THE FIRST LADY

New Drama Series Starring Viola Davis, Michelle Pfeiffer and Gillian Anderson Coming Soon to SHOWTIME

SHOWTIME has given a series order to the first season of the hour-long drama THE FIRST LADY, starring and executive produced by Oscar, Emmy and Tony® winner Viola Davis (Ma Rainey's Black Bottom), who will play former first lady Michelle Obama. Emmy, Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild winner Gillian Anderson (The Crown) will star as Eleanor Roosevelt, and Oscar and Emmy nominee and Golden Globe winner Michelle Pfeiffer (French Exit) will star as Betty Ford. Produced by SHOWTIME and Lionsgate Television, the series is executive produced by Cathy Schulman (Crash), who also serves as showrunner, and Susanne Bier (The Undoing), who will direct all of season one. In addition to Davis, the series is also executive produced by Julius Tennon, Andrew Wang, Jeff Gaspin (Rhythm + Flow) and Brad Kaplan (Mr. Church), and created by author Aaron Cooley (Four Seats: A Thriller of the Supreme Court), who will write several of the episodes and executive produce.

THE FIRST LADY is a revelatory reframing of American leadership, told through the lens of the women at the heart of the White House. 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.

The series also stars Kiefer Sutherland (24) as President Franklin Delano Roosevelt; Aaron Eckhart (Wander) as President Gerald Ford, Dakota Fanning (The Angel of Darkness, Ripley) will portray Susan Elizabeth Ford, the only daughter and youngest child of President Gerald and Betty Ford; as teenager in the White House during the tumultuous mid-70’s, she often introduced progressive ideas to the presidential family. Regina Taylor (I’ll Fly Away) will play Marian Robinson, Jayme Lawson (The Batman) will play a young Michelle Obama, and Lily Rabe (American Horror Story) will play Lorena “Hick” Hickock.

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