Viola Davis to Play Michelle Obama in Showtime Drama First Ladies

Dave Nemetz

Click here to read the full article.

An Emmy winner is set to play a First Lady — and it’s the best bit of casting we’ve heard in a long time.

Viola Davis has signed on to play Michelle Obama in an upcoming Showtime series entitled First Ladies, according to our sister site Variety. The one-hour drama, which has earned a three-script commitment from the network, will follow the personal and public lives of First Ladies throughout history, with the first season focusing on Eleanor Roosevelt, Betty Ford and Obama. (The other two First Ladies have yet to be cast.)

More from TVLine

First Ladies will take a closer look at the White House’s East Wing, “where 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,” per the official description. Novelist Aaron Cooley is set to pen the series and serve as an executive producer.

Davis currently stars as law professor Annalise Keating on ABC’s How to Get Away With Murder, a role that won her the Emmy for Lead Actress in a Drama Series in 2015. (She’s nominated in the same category again this year.) But her shooting schedule should clear up soon: ABC revealed last month that HTGAWM‘s upcoming sixth season will be its last.

Do you see the resemblance between Davis and Obama? Hit the comments with your thoughts on the casting.

Sign up for TVLine's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.