Photo: Jackson Lee Davis/SHOWTIME; TIM SLOAN/AFP/Getty01of 10Viola Davis as Michelle ObamaJackson Lee Davis/SHOWTIME; YURI GRIPAS/AFP/GettyIn addition toproducingThe First Lady,Viola Davisalso stars asMichelle Obamaon the show.“It’s terrifying,“Davis said about playing ObamaonThe Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. “Because sometimes someone doesn’t live up to whatever image you have in your head. But when they do live up to the image, it’s quite frightening.“02of 10O-T Fagbenle as Barack ObamaJackson Lee Davis/SHOWTIME; Joshua Roberts-Pool/GettyO-T Fagbenle plays PresidentBarack Obamaon the series, opposite Davis' Michelle Obama.“Barack Obama came alive during the social media movement, he’s one of the most recognizable people, so [the challenge was] finding a way of playing a character, discovering a character and not doing an imitation,“The Handmaid’s TaleactortoldVarietyof playing Obama.He continued, “It was very hard … Playing him over the span of 15 years is a challenge, as well, but it was a beautiful challenge.“03of 10Lexi Underwood as Malia ObamaJackson Lee Davis/SHOWTIME; Pete Souza/The White House/GettyLexi Underwood playsMalia Obamaon the series, and the resemblance is uncanny. TheLittle Fires Everywhereactresssaid she tapped into a “different side” of herself to play the eldest Obama daughter.“With me being from Washington, D.C., I tapped into a younger Lexi that lived in D.C. I can relate to living in the midst of politics and feeling like you’re too young or limited to speak up for what your passionate about,“she told theGrio. “Malia’s story about how she uses her voice and platform just while being in the house is something just so exciting to see.“04of 10Saniyya Sidney as Sasha ObamaJackson Lee Davis/SHOWTIME; Kevin Mazur/WireImageAfterplaying young Venus WilliamsinKing Richard, Saniyya Sidney stars asSasha ObamaonThe First Lady.This isn’t Sidney’s first time working with Davis, as she previously starred alongside her in the 2016 filmFences. “I love her and I’ve always loved her,“Sidney said about the Oscar-winning actressonToday. “It’s really cool and this story is really nice,” she continued about starring onThe First Lady.05of 10Gillian Anderson as Eleanor RooseveltDaniel McFadden/SHOWTIME; Bettmann/GettyGillian Andersonwent from playing British Prime MinisterMargaret Thatcher onThe Crownto playing First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt onThe First Lady.“Gillian Anderson is an actress of incredible range and exquisite talent — she is the perfect choice to complete this powerhouse trio, who will inhabit the roles of these iconic women,” Amy Israel, executive vice president of scripted programming at Showtime Networks Inc., said in a statementwhen Anderson was first cast.06of 10Kiefer Sutherland as Franklin D. RooseveltBoris Martin/SHOWTIME; Bettmann/GettyAlongside Anderson, Kiefer Sutherland will star as President Franklin D. Roosevelt, the longest-running president in the United States and the only American president to have served more than two terms.07of 10Michelle Pfeiffer as Betty FordMurray Close/SHOWTIME; Bettmann/GettyMichelle Pfeifferis set to play First Lady Betty Ford. During an interview withToday, Pfeiffer revealed thatshe signed on to star as Fordbefore ever reading a script for the show.“I knew about — like most people — she’s very famous for the Betty Ford Clinic, which has, again, saved hundreds of thousands of people’s lives,” Pfeiffer said. “And, obviously, her issues with substance abuse. So that, in and of itself, was a really interesting story to tell. And I felt really important.“08of 10Aaron Eckhart as Gerald FordMurray Close/SHOWTIME; David Hume Kennerly/GettyAaron Eckhart is set to play President Gerald Ford, who served as the 38th President of the United States as well as the 40th Vice President of the United States.09of 10Dakota Fanning as Susan FordMurray Close/SHOWTIME; Bettmann/GettyDakota Fanningis set to play Susan Ford, the daughter of Gerald and Betty Ford. This isn’t Fanning’s first time portraying a real person, as she previously played Squeaky Fromme inOnce Upon a Time in Hollywoodand Cherie Currie inThe Runaways.10of 10Rhys Wakefield as Dick CheneyMurray Close/SHOWTIME; Hb/AP/ShutterstockThe show will also feature Rhys Wakefield as a young Dick Cheney, who served as Chief of Staff to President Gerald Ford before eventually becoming the 46th vice president under President George W. Bush years later.
