 Spin-Off Is Going To Be 'Huge' - Exclusive
As the "Yellowstone" origin story, "1883" was the first of many upcoming spin-offs from the wildly popular modern-day Western lead by Kevin Costner. There's also "Yellowstone: 6666" and "1923" coming down the pipeline — and "1883" was such a hit that it's getting its own spin-off, "1883: The Bass Reeves Story." (The original Paramount+ 19th-century-set limited series — which stars Tim McGraw, Faith Hill, Sam Elliott, and LaMonica Garrett — is now available on Blu-ray and DVD.)
While little is known about "The Bass Reeves Story" or how it will tie into "Yellowstone" or the original "1883," we do know it will star David Oyelowo ("Selma") and a whole new cast to tell the tale of the first black U.S. Marshal west of the Mississippi River.
During an exclusive interview with Looper, Garrett, who played former Buffalo Soldier Thomas in "1883," spilled the beans on why he thinks the "Bass Reeves" spin-off is going to be "huge."
Garrett sees Reeves as a real-life 'superhero'
Created by "Yellowstone" mastermind Taylor Sheridan, "1883: The Bass Reeves Story" will presumably follow the real-life history of the titular Wild West lawman who captured over 3,000 people and was the inspiration behind the iconic Lone Ranger.
For LaMonica Garrett, the prospect of seeing Reeves' tale turned into a high-profile series starring Oyelowo is "exciting."
"Bass Reeves [is] a big one," said Garrett. "Throughout history, he's one of the most well-known Black cowboys of that Western frontier. He is one of the biggest names in U.S. Marshals history to me — Black, white, whatever. It's a story that people have been trying to tell for so long, and finally we're going to see it. I can't wait. It's going to be huge."
As for why it's an important story to be told, Garrett explained, "It's important for people to know who Bass Reeves was. There are a lot of Black cowboys throughout history that we have no idea about. Bass is probably the top of the mountain, but there are so many others that had a huge role in how the West was built. Bass, his story — he's the real Lone Ranger. There have been stories made about him with his name and likeness taken out, but he's a legend. When you start reading more about Bass Reeves, it's like he's a superhero back in the 1800s that we've never heard about. People are going to be fascinated to see his real-life story."
The original "1883" limited series is now available on Blu-ray and DVD, featuring over two hours of bonus content including never-before-seen featurettes.