Little Fires Everywhere breakout star Lexi Underwood has landed a key role as Malia Obama Showtime’s The First Lady anthology series opposite Viola Davis’ Michelle Obama and O-T Fagbenle’s Barack Obama. The other leading ladies are Michelle Pfeiffer is Betty Ford and Gillian Anderson is Eleanor Roosevelt.
Other stars include Jayme Lawson (who will be a young Michelle Obama), Aaron Eckhart, Rhys Wakefield, Judy Greer and Kristine Froseth.
Underwood is the second child to be cast, with Dakota Fanning playing Susan Ford.
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.
