Comparing The Cast Of "The First Lady" With Their Real-Life Counterparts
The show highlights the lives of three First Ladies.
When you think about the White House, perhaps the first thing that comes to mind is the president. The Oval Office may also be a prominent image.
If you watched Showtime's anthology series, The First Lady, you will also remember the women who walked its hallways when their husbands were the incumbent presidents. The drama series centers on three of those women who made an impact through their roles as First Ladies of the United States.
Michelle Obama is portrayed by Viola Davis, Betty Ford by Michelle Pfeiffer, and Eleanor Roosevelt by Gillian Anderson. The drama series takes viewers behind the scenes of the White House executive mansion, providing insight into how important these women were in shaping American culture and how being a First Lady impacted their lives.
In addition to Davis, Pfeiffer, and Anderson, the show features renowned Hollywood actors, including Dakota Fanning as Susan Elizabeth Ford, Kiefer Sutherland as Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Lily Rabe as Lorena Hickok, and O-T Fagbenle as Barack Obama, among others.
According to the entertainment news site Deadline, the show is so intimate that it feels as though we could hear the White House walls talking. See the pictures below to compare the actors with their real-life counterparts.
Through the eyes of these three women, the show examines the events of their respective husbands' administrations.
Jackson Lee Davis / Jackson Lee Davis/SHOWTIMEA photo of President Franklin D. Roosevelt
New York Daily News Archive / NY Daily News via Getty ImagesKiefer Sutherland taking on the role of President Franklin D. Roosevelt
Showtime
Eleanor Roosevelt in real life
Fotosearch / Getty Images
Gillian Anderson as Eleanor Roosevelt. She has now portrayed a prominent historical character for the second time recently with this series.
Daniel Mcfadden / Daniel McFadden/SHOWTIME
Laura Bush in real life.
Medianews Group / MediaNews Group via Getty Images
Kathleen Garrett plays Laura Bush in Showtime's drama series.
Showtime
Michelle Obama in real life.
Gilbert Carrasquillo / FilmMagic
Viola Davis plays Michelle Obama in the series.
Davis reportedly felt pressured while playing Obama because hers is the only character who is still alive today.
Showtime
President Barack Obama
Hum Images / HUM Images/Universal Images Group via Getty Images
O-T Fagbenle plays Barack Obama in the show.
Jackson Lee Davis / Jackson Lee Davis/SHOWTIME
Gerald Ford
New York Daily News Archive / NY Daily News via Getty Images
This is Aaron Eckhart as Gerald Ford.
Murray Close / Murray Close/SHOWTIME
This is the real Betty Ford.
Derek Hudson / Getty Images
Michelle Pfeiffer playing Betty Ford in the series.
According to Pfeiffer, she will never take on the role of a real person again.
It's just very, very weighty. And it's with you all the time.
Murray Close / Murray Close/SHOWTIME
Susan Ford in real life.
Bettmann / Bettmann Archive
Dakota Fanning taking on the role of Susan Ford.
Showtime
Donald H. Rumsfeld
Consolidated News Pictures / Getty Images
Derek Cecil plays Donald H. Rumsfeld in The First Lady.
Showtime
Dick Cheney in real life.
Bettmann / Bettmann Archive
This is Rhys Wakefield as Dick Cheney.
Murray Close / Murray Close/SHOWTIME
The First Lady is a 10-episode drama series by Aaron Cooley and executive produced by Cathy Schulman.
The show, which premiered on April 17, 2022, is an impressive reimagining of American leadership portrayed through the eyes of the presidents' respective wives. It is set in the East Wing.
Viewers will witness the groundbreaking and consequential decisions made by America's charismatic First Ladies behind closed doors. The first season follows three enigmatic women, reflecting on their lives as presidents' wives in Washington.
What do you think of the performances of the three women highlighted by the show?
