This Is Who Will Play Michelle Obama In A New TV Series

The show explores the personal lives of First Ladies

Viola Davis is set to play Michelle Obama in the new series First Ladies which explores the personal and political lives of First Ladies throughout history.
Davis will also executive produce the drama, along with her husband Julius Tennon, under their company JuVee Productions.

Proud to spotlight these brave, extraordinary women! #FirstLadies https://t.co/Q5WktTR4sX

— Viola Davis (@violadavis) 26 August 2019

The first season will centre around Obama, Eleanor Roosevelt and Betty Ford. It will be set in the east rather than west wing and will provide an insight into how many game-changing decisions were made, according to the Guardian.

Davis and Obama have met on various occasions, with Davis paying tribute to the former First Lady in 2017 by captioning a picture of them together on Facebook: “May you continue to shine your light and impact future generations to come.”

Getty Images

Davis is currently filming Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom with Chadwick Boseman and will also take on the role of Shirley Chisholm in a biopic of the first woman and first person of colour to run for president.

The Obamas signed a production deal back in 2018 with Netflix to create documentaries and narrative dramas that “touching on issues of race and class, democracy and civil rights, and much more, we believe each of these productions won’t just entertain, but will educate, connect and inspire us all”.

First Ladies, which was written by novelist Aaron Cooley, is being fast-tracked to be aired on Showtime.

From Harper’s BAZAAR U.K