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Viola Davis Transforms Into Michelle Obama in First Peek at New Showtime Series ‘The First Lady’

Viola Davis has played so many iconic roles it's hard to count. A hard-hitting lawyer in How to Get Away with Murder. A resilient wife and mother in Fences. An influential blues singer in Ma Rainey's Black Bottom. But her latest part has us more excited than ever.

The 56-year-old actress is taking on the role of Michelle Obama in a new series from Showtime called The First Lady. According to Showtime, “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.”

Thanks to Entertainment Weekly, we've finally gotten the first peek at the series, where Davis will be joined by Michelle Pfeiffer in the role of Ford and Gillian Anderson in the role of Roosevelt. And we can't get over Davis's transformation into the former FLOTUS, from her eyebrows to the way she nails Obama's smile and mannerisms.

Davis shared these exclusive EW shots on her own Instagram, writing, “It was terrifying but an incredible honor to portray this extraordinary woman. Can't wait to share @Showtime's #TheFirstLady!”

Entertainment Weekly also offered another shot that gives a glimpse at the actresses playing Michelle's family members. In the fourth photo, we see Lexi Underwood and Saniyya Sidney as Malia and Sasha Obama, while Regina Taylor portrays Marian Robinson.

The series was created and written by Aaron Cooley, a former child actor who wrote the book Four Seats: A Thriller of the Supreme Court.

Alongside Davis, Anderson and Pfeiffer, The First Lady will star Aaron Eckhart, Judy Greer, Nancy Howe, Jayme Lawson, Kristine Froseth and Rhys Wakefield.

Although an official release date has not been set, the show is scheduled to air in 2022. We will be counting down every minute.

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Joel Calfee

Associate Editor, News and Entertainment

Joel is the Associate Editor for News & Entertainment and has been reporting on all things pop culture for over 5 years. Before working at PureWow, he served as a Features...
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