Harder They Fall True Story: How Much Really Happened?

Warning: SPOILERS for The Harder They Fall.

The Harder They Fallis based on real-life 19th-century cowboys, but how much of the movie’s events truly happened to the characters? Netflix’s The Harder They Fall follows Nat Love (Jonathan Majors), an Old West outlaw who seeks revenge on the man who killed his parents when he was a child. Nat then recruits his old gang to come along, including his former lover and talented robber Stagecoach Mary (TV star Zazie Beetz), sharpshooter Bill Pickett (Edi Gathegi), young quick-draw outlaw Jim Beckwourth (RJ Cyler), and newcomer fighter Cuffee (Danielle Deadwyler). As the Nat Love gang exacts their revenge, they’re faced with the brutal and powerful gang led by antagonist Rufus Buck (Idris Elba) and his dangerous associates Trudy Smith (Regina King) and Cherokee Bill (LaKeith Stanfield).

The Harder They Fall largely depicts fictional events, with nearly every character in the Netflix movie is based on a real-life historical figure. This isn’t a revisionist history like Django Unchained; it’s taking the true stories of 19th-century American Black cowboys and outlaws and placing them in a fictionalized scenario. While the specific story being told in Jeymes Samuel’s movie doesn’t necessarily come from a corresponding historic event, the experiences of The Harder They Fall’s characters are inspired by real occurrences and the lives of Black cowboys and outlaws in the Old West.

While The Harder They Fall’s characters typically come from real figures, most were active as outlaws or cowboys in very different times, so the gangs overlapping in the film is fictional. The overall story is original and crafted by Jeymes Samuel, but many events are inspired by occurrences from the characters’ real lives. Here’s how much of the movie accurately portrays what happened to the characters and the events it explores.

Nat Love Was Never Actually An Outlaw Or Bandit

Portrayed in The Harder They Fall by the MCU’s Jonathan Majors, Nat Love was a real cowboy in the American Old West, whose escapades solidified him as one of the most notable Old West figures. Nat is depicted in Netflix’s The Harder They Fall amidst the American Civil War timeline, as supported by Union soldiers moving a prisoner on a train. He’s portrayed as the leader of his own gang, having had his parents murdered by Rufus Buck as a child and a cross carved into his forehead by the killer. Nat goes on to become an outlaw who only robs from other outlaws, eventually reconciling his gang and seeking revenge on Rufus in Redwood City, only to discover he and Rufus are half-brothers. After killing Rufus, Nat rides off with Mary and the gang once again disbands.

Aside from Nat Love being a notorious cowboy in the Old West, the events in The Harder They Fall aren’t too faithful to his real life. For starters, Love’s exploits as a cowboy didn’t begin until well after the Civil War ended and he was never actually an outlaw or gang leader. In real life, Jonathan Majors’ character was known for taking part in the legendary Black cowboy cattle drives in the 1870-80s, where his run-ins with death and gunslinger were based on confrontations with Indigenous tribes. The Harder They Fall also doesn’t mention that Nat Love was born into slavery before being emancipated, having been taught to read (which was against the law) by his father. Love had a gift for breaking horses, so he headed west to work cattle drives. He became an excellent marksman and cowboy, with his most famous exploit being an escape from a Pima tribe that captured him, though he noted that the tribe wanted to adopt him into their group due to their respect for his heritage. A decade later, The Harder TheyFall‘s real historical figure decided to quit the cowboy life, where he lived the rest of his life in California as a security guard and courier (via Encyclopedia.com).

Rufus Buck’s Crimes Were Driven By Far Different Motivations

The Harder They Fall depicts Rufus Buck as a brutal gang leader and brief prisoner, having gone into the criminal life after years of being abused by his father. The opening scene in The Harder They Fall shows Rufus murdering Nat’s mother and father, only for the movie’s ending to reveal they were half-siblings, and Rufus was getting revenge on their father. In real life, Idris Elba’s character did truly lead the Rufus Buck gang from 1895-1896, a group of five men who robbed country stores and killed several people during their short crime spree. Buck didn’t have the same power and notoriety in the real Old West as he did in Netflix’s 2021 movie, plus he was only a teenager, had no relations to Nat Love, nor a vendetta for his own father. As a half-Black, half-Cherokee 18-year-old, Buck’s crimes were driven by his hope of extinguishing white supremacy and reclaiming the Territory for indigenous people. He also wasn’t the leader of a town nor killed by Nat Love, Instead, Rufus Buck met his demise when he and his gang were hanged by a judge in July 1896 (via Oklahoma Historical Society).

Gertrude “Trudy” Smith Was A Pickpocket In Real Life

Trudy Smith, portrayed by Watchmen‘s Sister Night actress Regina King in The Harder They Fall, is based on real-life 19th-century outlaw Gertrude Smith, though the Netflix film takes plenty of liberties with her character. While Trudy is based on a real-life Old West criminal, not much is known or written about her besides the fact that she was a pickpocket who was arrested and ran around with a girl named Dolly Mickey (via IndieWire). The Harder They Fall gives Trudy Smith a grueling background to supplement her real-life historical figure, explaining that Trudy came into the outlaw life after being abused as a child, killing a girl who bullied her polio-ridden sister, and being sent to live with her grandparents. The Harder They Fall didn’t conceptualize her as a pickpocket either, so the film’s characterization is highly fictionalized.

