Gillian Anderson will play Eleanor Roosevelt in new series about first ladies
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Gillian Anderson is on a roll when it comes to playing 20th-century political icons!
The “Crown” actor is set to portray Eleanor Roosevelt in the upcoming Showtime drama “The First Lady,” the network confirmed on Twitter.
“From the Iron Lady to The First Lady. Hello, @GillianA!” Showtime said in a tweet.
Anderson replied to the tweet with the wave emoji and said, "Hi!"
Deadline reported the tentatively named anthology series “The First Lady” will examine the lives and work of several influential first ladies, with season one focusing on Roosevelt, Betty Ford, who will be played by Michelle Pfeiffer, and Michelle Obama, who will be portrayed by Viola Davis.
"Gillian Anderson is an actress of incredible range and exquisite talent — she is the perfect choice to complete this powerhouse trio, who will inhabit the roles of these iconic women," said Amy Israel, executive vice president of scripted programming at Showtime.
Roosevelt, who died in 1962, was the longest-serving first lady in U.S. history, the White House website notes, and held the office during President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s four terms from 1933-45. She also had her own press conferences and wrote a daily newspaper column.
Recently, Anderson took on the role of another 20th-century political powerhouse, former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, for Netflix's "The Crown." It was undoubtedly a daunting character to inhabit because Thatcher's mannerisms, distinctive voice and hairstyle are so well-known.
Anderson offered some insight into how she prepared to play the illustrious character and also how she tackles historical roles in general, saying she tries not to start out with “massive preconceptions.”
“Normally, when working on either a historical character or literary character, I find that it’s good to start from a blank slate anyway,” Anderson told The Associated Press last year. “It was helpful to have less to wipe away.”
A premiere date for "The First Lady" has not been confirmed.
