Gillian Anderson To Star As Eleanor Roosevelt In The Limited Series ‘The First Lady’

Gillian Anderson to star as Eleanor Roosevelt in Showtime's upcoming limited series The First Lady.

After garnering immense praise from audience for her portrayal of 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.

The anthology of American premium television network Showtime and Lionsgate will be directed and produced by Susanne Bier, along with producer Viola Davi who is also a part of the cast.

The anthology under production will revolve around the personal and political lives of the US Presidents' wives, with season one focusing on Eleanor Roosevelt, Betty Ford and Michelle Obama, the last two to be played by Michelle Pfeiffer and Viola Davis respectively. In fact, all three stars 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. 

Furthermore, this is the second Lionsgate project Gillian has signed this month, the first one being White Bird: A Wonder Story. 

The show will reportedly co-star Aaron Eckhart, Rhys Wakefield, Judy Greer, Jayme Lawson and Kristine Froseth.

Amy Israel, the executive Vice President of Showtime Networks Inc., talked about the utmost suitability of the Sex Education actor for the role of the former FLOTUS, political figure and activist Eleanor Roosevelt. She said, "Gillian Anderson is an actress of incredible range and exquisite talent — she is the perfect choice to complete this powerhouse trio, who will inhabit the roles of these iconic women." Read more about Gillian Anderson here.

She further added, "“It’s inspiring to have Gillian, Viola Davis, Michelle Pfeiffer, Susanne Bier and Cathy Schulman at the forefront of The First Lady. They have truly set the stage for a landmark Showtime series."

Eleanor Roosevelt

Eleanor Roosevelt

Eleanor Roosevelt served as the first lady of the United States from 1933 to 1945, making her the longest serving first lady in the American history.

She was a prominent American political figure, diplomat and activist. Known for her outspokenness, particularly on civil rights, she was the first presidential spouse (of Franklin D. Roosevelt) to hold regular press conferences, write a daily newspaper column as well as host a weekly radio show. Moreover, Eleanor also urged USA to join and support the United Nations and became its first delegate to the United Nations General Assembly from 1945 to 1952. In fact, former US President Harry S. Truman later titled her as the 'First Lady of the World' for her valuable contribution to human and civil rights advocacy.