Reservation Dogs mastermind Sterlin Harjo is back with another TV banger as The Lowdown lands on FX, with Ethan Hawke taking center stage as Lee Raybon, Tulsa’s self-proclaimed “Truthstorian.”
As Lee works to uncover a family conspiracy among the city’s prominent Washbergs, fans are immersed in the palpable world Harjo weaves onscreen. But is it a work of fiction, or is there some truth to this story about the importance of truth?
It turns out that The Lowdown takes inspiration for Lee’s character from a former colleague of Harjo’s, citizen journalist Lee Roy Chapman, who died in 2015 at the age of 46. Harjo and Chapman worked together at This Land Press, where, according to Harjo, who told Deadline, they worked together on a documentary series.
“It was called Tulsa Public Secrets. He and I would drive around, I’d ride shotgun with a camera pointed at him, and we would drive around, he would talk about the hidden and neglected treasures and histories of Tulsa, Oklahoma,” Harjo told the outlet.
Shane Brown / FX
He added, “He was a really big inspiration on my work and who I am and how to think of where you live, and to look at your community right around you, and try to make a difference there.”
As Harjo further explained, “He passed away, and I just always had this idea of taking that spirit and having that be the seed of the noir in Tulsa, and that’s really where the spark of the idea came from. And then, naturally, you call your friend Ethan Hawke and see if he’d be interested in doing it.”
So, in other words, The Lowdown‘s leading character, Lee Raybon, is inspired by Chapman, but ultimately, the stories surrounding his journey on the show are crafted for the screen. And viewers are in for quite a ride as they follow along Lee’s rollercoaster ride of a story that features various figures in the Tulsa community, ranging from Lee’s daughter and ex to the aforementioned Washbergs.
Don’t miss it for yourself, and let us know what you think of the show’s real-life inspiration in the comments section.
The Lowdown, Tuesdays, 9/8c, FX