“Stagecoach” Mary Wasn’t An Outlaw, But A Fearless USPS Mail Carrier

In The Harder They Fall, Stagecoach Mary is a renowned outlaw who previously ran with the Nat Love gang before opening her own bar in Douglastown. She’s depicted as having an off-and-on romance with Nat Love, but is better known for her fearless exploits before joining his gang. When it was announced that Joker‘s Sophie actress Zazie Beetz would be playing Mary, many accused the film of colorism, citing the fact that the real-life woman had a much darker complexion. Stagecoach Mary was also famous for so many more accomplishments than depicted. For example, she was the second woman to work for the USPS as a star route carrier, with her nickname coming from the fact that she traveled by stagecoach. She also wasn’t an outlaw at all, having been known for her fighting skills and gunslinging protection to ward off mail thieves. Stagecoach Mary was particularly remembered for her fearlessness, which makes sense that The Harder The Fall discusses men calling her “Wolf Lady” or “Coyote Woman.” Her charisma and courage during her mail carrier career resonated with those around her, who rallied around her after she retired and passed away (via HISTORY).

Cherokee Bill Ran With The Cook Gang, Not Rufus Buck

The Girl in the Spider’s Web’s LaKeith Stanfield plays Cherokee Bill (real name Crawford Goldsby), a true outlaw in real life whose crime spree began when he shot a man after a fight. Instead of Rufus Buck, Cherokee Bill ran with the Cook gang, whose crime sprees focused on Cherokee and Creek Nations. Similar to The Harder They Fall, Cherokee Bill’s gang was known for robbing trains and banks. While holding up a post office in Kansas, Cherokee Bill fatally shot a man watching from across the street. For this crime, he was hanged in Fort Lewis, Arkansas at age 20 in 1896. It’s not clear whether Cherokee Bill truly was an accomplished quick-draw shooter like in the Netflix Original movie, but he was known as one of the most dangerous men in the Old West (via National Park Service).

The Real Cathay “Cuffee” Williams Disguised Herself As A Man To Fight In The Union Army

Cathay Williams is one of the most famous Black women of the American Civil War era, having voluntarily listed in the U.S. Regular Army for the Union in 1866 under the name “William Cathay.” While she wasn’t an outlaw like the character Cuffee in The Harder They Fall, her notoriety as a fighter and talented shooter is clearly inspired by her military exploits. Additionally, The Harder They Fall jokes about how a few of the characters mistake Cuffee for a man, which parallels the fact that Cathay Williams falsely disguised herself as a man to join the army. Ironically, the character of The Have and Have Nots‘ Danielle Deadwyler must disguise herself in stereotypically feminine wear of the day when staging a bank robbery for The Harder They Fall. In real life, Williams also briefly enlisted in an all-Black infantry that would soon join the Buffalo Soldiers. Known today as an American hero, Cathay Williams’ most significant brush with being an outlaw in real life was when she had her husband arrested for stealing her money and horses (via National Park Service).

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Bass Reeves’ Exploits May Have Inspired The Lone Ranger

The character from The Harder They Fall that most closely reflects their real-life counterpart is Marshal Bass Reeves. Played by Da 5 Bloods cast member Delroy Lindo, Reeves is the Douglastown marshal who, while detesting the Nat Love gang’s crimes, assists them in bringing the Rufus Buck gang to justice. In real life, Bass Reeves was the first Black deputy U.S. marshal west of the Mississippi, known for being a talented shooter, lawman, and investigator. Over the course of his career, Reeves apprehended over 3,000 criminals, killed 14 in self-defense, and was apparently never wounded despite being shot at on numerous occasions. The real-life Reeves’ exploits as a marshal and cowboy have also led many to believe he inspired The Lone Ranger movie, TV, and radio show character (via HISTORY).

Bill Pickett Was Really A Cowboy & Rodeo Star, Not An Outlaw

While he’s depicted as a talented sharpshooter and gang member in The Harder They Fall, Bill Pickett was better known for his Old West rodeo exploits in real life. Pickett is best remembered for inventing the bulldogging technique, in which a rodeo cowboy wrestles a bull to the ground by their horns. He would make his mark on history for his rodeo tricks and cowboy lifestyle, but not for robbing outlaws or having a gift with guns (via Brittanica).

Jim Beckwourth Was An Explorer Embedded With The Crow Nation

Far different from the young outlaw in The Harder They Fall, the real Jim Beckwourth was a famous Old West explorer, fur trader, and mountain man. After marrying the daughter of a Crow chief, Beckwourth also became known for his fighting and warfare exploits among the Crow Nation. Beckwourth was later hired as a scout for the United States cavalry in a campaign against the Apache and Cheyenne. The cavalry’s mission ended in the infamous Sand Creek massacre, in which between 70-163 Cheyenne men, women, and children were murdered. Beckwourth was reportedly disgusted by his involvement, soon dying of natural causes after returning to the Crow Nation. Some have speculated that his death was caused by the Crow poisoning him, feeling they could no longer trust him after the massacre (via Britannica). The real Beckwourth lived a long life very different from the short, quick-draw obsessed outlaw life depicted in The Harder They Fall.

Wiley Escoe Was A Deputy U.S. Marshal Like Bass Reeves

In the Idris Elba Western movie, Willey Escoe is shown as the gold-toothed mayor of Redwood City who worked with the Rufus Buck gang before betraying them. While not much is known about the real-life Escoe, he has been associated with law enforcement, serving as one of the few Black deputy U.S. marshals like Bass Reeves (via AP News). In this manner, his association with the crimes of the Rufus Buck gang in The Harder They Fallis all fiction.

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About The Author

Jordan Williams
(809 Articles Published)

Jordan Williams is a Movie/TV Feature Senior Staff Writer for Screen Rant. She graduated from the University of Oregon in 2020 with a B.A. in Psychology and a minor in Media Studies.

Jordan is based in Seattle, Washington and enjoys exploring the natural beauty the PNW has to offer. She runs on coffee and classic movies, taking pride in having watched every film on AFI’s 100 Greatest Films list and every Best Picture Oscar winner.

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