For a first portrayal of Michelle Obama on television, Academy Award winning actress Viola Davis will take over the wheel for a performance as the former first lady in developing series ‘First Ladies’.
Showtime in partnership with Lionsgate are bringing the series to the small screen with Viola and her husband Julius Tennon coming on board as executive producers under their production company’s banner JuVee Productions alongside Cathy Schulman, Jeff Gaspin, and Brad Kaplan. Show creator, Aaron Cooley will provide scripts for the series and also executive produce.
“Sooo proud!!! Honoring and elevating these powerful, worthy Queens with respect,” Viola shared on Twitter announcing the news.
‘First Ladies’ will capture the East Wing of the White House, as opposed to the West, where 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.
The first season will tell the story of presidential wives, Eleanor Roosevelt, Betty Ford and Michelle Obama. It is set to highlight the personal and political lives of the women in the East Wing.
“Throughout our history, presidents’ spouses have wielded remarkable influence, not only on the nation’s leaders but on the country itself. ’First Ladies’ fits perfectly within the Showtime wheelhouse of drama and politics, revealing how much personal relationships impact both domestic and global events. Having Viola Davis play Michelle Obama is a dream come true, and we couldn’t be luckier to have her extraordinary talent to help launch this series,” Jana Winograde, president of entertainment at Showtime.
Before the set of ‘First Ladies’ begins, Viola is wrapping up from her five years stayed television set ‘How to Get Away with Murder’, which ends with a sixth season in May. Viola holds the enviable title as the first black actor to have an Oscar, Emmy and a Tony Award.
