Viola Davis to play Michelle Obama in Showtime's 'First Ladies' anthology
Actress Viola Davis, left, and former first lady Michelle Obama appear in a composite image. Credit: Composite: Getty Images for The Hollywood Reporter / Jesse Grant, left; Invision / AP / Charles Sykes
Viola Davis will play former first lady Michelle Obama in an upcoming Showtime anthology called "First Ladies," the premium cable network announced Wednesday. Davis' long-running ABC drama, "How to Get Away with Murder," ends this spring.
"First Ladies" focuses on the personal and political lives of the president's wives, with season 1 showcasing Eleanor Roosevelt and Betty Ford in addition to Obama. Casting for those two historical figures has not been announced.
"Throughout our history, presidents’ spouses have wielded remarkable influence, not only on the nation’s leaders but on the country itself," said Showtime Entertainment president Jana Winograde in a statement.
During her six-season run on "HTGAWM," Davis earned five Emmy nominations and won Golden Globe and SAG Awards. She also took home a best supporting actress Oscar in 2017 for "Fences," based on the play of the same name (that also earned the actress a Tony win). She was also nominated for Academy Awards for her roles in "The Help" (2011, best actress) and "Doubt" (2008, supporting actress).
Davis is also scheduled to play pioneering black Congresswoman Shirley Chisholm in an upcoming Amazon Studios production.
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