The First Lady: Season 1 Will Focus On Eleanor Roosevelt, Betty Ford And Michelle Obama

The First Lady is an anthology of American premium television network Showtime and Lionsgate will be directed and produced by Susanne Bier and Viola Davis.

The anthology under production will revolve around the personal and political lives of the US Presidents’ wives, with season one focussing on Eleanor Roosevelt, Betty Ford and Michelle Obama. While Eleanor will be played by Gillian Anderson, Ford and Obama will be essayed by Michelle Pfeiffer and Viola Davis respectively. All three actors roped in for the series have been nominated for a Golden Globe; Gillian for The Crown, Michelle for French Exit, and Viola for Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom. 

Here is a list of the all-female cast of The First Lady:

Gillian Anderson

After her acclaimed portrayal of the UK’s first woman Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher in the critically acclaimed Netflix series The Crown, Gillian Anderson is looking forward to don the role of the former First Lady of the United States Eleanor Roosevelt in the upcoming limited series The First Lady. Eleanor Roosevelt was a prominent American political figure, diplomat, and activist who served as the first lady of the United States from 1933 to 1945, making her the longest-serving first lady in American history. Read about it more here.

Dakota Fanning 

Dakota Fanning has been tapped to play Susan Elizabeth Ford in the series The First Lady.  Author Susan is the only daughter of Betty Ford and President Gerald Ford. Susan will be essayed by Michelle Pfeiffer and Aaron Eckhart respectively. The Alienist star will appear in six episodes, as a teenager in the White House during the tumultuous mid-70s, often introducing progressive ideas to her family.

Michelle Pfeiffer

Michelle Pfeiffer has signed as Betty Ford. Betty Ford was the First Lady of the United States from 1974 to 1977, the wife of President Gerald Ford. Betty was active in social policy and one of the most candid first ladies in history, commenting on every hot-button issue of the time. She raised awareness of addiction when she made her long-running battle with alcoholism and substance abuse public.

Judy Greer

Judy Greer has signed on for a guest-starring role in the upcoming Showtime series and is set to play Nancy Howe, who is Ford’s trusted confidante and social secretary. Greer took over the role of Nancy Howe from Pamela Adlon, who dropped out of The First Lady due to a scheduling conflict.

Jayme Lawson

Jayme Lawson will play Obama from ages 15-30. The First Lady starts with Obama as a young woman in Chicago. It follows her as a Harvard undergraduate and Princeton Law School student and leading up to her marriage to Barack Obama in 1992.