Look At Viola Davis Putting Her Whole Face Into Her Role As Michelle Obama

Now that’s what we call looking the part. EW has released first look photos of Viola Davis playing Michelle Obama in Showtime’s The First Lady, the White House drama about three former first ladies of the United States that is set to air on Showtime in the spring of 2022. Davis reportedly watched the Netflix documentary Becoming to study the former first lady’s gestures, which explains the uncanny resemblance, down to the way that Michelle holds her mouth when smiles. The First Lady will explore Michelle’s eight years at The White House, so naturally, the new photos also offer a glimpse at some of her family members. In one still, Michelle and her eyebrows stand with her husband, President Barack Obama (played by O-T Fagbenle). In the other, she poses with her mother, Marian Robinson (played by Regina Taylor); and her daughters Sasha and Malia (played by Saniyya Sidney and Lexi Underwood). The limited series from showrunner Cathy Schulman (Crash) and director Susanne Bier (The Undoing) also stars (Michelle Pfeiffer as Betty Ford and Gillian Anderson as Eleanor Roosevelt. Davis, who is also serving as an executive producer for The First Lady, spoke with Michelle and read her memoir before agreeing to join the project. She shared the first look images on her Instagram, writing, “It was terrifying but an incredible honor to portray this extraordinary woman.”

© Chris Pizzello-Pool/Getty Images
Chris Pizzello-Pool/Getty Images

Viola Davis has got Michelle Obama’s smirk down pic.twitter.com/ae2fBo9N5n

— philip lewis (@Phil_Lewis_) November 8, 2021

i- pic.twitter.com/9MWZ6VOYtx

— 🔪🩸 (@mypersonaIhell) November 8, 2021