Just call her FLOTUS! Viola Davis’ transformation into Michelle Obama is complete.
The Oscar winner channels the icon in the official trailer for Showtime’s upcoming political drama “The First Lady,” released on Thursday.
Michelle Pfeiffer and Gillian Anderson round out the top-tier cast as Betty Ford and Eleanor Roosevelt, respectively, with O-T Fagbenle as Barack Obama, Aaron Eckhart as Gerald Ford and Kiefer Sutherland as Franklin D. Roosevelt in presidential supporting roles.
The 10-episode series is said to chronicle the women throughout their pivotal White House experiences as they navigate new paths as globally-recognized public figures.
In one scene, Davis as Obama balks at the notion of being turned into “a Black Martha Stewart” and insists on staying true to her personal convictions.
“I will pick my team [and] choose my causes, understood?” she says.
According to Showtime, the program “will peel back the curtain on the personal and political lives of three unique, enigmatic women and their families, tracing their journeys to Washington, dipping into their pasts and following them beyond the White House into their greatest moments.”
While Pfeiffer and Anderson had to rely on history to inform their performances, Davis was able to speak with her onscreen alter ego directly.
Last year, the “Fences” star told reporters how grateful she was for the opportunity to embody such a cultural powerhouse but admitted that she wouldn’t have minded some guidance from Obama herself!
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View Gallery“Absolutely not,” Davis joked, when asked if the former FLOTUS had offered any advice on portraying her. “And let me tell you something. I wish she had, because I could use that right now, Michelle.”
That doesn’t mean she wasn’t helpful, however.
The 56-year-old went on to call Obama “a goddess” and a “bastion of support” who she believes has “too much respect” to share her take on how people should perform in their chosen fields.
“The First Lady” premieres April 17 at 9 p.m. ET/PT on Showtime.
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