Photo: Jackson Lee Davis/SHOWTIME; TIM SLOAN/AFP/Getty
01of 10Viola Davis as Michelle ObamaJackson Lee Davis/SHOWTIME; YURI GRIPAS/AFP/GettyIn addition toproducingThe First Lady,Viola Davisalso stars asMichelle Obamaon the show.“It’s terrifying,“Davis said about playing ObamaonThe Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. “Because sometimes someone doesn’t live up to whatever image you have in your head. But when they do live up to the image, it’s quite frightening.“02of 10O-T Fagbenle as Barack ObamaJackson Lee Davis/SHOWTIME; Joshua Roberts-Pool/GettyO-T Fagbenle plays PresidentBarack Obamaon the series, opposite Davis' Michelle Obama.“Barack Obama came alive during the social media movement, he’s one of the most recognizable people, so [the challenge was] finding a way of playing a character, discovering a character and not doing an imitation,“The Handmaid’s TaleactortoldVarietyof playing Obama.He continued, “It was very hard … Playing him over the span of 15 years is a challenge, as well, but it was a beautiful challenge.“03of 10Lexi Underwood as Malia ObamaJackson Lee Davis/SHOWTIME; Pete Souza/The White House/GettyLexi Underwood playsMalia Obamaon the series, and the resemblance is uncanny. TheLittle Fires Everywhereactresssaid she tapped into a “different side” of herself to play the eldest Obama daughter.“With me being from Washington, D.C., I tapped into a younger Lexi that lived in D.C. I can relate to living in the midst of politics and feeling like you’re too young or limited to speak up for what your passionate about,“she told theGrio. “Malia’s story about how she uses her voice and platform just while being in the house is something just so exciting to see.“04of 10Saniyya Sidney as Sasha ObamaJackson Lee Davis/SHOWTIME; Kevin Mazur/WireImageAfterplaying young Venus WilliamsinKing Richard, Saniyya Sidney stars asSasha ObamaonThe First Lady.This isn’t Sidney’s first time working with Davis, as she previously starred alongside her in the 2016 filmFences. “I love her and I’ve always loved her,“Sidney said about the Oscar-winning actressonToday. “It’s really cool and this story is really nice,” she continued about starring onThe First Lady.05of 10Gillian Anderson as Eleanor RooseveltDaniel McFadden/SHOWTIME; Bettmann/GettyGillian Andersonwent from playing British Prime MinisterMargaret Thatcher onThe Crownto playing First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt onThe First Lady.“Gillian Anderson is an actress of incredible range and exquisite talent — she is the perfect choice to complete this powerhouse trio, who will inhabit the roles of these iconic women,” Amy Israel, executive vice president of scripted programming at Showtime Networks Inc., said in a statementwhen Anderson was first cast.06of 10Kiefer Sutherland as Franklin D. RooseveltBoris Martin/SHOWTIME; Bettmann/GettyAlongside Anderson, Kiefer Sutherland will star as President Franklin D. Roosevelt, the longest-running president in the United States and the only American president to have served more than two terms.07of 10Michelle Pfeiffer as Betty FordMurray Close/SHOWTIME; Bettmann/GettyMichelle Pfeifferis set to play First Lady Betty Ford. During an interview withToday, Pfeiffer revealed thatshe signed on to star as Fordbefore ever reading a script for the show.“I knew about — like most people — she’s very famous for the Betty Ford Clinic, which has, again, saved hundreds of thousands of people’s lives,” Pfeiffer said. “And, obviously, her issues with substance abuse. So that, in and of itself, was a really interesting story to tell. And I felt really important.“08of 10Aaron Eckhart as Gerald FordMurray Close/SHOWTIME; David Hume Kennerly/GettyAaron Eckhart is set to play President Gerald Ford, who served as the 38th President of the United States as well as the 40th Vice President of the United States.09of 10Dakota Fanning as Susan FordMurray Close/SHOWTIME; Bettmann/GettyDakota Fanningis set to play Susan Ford, the daughter of Gerald and Betty Ford. This isn’t Fanning’s first time portraying a real person, as she previously played Squeaky Fromme inOnce Upon a Time in Hollywoodand Cherie Currie inThe Runaways.10of 10Rhys Wakefield as Dick CheneyMurray Close/SHOWTIME; Hb/AP/ShutterstockThe show will also feature Rhys Wakefield as a young Dick Cheney, who served as Chief of Staff to President Gerald Ford before eventually becoming the 46th vice president under President George W. Bush years later.
