The new Drama on SHOWTIME, ‘The First Lady’ is set to release on 17 April 2022. Meanwhile, SHOWTIME has now released a preview clip that features Gillian Andeson as one of America’s most influential first ladies, Eleanor Roosevelt. The other cast members of the show include Viola Davis as Michelle Obama, Michelle Pfeiffer as Betty Ford, and O-T Fagbenle as Barrack Obama and others. Aaron Cooley is the creator of the series. Davis is also an executive producer alongside Cooley.
Anderson appears in the trailer as Roosevelt seated in a chair, quite unrecognizable in costume. Following this, the trailer cuts back to Eliza’s younger self, played by Eliza Scanlen, sitting in the corner of a party only to be spoken to by Franklin, her future husband. We see both the political and personal complexities of Eleanor’s life in the trailer. There is no doubt that the show will dive deep into Eleanor Roosevelt’s life and explore many aspects of her complex relationship with her husband, who is one of the most powerful presidents of America, and her own journey toward defining her role in the White House. Eleanor Roosevelt is both the niece of Theodore Roosevelt a former U.S president and the wife of Franklin Delano Roosevelt, which certainly makes her a character worthy of dramatization. The story of Eleanor’s life is remarkable, from her upbringing as an orphan as the daughter of Theodore’s stubborn brother to her later involvement in building the United Nations.
The show will not only cover the life of Eleanor Roosevelt. The series takes a peek into the lives of several first ladies throughout history, exploring their time as the first lady and their journey towards that title. Michelle Obama and Betty Ford will also be covered. A new character in the play is Dakota Fanning, who plays Susan Ford, daughter of Betty and Gerald Ford.