Viola Davis is going to the White House. The Oscar winner has signed on to play lawyer, best-selling author, and former First Lady Michelle Obama in “First Ladies,” a series in development at Showtime. According to Variety, the network has given the one-hour drama a three-script commitment.
Offering a behind-the-scenes look at “the personal and political lives of First Ladies from throughout history,” the potential series’ first season will focus on Eleanor Roosevelt, Betty Ford, and Michelle Obama, the source details. “’First Ladies’ will turn it lens on the East Wing of the White House, as opposed to the West, 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.”
Davis and her producing partner and husband Julius Tennon will exec produce via their JuVee Productions banner. Cathy Schulman is also among “First Ladies'” exec producers.
Tika Sumpter played Obama in 2016’s “Southside With You,” a romance inspired by Michelle and Barack Obama’s relationship.
Juvee Productions signed a first-look deal with Amazon in 2018. They are developing a series based on “Fast Color” for the streamer. Released earlier this year, the Gugu Mbatha-Raw-starrer centers on a former drug addict with special powers. JuVee Productions also has a drama series based on Octavia Butler sci-fi “Wild Seed” in the works at Amazon.
In 2018 Davis was asked whether Hollywood is giving more opportunities to black women than in the past. “[If there has been any improvement,] it’s only because the black women that I know have taken it into their own hands [by producing and making change happen. Without them,] I would say no, it has not changed,” she responded. “I still find that we only exist within certain genres.”
Davis won an Oscar for her role in “Fences.” She also received nods for “The Help” and “Doubt.” She took home an Emmy for her starring role in “How to Get Away with Murder.” The legal drama’s sixth and final season will premiere on ABC September 26. Her upcoming acting gigs include “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom,” a Netflix pic that tells the story of Ma Rainey, a blues singer making a record in 1920s Chicago, and “The Suicide Squad.”
