Viola Davis will portray former first lady Michelle Obama in the upcoming Showtime series “The First Lady.” The show will explore Obama’s impact on the nation as well as several other former first ladies who resonated with the country.
The official synopsis of “The First Lady” reads, “In the East Wing of the White House, many of history’s most impactful and world-changing decisions have been hidden from view, made by America’s charismatic, complex and dynamic first ladies. This series will peel back the curtain on the personal and political lives of three unique, enigmatic women, tracing their journeys to Washington through interweaving storylines with an enlightening intimacy, with season one focusing on Michelle Obama, Betty Ford and Eleanor Roosevelt.”
Michelle Pfeiffer will portray Ford and Gillian Anderson has been cast as Roosevelt. Davis is also an executive producer on the series and told Entertainment Weekly that she prepared for the role by reading Michelle Obama’s memoir Becoming and studying her 2020 Netflix documentary of the same name to hone in on her movements and gestures.
“I feel very protective of Michelle. It’s our job as actors not to judge whoever we are portraying, but I ended up thinking she’s just dope,” Davis told EW.
As “The First Lady” prepares to debut on Showtime next spring, Davis and EW posted a few photos from the upcoming series and the Fences star shared her excitment about portraying Obama on Instagram.
“It was terrifying but an incredible honor to portray this extraordinary woman. Can’t wait to share @Showtime’s #TheFirstLady! ❤️,” she wrote.
Lexi Underwood will portray Malia Obama, Regina Taylor will play Obama’s mother Marian Robinson and Saniyya Sidney will play Sasha Obama. Young Michelle Obama will be played by Jayme Lawson and O-T Fagbenle was cast as Barack Obama. Check out a few pictures below of Davis and her castmates.