01of 10Viola Davis as Michelle ObamaJackson Lee Davis/SHOWTIME; YURI GRIPAS/AFP/GettyIn addition toproducingThe First Lady,Viola Davisalso stars asMichelle Obamaon the show.“It’s terrifying,“Davis said about playing ObamaonThe Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. “Because sometimes someone doesn’t live up to whatever image you have in your head. But when they do live up to the image, it’s quite frightening.”
01of 10
Viola Davis as Michelle Obama
Jackson Lee Davis/SHOWTIME; YURI GRIPAS/AFP/Getty
In addition toproducingThe First Lady,Viola Davisalso stars asMichelle Obamaon the show.
“It’s terrifying,“Davis said about playing ObamaonThe Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. “Because sometimes someone doesn’t live up to whatever image you have in your head. But when they do live up to the image, it’s quite frightening.”
02of 10O-T Fagbenle as Barack ObamaJackson Lee Davis/SHOWTIME; Joshua Roberts-Pool/GettyO-T Fagbenle plays PresidentBarack Obamaon the series, opposite Davis' Michelle Obama.“Barack Obama came alive during the social media movement, he’s one of the most recognizable people, so [the challenge was] finding a way of playing a character, discovering a character and not doing an imitation,“The Handmaid’s TaleactortoldVarietyof playing Obama.He continued, “It was very hard … Playing him over the span of 15 years is a challenge, as well, but it was a beautiful challenge.”
02of 10
O-T Fagbenle as Barack Obama
Jackson Lee Davis/SHOWTIME; Joshua Roberts-Pool/Getty
O-T Fagbenle plays PresidentBarack Obamaon the series, opposite Davis' Michelle Obama.
“Barack Obama came alive during the social media movement, he’s one of the most recognizable people, so [the challenge was] finding a way of playing a character, discovering a character and not doing an imitation,“The Handmaid’s TaleactortoldVarietyof playing Obama.
He continued, “It was very hard … Playing him over the span of 15 years is a challenge, as well, but it was a beautiful challenge.”
03of 10Lexi Underwood as Malia ObamaJackson Lee Davis/SHOWTIME; Pete Souza/The White House/GettyLexi Underwood playsMalia Obamaon the series, and the resemblance is uncanny. TheLittle Fires Everywhereactresssaid she tapped into a “different side” of herself to play the eldest Obama daughter.“With me being from Washington, D.C., I tapped into a younger Lexi that lived in D.C. I can relate to living in the midst of politics and feeling like you’re too young or limited to speak up for what your passionate about,“she told theGrio. “Malia’s story about how she uses her voice and platform just while being in the house is something just so exciting to see.”
03of 10
Lexi Underwood as Malia Obama
Jackson Lee Davis/SHOWTIME; Pete Souza/The White House/Getty
Lexi Underwood playsMalia Obamaon the series, and the resemblance is uncanny. TheLittle Fires Everywhereactresssaid she tapped into a “different side” of herself to play the eldest Obama daughter.
“With me being from Washington, D.C., I tapped into a younger Lexi that lived in D.C. I can relate to living in the midst of politics and feeling like you’re too young or limited to speak up for what your passionate about,“she told theGrio. “Malia’s story about how she uses her voice and platform just while being in the house is something just so exciting to see.”
04of 10Saniyya Sidney as Sasha ObamaJackson Lee Davis/SHOWTIME; Kevin Mazur/WireImageAfterplaying young Venus WilliamsinKing Richard, Saniyya Sidney stars asSasha ObamaonThe First Lady.This isn’t Sidney’s first time working with Davis, as she previously starred alongside her in the 2016 filmFences. “I love her and I’ve always loved her,“Sidney said about the Oscar-winning actressonToday. “It’s really cool and this story is really nice,” she continued about starring onThe First Lady.
04of 10
Saniyya Sidney as Sasha Obama
Jackson Lee Davis/SHOWTIME; Kevin Mazur/WireImage
Afterplaying young Venus WilliamsinKing Richard, Saniyya Sidney stars asSasha ObamaonThe First Lady.
This isn’t Sidney’s first time working with Davis, as she previously starred alongside her in the 2016 filmFences. “I love her and I’ve always loved her,“Sidney said about the Oscar-winning actressonToday. “It’s really cool and this story is really nice,” she continued about starring onThe First Lady.
