It’s officially Leo season, and Michelle Pfeiffer took the opportunity to wish her two closest friends and co-stars from The First Lady, Gillian Anderson and Viola Davis, on their birthdays, which were very close to each other. “Happy birthday this week to two of my favorite First Ladies,” Pfeiffer wrote in a post on her Instagram Stories on August 11, 2024.
Anderson’s 56th birthday was on August 9, while Davis turned 59 on August 11. The three close friends and brilliant actresses played the roles of First Ladies Michelle Obama (Davis), Betty Ford (Pfeiffer) and Eleanor Roosevelt (Anderson) in the 2012 historical drama series “First Lady.”
“The First Lady” focused on the professional and personal lives of the First Ladies married to the Presidents of the United States and how they experienced their time in the White House.
The first season of the series consists of 10 episodes and was even nominated for the prestigious Emmy Award. In addition, there was a mutual interest on both sides in playing the role of the First Lady.
Speaking to the Wall Street Journal in April 2022, the actresses told the publication about the similarities they found between Roosevelt, Ford and Obama.
“For me, it’s freedom of choice,” Davis said at the time. “The ability to make decisions and know who you are.” Pfeiffer said all first ladies have fought to be heard despite being under scrutiny their entire lives.
Anderson, meanwhile, praised the all-women press corps that Roosevelt created during the Great Depression, saying she took a positive approach in her leadership and thinking.
“And people listened to them, trusted them and believed them,” Anderson said, adding, “It was unprecedented at the time.”
The anthology series was created by Aaron Cooley and premiered on Showtime and Paramount+ International on April 17, 2022. On August 1, 2022, Showtime canceled the series after one season.
In addition to the main cast, First Ladies features several supporting and recurring actors. Elliott Gould takes on the role of Arthur Schlesinger Jr., while Adam Shulman portrays Michael Dukakis. Darren Criss plays John F. Kennedy Jr. and Emily Robinson appears as Amy Carter. Chris Cooper is cast as Walter Mondale and Gretchen Mol plays Barbara Bush.
Meanwhile, professionally, Pfeiffer will play the lead role in the upcoming Yellowstone prequel series titled “The Madison.”
ALSO READ: Grammy Awards 2024: Michelle Obama wins Best Audiobook Award, making her the only former First Lady to win two Grammy Awards
