British actor O-T Fagbenle has joined Showtime’s The First Lady anthology series. He will recur opposite series star Viola Davis as Michelle Obama. Michelle Pfeiffer is Betty Ford and Gillian Anderson is Eleanor Roosevelt.

Fagbenle, joins other series co-stars, including Jayme Lawson, who will be a young Michelle Obama. Aaron Eckhart, Rhys Wakefield, Judy Greer and Kristine Froseth also star.

The description: 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. 

The project is written by Aaron Cooley with Davis and Julius Tennon’s JuVee Productions, Cathy Schulman’s Welle Entertainment, Gaspin Media and Brad Kaplan producing. Showtime and Lionsgate TV are co-producers. Susanne Bier directs and executive produces.

The idea for the series came from Schulman, inspired by a spec script Cooley wrote about Lady Bird Johnson. All of the source material comes from the public domain.

Fagbenle can currently be seen in The Handmaid’s Tale and will be seen soon in Marvel Studios’ Black Widow as the villain.

Kingsley Ben-Adir recently played Obama on Showtime’s The Comey Rule. 

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