O-T Fagbenle cast as Barack Obama alongside Viola Davis in ‘The First Lady’
The British actor will be playing the 44th president in a Showtime anthology series
O-T Fagbenle has been cast to play former president Barack Obama opposite Viola Davis in Showtime’s anthology series The First Lady.
Read More: Barack, Michelle Obama to appear in YouTube Original’s ‘Black Renaissance’
Davis and her husband, JuVee Productions head Julius Tennon will serve as executive producers along with series creator author Aaron Cooley (Four Seats: A Thriller of the Supreme Court), Variety reports. Season one is centered on Eleanor Roosevelt (Gillian Anderson), Betty Ford (Michelle Pfeiffer), and Michelle Obama (Davis). Aaron Eckhart will portray President Gerald Ford.
Showtime describes the series as: “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 these enigmatic women, with season one focusing on Eleanor Roosevelt, Betty Ford, and Michelle Obama.”
The First Lady is a co-production between Showtime and Lionsgate Television. There is currently no release date set for the series.
Last April, Fagbenle created and starred in the original British comedy series Maxxx for Channel 4 and Hulu. His other credits include Hulu’s The Handmaid’s Tale, The Five, The Interceptor, and Doctor Who.
He will next be seen as Mason in the Marvel film Black Widow. The London native plays a mysterious character with a romantic past with Scarlett Johansson‘s Avenger, according to reports. Fagbenle previously revealed to THR that his then-girlfriend convinced him to record an audition for the project in an iPhone while they were on vacation in Mexico several years ago.
“After I’d recorded it, I was like, ‘Oh that’s pretty good tape, actually,'” he told the publication. “It just escalated again and again and again to the point it was like, ‘Oh my God, like I’m actually going to be in a Marvel movie.'”
Read More: Obama reveals ‘white resistance’ stopped him from pushing for reparations
He also opened up about wanting to contribute to the lives of Black people.
“Even when people are going through a tough time, finding ways to help others who are going through an even tougher time can be incredibly gratifying for the self and also useful to others,” Fagbenle said.
Have you subscribed to theGrio’s “Dear Culture” podcast? Download our newest episodes now!
TheGrio is now on Apple TV, Amazon Fire and Roku. Download theGrio.com today!
