The First Lady Show Casts Kiefer Sutherland as Franklin D. Roosevelt
Kiefer Sutherland joins the cast of Showtime’s The First Lady in the role of Franklin Delano Roosevelt. The First Lady is an upcoming anthology series about the personal and political lives of the First Ladies of the United States. Season 1 will focus on Eleanor Roosevelt (Gillian Anderson), Betty Ford (Michelle Pfeiffer), and Michelle Obama (Viola Davis, who will also executive produce). Created by Aaron Cooley, the show was previously known as First Ladies.
According to Deadline, Sutherland now joins the cast as President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, who served as the 32nd President of the United States from 1933 to 1945. FDR’s tenure in office spanned much of the Great Depression and World War II. Many actors have portrayed FDR, including Edward Herrmann, Bill Murray, and recently Kyle MacLachlan in Atlantic Crossing. Sutherland is no stranger to acting roles that place him in the White House, having spent three seasons playing a fictional president on Designated Survivor.
The First Lady will be produced by Showtime and Lionsgate Television, and directed by Susanne Bier (The Undoing). Bier will also executive produce, alongside showrunner Cathy Schulman, Davis, Cooley, Julius Tennon, Andrew Wang, Jeff Gaspin, and Brad Kaplan. Previous cast announcements include Aaron Eckhart as President Gerald Ford, O-T Fagbenle as President Barack Obama, and Dakota Fanning as Susan Elizabeth Ford
Showtime’s synopsis for The First Lady reads: “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 three unique, enigmatic women, tracing their journeys to Washington through interweaving storylines with an enlightening intimacy, with season one focusing on Michelle Obama, Betty Ford and Eleanor Roosevelt.”
Source: Deadline