Casting Set for TV Portrayal of Michelle Obama

It looks like Viola Davis will be the first actor to play Michelle Obama on television. The Oscar winner has signed on the play the former first lady in a new Showtime series First Ladies, from writer and executive producer Aaron Cooley. The first season of the show—which Davis will also produce with husband Julius Tennon through JuVee Productions—will explore the personal and political lives of Obama, Eleanor Roosevelt, and Betty Ford in one-hour episodes, reports Variety. Davis can pull from personal experience as she and Obama are friends, per the Guardian. In 2017, Davis even shared a photo of the pair on Facebook, writing, "May you continue to shine your light and impact future generations to come." (The Obamas are out with their first film for Netflix.)