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Apr 17, 2022 · A complete guide to the cast and characters of Showtime's anthology series The First Lady, starring Viola Davis as Michelle Obama.
It stars Michelle Pfeiffer, Viola Davis, and Gillian Anderson, among others, and portrays life and family events of three First Ladies of the United States: Eleanor Roosevelt, Betty Ford, and Michelle Obama.
With Viola Davis, Michelle Pfeiffer, Gillian Anderson, O-T Fagbenle. In the East Wing of the White House, many of history's most impactful and world-changing decisions have been hidden from view, made by America's charismatic, complex and dynamic first ladies.
- (5.8K)
- 2022-04-17
- Biography, Drama, History
- 60
- Overview
- The women behind ‘The First Lady’
- 'Good television'
In a scene from Showtime’s new series “The First Lady,” Michelle Pfeiffer’s Betty Ford tells “60 Minutes” about her unlikely jump from Michigan homemaker to the woman behind the most powerful man in the U.S. in 1975.
“Washington can be an awfully tough town for a political wife, would you agree?” Boris McGiver, as Morley Safer, asked.
“Well I agree, but I had, you see, 26 years' experience as the wife of a congressman,” Betty begins, referring to her husband, President Gerald Ford. “But I think a congressional wife has to be a special kind of woman.”
It is exactly these “special kind” of women, which also include first ladies Michelle Obama (Viola Davis) and Eleanor Roosevelt (Gillian Anderson), that the anthology TV series centers on in its attempt to reframe some of the most important female figures in White House history.
The first lady has “no position description, no statutory obligations and nothing codified in Congress,” said Anita McBride, the director of the First Ladies Initiative at the School of Public Affairs at American University. “But each woman feels a responsibility to use their experience, their background and adapt it to the role.”
Those individual experiences and characteristics are what make these women so fascinating to researchers, the general public and the media, said Katherine Jellison, a professor of history at Ohio University.
The show, which debuts on Sunday, jumps among three different timelines (1933-45, 1974-77 and 2009-17) to tell the stories of three first ladies.
According to experts, it was no surprise that these women were chosen as the center of the series — considering their significant contributions to U.S. history both in and out of the White House.
"Eleanor Roosevelt is really in a category by herself, in that she was first lady much longer than anyone else for 12 years because the Constitution has since been amended," Jellison said.
But aside from her long tenure, Eleanor Roosevelt was a woman who was devoted to civil rights, a frequent traveler who would go to cities in place of her husband, President Franklin D. Roosevelt, who was paralyzed by polio, and a person committed to public service and human rights for almost two decades, even after she left the White House.
"And of course, she was first lady during two major crises of the 20th century: the Great Depression and World War II," Jellison said.
Betty Ford, on the other hand, came into the White House when the women's rights movement was gaining traction, McBride said.
Aside from their position, the three first ladies featured in the series all shared "dramatic experiences, which makes for good television," Jellison said.
"They have to balance entertainment with the facts," said McBride, who expressed concern about how accurately the show would portray these extraordinary women.
But regardless, both first lady experts said they were excited that these women's lives were being exposed to a broader audience — and believed the show would inspire people to learn more about other first ladies.
"It's important to talk about these women, their lives, what they brought to the position, how the country moved forward or didn't, and really evaluate them as human beings," McBride said.
"What people forget is that they have private lives, they have families, they have sorrows, they have joys, they face everything we face on a regular basis, but the difference is they have to do it on a national public stage — and that's tough."
McBride and Jellison both added that they looked forward to the day the U.S. has a first gentleman.
- Wilson Wong
Apr 16, 2022 · Ultimately, ‘The First Lady’ is factually accurate, which is necessary for a show dealing with such publicized subject matter. It details major events, timelines, and most of the major characters closely to their real-life counterparts.
Apr 15, 2022 · “The First Lady” dramatizes the challenges faced by three first wives (L to R): Betty Ford (portrayed by Michelle Pfeiffer), Eleanor Roosevelt (Gillian Anderson) and Michelle Obama (Viola...
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Jun 17, 2022 · Yes a trailer for The First Lady has been released by Showtime, so you can see all three wonderful actresses in action as the presidential spouses Eleanor Roosevelt, Betty Ford and Michelle Obama. Take a look below...
