Michelle Pfeiffer to Play Betty Ford in Showtime’s ‘The First Lady’ Anthology Series
Michelle Pfeiffer has been cast as Betty Ford in Showtime’s anthology series “The First Lady,” with Susanne Bier also signing on to direct, the premium cable network announced Thursday.
The series is described as an exploration of the lives of “America’s charismatic, complex and dynamic First Ladies,” 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 an enlightening intimacy.”
Pfeiffer joins Viola Davis, who will play Michelle Obama in the first season of the planned anthology series. The role of Eleanor Roosevelt has not yet been cast.
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“Michelle Pfeiffer and Susanne Bier have joined the brilliant and incomparable Viola Davis to bring the remarkable stories of these women into urgent, engrossing and long overdue focus,” said Amy Israel, executive vice president of scripted programming. “Michelle brings authenticity, vulnerability and complexity to all her roles, and Susanne is a visionary director who commands the screen with fierce honesty and a singular visual style. With these formidable artists in front of and behind the camera, we couldn’t be more thrilled – especially at this unique moment in time for our nation – about the powerful promise of ‘The First Lady.'”
“First Ladies” is executive produced by Cathy Schulman via Welle Entertainment, Viola Davis and Julius Tennon via JuVee Productions, Jeff Gaspin via Gaspin Media, Brad Kaplan via LINK Entertainment and Aaron Cooley.
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