Photo: Getty Images
Over the years, viewers have seen Viola Davis portray a number of classic characters. She's played Annalise Keating in How To Get Away With Murder, Rose Maxson in Fences and Amanda Waller in Suicide Squad. For her next project, Davis will move from portraying fictional characters to playing the role of an American icon, Michelle Obama.
In Showtime's new series, First Lady, Davis will star as Michelle Obama alongside O. T. Fagbenle who will portray former President Barack Obama. The series will not air until next year, but Showtime has excited fans by revealing the first photos of Davis on set as the former First Lady.
"Viola Davis always understands the assignment," one viewer tweeted.
"Please look at her face in the first one. [She] overstood the assignment," another fan tweeted.
Davis is one of two actresses to play the former First Lady in the upcoming series. Actress Jayme Lawson will portray a younger version of Michelle Obama in the earlier portions of the show. Together, Davis and Lawson will tell the complete story of how she went from Whitney Young High School to the Ivy League and eventually the White House.
"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. This series will peel back the curtain on the personal and political lives of three unique, enigmatic women, tracing their journeys to Washington through interweaving storylines with an enlightening intimacy, with season one focusing on Michelle Obama, Betty Ford and Eleanor Roosevelt," Showtime said about the series.
First Lady is currently in production and will likely air in the first quarter of the new year.
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