'The First Lady': All You Need To Know About This American Show

The First Lady is an anthology of Showtime and Lionsgate will be directed and produced by Susanne Bier and Viola Davis. Although the show is still in its early days and a premiere date is not announced yet, it will stream on American premium television network-Showtime.

Written and executive produced by Aaron Cooley, the upcoming Showtime series is directed by Emmy winner Susanne Bier. The show will reportedly co-star Aaron Eckhart, Rhys Wakefield, Judy Greer, Jayme Lawson, and Kristine Froseth. 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.

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. Actor Dakota Fanning has been tapped to play Susan Elizabeth Ford, the only daughter of Betty Ford and President Gerald Ford, whose characters will be played in the series 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.

While Michelle Pfeiffer has signed on to star as Betty Ford in the upcoming American series, Judy Greer has signed on for a guest-starring role 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 will play Obama from ages 15-30. The First Lady starts with Obama as a young woman in Chicago and follows her as a Harvard undergraduate and Princeton Law School student, eventually marrying Barack Obama in 1992. Lawson is a series regular. Amy Israel, the executive Vice President of Showtime Networks Inc., said “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.”

Image Credits- CNN