"Government Cheese" Trailer: David Oyelowo Plays a Man Chasing His Dreams (And Trying to Stay Out of Trouble) in This New Apple TV+ Series
David Oyelowo stars in this 1969-set series about a man chasing his big idea—while dodging the consequences of his past.
One of the great things we love to see is when a dramatic actor, known for their searing performances in prestigious dramas, gets to let loose, spread their wings, and show a different side of their personality—a fun, comedic side—and vice versa.
There’s something surprisingly delightful about that. Maybe it has something to do with the magic of acting, where some of the best actors in the business are able to explore all facets of human behavior. They can get angry with burning ferocity, but with the flip of a coin, they can also make you laugh and smile with the witticisms of a great comic.
Now enter: David Oyelowo! A versatile actor with enough gravitas that you might discount his enormous charm at first.
Oyelowo is perhaps best known for his career-making turn as Martin Luther King Jr. in the 2017 historical drama Selma, for which he was unjustly snubbed for a more than worthy Oscar nomination. Recently, the British-Nigerian actor has earned high critical praise for his leading performance as the legendary, hard-nosed U.S. Marshal in the Taylor Sheridan-produced period western miniseries Lawmen: Bass Reeves.
But for his latest project, a new Apple TV original series, Oyelowo flips the script, seemingly enjoying himself as he plays a star-gazing dreamer trying to make it in 1969 America.
And believe us when we say—we’ve never seen Oyelowo this charismatically captivating before. His seemingly winning performance alone might just be enough to make you want to seek this one out.
But don't just take our word for it. Get a glimpse for yourself in this newly-released trailer for Government Cheese, a new series in which Oyelowo plays a family man who has given up his criminal past to pursue a dream idea—a new invention, the self-sharpening power drill.
It’s the thing that will set him and his family up for the rest of their lives. But first, he needs some quick cash and also needs to pay off a debt to the Prevost Brothers. And we can assure you, they're nothing like the Lehman Brothers—well, on second thought, they’re probably crooks too.
Government Cheese also stars Simone Missick (All Rise, Luke Cage) as Oyelowo's devoted wife and mother of their two teenage sons (Jahi Di'Allo Winston and Evan Ellison).
The cast also includes Bokeem Woodbine (Fargo), Jeremy Bobb (The Continental), Louis Cancelmi (The Irishman), Julien Heron (Baskets), Djilali Rez-Kallah (My Hero), Louis Ferreira (Stargate Universe), Thomas Beaudoin (Hubert & Fanny), and Kyle Mac (The Boys), with John Ortiz (Bad Monkey) and Adam Beach (Smoke Signals).
The ten-episode series is created and executive produced by Paul Hunter, the award-winning music video and commercial filmmaker known for some of the best classic music videos in the 1990s and early 2000s such as The Notorious B.I.G.: Hypnotize, Lenny Kravitz: Fly Away, Marilyn Manson: I Don't Like the Drugs..., Hole: Malibu, Gwen Stefani: Hollaback Girl, and Dr. Dre: The Next Episode, just to name a few.
Hunter also directed the 2003 action crime flick Bulletproof Monk starring Chow Yun-Fat, Seann William Scott, and Jaime King—which we're not going to lie is a cornball movie that we feel guilty for liking so much, but we do.
Hunter is also known for co-founding the commercial production company PrettyBird, which not only produced some of the best commercials and music videos around but also helped foster the careers of such acclaimed filmmakers as The Daniels (Everything Everywhere All at Once) and Melina Matsoukas (Queen & Slim).
While also writing and directing, Hunter serves as co-showrunner alongside TV producer-writer Aeysha Carr (Brooklyn Nine-Nine, The Carmichael Show). Oyelowo also gets an executive producer credit, working under his production banner Yoruba Saxon, which he heads with his wife, Jessica Oyelowo.
Government Cheese is set to premiere Wednesday, April 16th on Apple TV+.
Here’s the show’s official synopsis:
Government Cheese is a surrealist family comedy set in 1969 San Fernando Valley that tells the story of the Chambers, a quirky family pursuing lofty and seemingly impossible dreams, beautifully unfettered by the realities of the world. When Hampton Chambers (David Oyelowo) is released from prison, his long-awaited family reunion doesn’t go quite as he’d planned. During his absence, Hampton’s wife, Astoria (Simone Missick), and sons, Einstein (Evan Ellison) and Harrison (Jahi Di'Allo Winston), have formed an unconventional family unit, and Hampton’s return spins their world into chaos.
