David Oyelowo & ‘Government Cheese’ Cast Explain Its Title

Known for playing historical figures like Martin Luther King Jr. (Selma) and Bass Reeves (Lawmen: Bass Reeves) among other dramatic roles (Silo), Emmy-nominee David Oyelowo can also dabble in comedy, let’s not forget. That includes his all-new series hitting Apple TV+ on April 16, aptly titled Government Cheese. It’s set in Los Angeles County’s San Fernando Valley, 1969, and Oyelowo is simply magnificent in a surrealist journey of an ex-con trying to reclaim his family-man status and become a successful entrepreneur. The frenzied character’s goals after prison, of course, are easier said than done.

After speaking with Oyelowo for his Lawman: Bass Reeves series, MovieWeb caught up with the acclaimed performer again while he was promoting Government Cheese — and if such a title strikes you, let it be known that the dairy product was a real thing. The real-life commodity was controlled by the U.S. federal government from World War II to the early 1980s. Oyelowo opened up to us about his latest character, Hampton, especially in connection with the show’s unique title.

“He’s definitely aspirational, which is where we got the title Government Cheese, you know, this government-subsidized food that people would spin into something way more palatable than it originally is, you know, Hampton being an inventor, [his wife] Astoria wanting to be an interior designer,” said Oyelowo. “These are the things that are also a theme in the show that we gravitated towards.”

“Making Lemonade Out of Lemons”

MovieWeb also caught up with young actor Evan Ellison, who is subtly hilarious as Hampton’s son Einstein in the series. Ellison weighed in on the show’s clever title as well:

“Government cheese itself, I think, represents the position you’re in. I think that the environment that you’re in, and I think with this show specifically and kind of where we’re going with it, I think it’s about making lemonade out of lemons and kind of doing the best with what you’ve got in front of you… Where we go with it, I think it’ll be inspiring for people watching.”

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David Oyelowo is magnificent in the Apple TV+ series ‘Government Cheese,’ which may be too whimsical for its own good.

Paired with Oyelowo for our Governemnt Cheese interview was his co-star Simone Missick, who plays Hampton’s no-nonsense wife Astoria. Missick is perhaps best known most recently for portraying Judge Lola Carmichael in the legal series All Rise. And now, she’s playing the wife of an ex-con — an interesting little shift in roles when it comes to the law.

“Prior to reading [Government Cheese], I had read two other scripts that were, you know, being presented to me as opportunities where I was to play a lawyer, or to play a lawyer who was trying to be a judge. And I said, ‘I just did this for three and a half years,’ which was a beautiful experience, but I don’t think I need to explore that. And so, when I read Government Cheese, I couldn’t believe that this was happening, that this story was going to be made with people that looked like me. And it just seemed like such an opportunity to explore something that I had never come across, the period piece of it all.”

Explore the uniqueness for yourself. Government Cheese will begin streaming on Apple TV+ April 16. Watch it through the link below:

Watch Government Cheese