Viola Davis is known for taking on big roles. The next personality she's decided to embody is one of the most prolific First Ladies in the history of the United States.
According to Deadline, Davis has been tapped to play former First Lady Michelle Obama in an upcoming Showtime series titled, First Ladies. The show originated from a script written by author Aaron Cooley about Lady Bird Johnson as well as Kate Andersen Brower’s best selling novel, First Women: The Grace & Power Of America’s Modern First Ladies. These stories have derived from information available through public domain and will be presented with the hope of giving viewers a closer look into these women's personal lives. Per Deadline, the first season will highlight First Ladies Eleanor Roosevelt, Betty Ford, and Michelle Obama.
Showtime has yet to reveal who will play Eleanor Roosevelt and Betty Ford, but it has been announced that the show is on fast-track development at the network with the series being broken down into hour-long episodes. In addition to playing Michelle Obama, Davis has also signed on to be First Ladies' executive producer via her JuVee Productions alongside Cooley. Assisting in production will be Cathy Schulman’s Welle Entertainment, Jeff Gaspin’s Gaspin Media, Brad Kaplan, Showtime, and Lionsgate TV. Also, actress Robin Wright (The Princess Bride) has been tapped to direct and executive produce the series.
First Ladies fits perfectly into the missions of both Welle Entertainment and JuVee Productions. Through their respective companies, Davis and Schulman have put an emphasis on creating content that put women in the forefront. This is a trend they will continue by telling the stories of some of the most powerful women in American history.