05of 10Gillian Anderson as Eleanor RooseveltDaniel McFadden/SHOWTIME; Bettmann/GettyGillian Andersonwent from playing British Prime MinisterMargaret Thatcher onThe Crownto playing First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt onThe First Lady.“Gillian Anderson is an actress of incredible range and exquisite talent — she is the perfect choice to complete this powerhouse trio, who will inhabit the roles of these iconic women,” Amy Israel, executive vice president of scripted programming at Showtime Networks Inc., said in a statementwhen Anderson was first cast.
05of 10
Gillian Anderson as Eleanor Roosevelt
Daniel McFadden/SHOWTIME; Bettmann/Getty
Gillian Andersonwent from playing British Prime MinisterMargaret Thatcher onThe Crownto playing First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt onThe First Lady.
“Gillian Anderson is an actress of incredible range and exquisite talent — she is the perfect choice to complete this powerhouse trio, who will inhabit the roles of these iconic women,” Amy Israel, executive vice president of scripted programming at Showtime Networks Inc., said in a statementwhen Anderson was first cast.
06of 10Kiefer Sutherland as Franklin D. RooseveltBoris Martin/SHOWTIME; Bettmann/GettyAlongside Anderson, Kiefer Sutherland will star as President Franklin D. Roosevelt, the longest-running president in the United States and the only American president to have served more than two terms.
06of 10
Kiefer Sutherland as Franklin D. Roosevelt
Boris Martin/SHOWTIME; Bettmann/Getty
Alongside Anderson, Kiefer Sutherland will star as President Franklin D. Roosevelt, the longest-running president in the United States and the only American president to have served more than two terms.
07of 10Michelle Pfeiffer as Betty FordMurray Close/SHOWTIME; Bettmann/GettyMichelle Pfeifferis set to play First Lady Betty Ford. During an interview withToday, Pfeiffer revealed thatshe signed on to star as Fordbefore ever reading a script for the show.“I knew about — like most people — she’s very famous for the Betty Ford Clinic, which has, again, saved hundreds of thousands of people’s lives,” Pfeiffer said. “And, obviously, her issues with substance abuse. So that, in and of itself, was a really interesting story to tell. And I felt really important.”
07of 10
Michelle Pfeiffer as Betty Ford
Murray Close/SHOWTIME; Bettmann/Getty
Michelle Pfeifferis set to play First Lady Betty Ford. During an interview withToday, Pfeiffer revealed thatshe signed on to star as Fordbefore ever reading a script for the show.
“I knew about — like most people — she’s very famous for the Betty Ford Clinic, which has, again, saved hundreds of thousands of people’s lives,” Pfeiffer said. “And, obviously, her issues with substance abuse. So that, in and of itself, was a really interesting story to tell. And I felt really important.”
08of 10Aaron Eckhart as Gerald FordMurray Close/SHOWTIME; David Hume Kennerly/GettyAaron Eckhart is set to play President Gerald Ford, who served as the 38th President of the United States as well as the 40th Vice President of the United States.
08of 10
Aaron Eckhart as Gerald Ford
Murray Close/SHOWTIME; David Hume Kennerly/Getty
Aaron Eckhart is set to play President Gerald Ford, who served as the 38th President of the United States as well as the 40th Vice President of the United States.
09of 10Dakota Fanning as Susan FordMurray Close/SHOWTIME; Bettmann/GettyDakota Fanningis set to play Susan Ford, the daughter of Gerald and Betty Ford. This isn’t Fanning’s first time portraying a real person, as she previously played Squeaky Fromme inOnce Upon a Time in Hollywoodand Cherie Currie inThe Runaways.
09of 10
Dakota Fanning as Susan Ford
Dakota Fanningis set to play Susan Ford, the daughter of Gerald and Betty Ford. This isn’t Fanning’s first time portraying a real person, as she previously played Squeaky Fromme inOnce Upon a Time in Hollywoodand Cherie Currie inThe Runaways.
10of 10Rhys Wakefield as Dick CheneyMurray Close/SHOWTIME; Hb/AP/ShutterstockThe show will also feature Rhys Wakefield as a young Dick Cheney, who served as Chief of Staff to President Gerald Ford before eventually becoming the 46th vice president under President George W. Bush years later.
10of 10
Rhys Wakefield as Dick Cheney
Murray Close/SHOWTIME; Hb/AP/Shutterstock
The show will also feature Rhys Wakefield as a young Dick Cheney, who served as Chief of Staff to President Gerald Ford before eventually becoming the 46th vice president under President George W. Bush years later.
source: people.com
