What Michelle Obama told Viola Davis ahead of ‘The First Lady’
Michelle Obama’s Advice to Viola Davis Before ‘The First Lady’
Viola Davis has shared what Michelle Obama told her before she played the former first lady in the TV series The First Lady.
The show, which premieres on Sunday (April 17), follows the lives of three first ladies. Davis plays Michelle Obama, Gillian Anderson plays Eleanor Roosevelt, and Michelle Pfeiffer plays Betty Ford.
During an interview, Davis was asked what made Michelle Obama’s story dramatic. She responded, “She is a Black woman and the first Black woman in the White House, which was built by slaves. People wrongly saw her as too masculine, not feminine, angry, and hostile.”
Davis also shared a private conversation she had with Michelle Obama before taking on the role. While she kept most details private, she revealed one thing Obama told her:
“She said, ‘I’m not even an angry person.’ Isn’t that something? Listen, I can be an angry person, but she’s not. I wanted to show the real her, not just the way people expect Black women to be.”
In the series, there is a scene where Michelle Obama worries about Barack Obama’s safety when he runs for president. The show even includes her using a strong word to describe the racism and hate he would face.
Davis explained that while Michelle Obama does not like politics, this scene was created to show the reality of what Black people discuss privately. “I pushed for that because I know that’s how Black people talk in private, especially to make a strong point. Michelle Obama is from the South Side of Chicago, so I felt this conversation could have happened.”
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