Who Is Sherrill Lynn in 1883: The Bass Reeves Story? Meet Dennis Quaid’s Character
1883: The Bass Reeves Story will be an offshoot spinoff series of Taylor Sheridan’s hit show, 1883, belonging to the Yellowstone universe. Not much is known about the show’s cast, but a couple of days ago, it was officially announced that Dennis Quaid joined the cast as Sherrill Lynn. So, who is Sherrill Lynn in the 1883 spinoff, and how will he tie into the story?
Sherrill Lynn is a Deputy U.S. marshall that will likely be the partner or a colleague of the show’s titular character, Bass Reeves. Lynn will be portrayed by Dennis Quaid, a one-time Primetime Emmy nominee, and a well-known Hollywood actor that has been active for over three decades.
Quaid doesn’t take TV roles that often, but when the opportunity to join a Taylor Sheridan-led project opens up, you take it with two hands. He is better known for his movie roles, for which he was recognized and awarded numerous times. If you want to learn more about Dennis Quaid and his character in the new 1883 spinoff, keep reading this article.
What will 1883: The Bass Reeves Story be about?
1883: The Bass Reeves Story will follow the life and work of a real-life American hero, said to be ‘one of the greatest frontier heroes in American history.’ Bass Reeves was the first Black deputy U.S. marshal west of the Mississippi River who operated across the entire Arkansas and Oklahoma Territory in the late 19th and early 20th century.
Reeves was said to have apprehended over 3000 dangerous fugitives and criminals in his career without ever being wounded, despite killing at least 14 of them in self-defense.
Although the show is announced as an offshoot spinoff show of Sheridan’s epic 1883 limited series, it seems that there won’t be many connections to the Dutton family or the 1883 show. Instead, it will be a parallel story happening at the same time in a different place.
The show is currently filming in Texas, although the plot will likely take place in Oklahoma and Arkansas, should it be historically accurate. Not many cast members have been officially announced, other than David Oyelowo, who’ll portray the titular character.
Yellowstone’s Cole Hauser teased a role in the 1883 spinoff, but it was never confirmed. What was confirmed, however, was Dennis Quaid’s part as Sherill Lynn. Here’s what we know about the role.
Who is Sherill Lynn in 1883: The Bass Reeves Story?
Two days ago, Dennis Quid confirmed on his Instagram that he’s joining the cast of 1883: The Bass Reeves Story:
“Honored to join [David Oyelowo]o in the upcoming [Paramount Plus] series “Bass Reeves” as Sherrill Lynn, a Deputy U.S. Marshal, and Oyelowo will portray the legendary titular lawman.
Reeves was known as the greatest frontier hero in American history and also believed to be the inspiration for ‘The Lone Ranger.’ He 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.”
The details about the character haven’t been shared, nor do we know exactly what his role will be, other than the fact that he will be a deputy U.S. marshal alongside David Oyelowo’s Bass Reeves. Seeing that Reeves was a deputy U.S. marshal and lawman just like Sherill Lynn, we can assume the two will be partners in the show.
Quaid was said to have stated that he has to get up every day at 4 am to prepare for the show and learn how to ride a horse, fire weapons, and be a real-life cowboy. It makes sense considering that almost every actor in any Yellowstone show had to go through Taylor Sheridan’s “cowboy boot camp,” as Sheridan is a real-life cowboy himself.
That being said, Taylor Sheridan has a thing for major twists and mixing things up, and Quaid has a thing for portraying bad guys, so my wild guess would be that Sherill Lynn will either be a corrupted officer, or someone looking to take Bass Reeves down somehow, either by betraying him or taking credit for his accomplishments.
It’s just wild speculation, so take that with a grain of salt. For all we know, he will be one of the good guys.
Dennis Quaid’s biography & resume
For those who aren’t acquainted with Dennis Quaid’s work so far, we’ll briefly go through the actor’s biography and resume to let you know what to expect in the 1883 spinoff series.
Quaid was born in 1954 in Houston, Texas. Interestingly, the Bass Reeves show is filming in Texas, too. He studied drama and Mandarin Chinese at the University of Houston after attending the Bellaire High School, which was a suburban city adjacent to Houston.
Before completing his degree, however, he dropped out and moved to Los Angeles to pursue an acting career, which proved to be the ideal choice for him, as he amassed over a hundred prominent roles over more than three decades of work.
He is more well-known for movie roles than he is for TV shows. His most well-known roles came in The Parent Trap, Far from Heaven, the Day After Tomorrow, Frequency, and more recently, The Intruder, where he was the main antagonist.
Quaid was nominated for a Primetime Emmy for his role as Bill Clinton in The Special Relationship in 2010.
When & where is 1883: The Bass Reeves Story coming out?
The exact release date of 1883: The Bass Reeves Story is still unknown, but it will likely come out by the end of this year. What is known for certain, however, is that it will come out exclusively on Paramount Plus, much like all other Yellowstone universe shows.
