“Government Cheese” began as what David Oyelowo called “a beautiful experiment.” He had long admired the fantastical storytelling of Wes Anderson and the Coen brothers. But he hadn’t seen that applied to a Black family.
Then the filmmaker Paul Hunter approached him about playing a version of his own father — an ex-con eager to reunite with his family and make his fortune — in a short film with absurdist elements set in the San Fernando Valley in 1969. Eventually they spun it into a television series for Apple TV+, taking care to leave that tone intact.
“We were very keen to make something that we knew might not be for everyone, but was very unique in its nature,” said Oyelowo, who is an executive producer on the show in addition to its lead. “It’s very rare that people of color get to make things where they are not feeling the need to explain their existence.”
Oyelowo lives in the San Fernando Valley, where the series was shot, which meant there was little danger of violating the “no more than two weeks apart” rule that he and his wife, Jessica, established early in their relationship. And which they’ve broken only once, by 11 hours.
In a video interview, Oyelowo elaborated on why his rambunctious dogs, going to the movies and Oprah Winfrey are essential to his life. These are edited excerpts from the conversation.
My Bible
I was brought up in the church, but it never really meant much to me because I was sort of piggybacking my parents’ faith. Then I had what can only be called a spiritual awakening at 16. And all of those stories that I grew up reading suddenly took on different meaning and have remained that way. It’s where I learned the true definition of love.