Viola Davis looks unrecognizable as Michelle Obama in teaser for 'The First Lady'

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By Carina Murphy

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It looks like another award could be on the cards for Viola Davis.

The Oscar-winning actor has wowed fans in a teaser trailer for Showtime's new drama anthology series The First Lady, which gives us a first look at her transformation into Michelle Obama.

She'll be joined in the anthology series by Michelle Pfeiffer, who is bringing First Lady Betty Ford to life, and Gillian Anderson, who's taking on the role of Eleanor Roosevelt.

All the actresses have physically transformed to embody the president's wives. But it's Davis - who looks like a dead ringer for Michelle Obama in the glossy trailer - who has really gotten fans talking.

"She gon be a better Michelle Obama than Michelle Obama," one person tweeted.

"I just know she gon eat this role," added another.

"I'll watch anything with Viola Davis," wrote a third.

Meanwhile, other fans were confident from the trailer alone that Davis's performance would mean she'd soon be adding to her already sizable awards collection.

"Start polishing her emmy NEOW!" wrote one enthusiastic fan on twitter.

'And the emmy goes to: viola davis," another agreed.

Fifty-six-year-old star Davis has already got several awards to her name, including an academy award for her performance in Fences, a Primetime Emmy for her role in How To Get Away With Murder, as well as two Tony awards.

Showtime's website explains that The First Lady will be "a revelatory reframing of American leadership through the lens of the First Ladies, delving deep into their personal and political lives."

Alongside Pfeiffer, Anderson and Obama, the starry cast will also include Dakota Fanning as Gerald and Betty Ford’s teenage daughter Susan, Kiefer Sutherland as Franklin D. Roosevelt, and O-T Fagbenle as Barack Obama.

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Viola Davis at the 93rd Academy Awards in 2021. Credit: REUTERS / Alamy

Lily Rabe, Ellen Burstyn, Eliza Scanlen, Judy Greer, and Kristine Froseth will also appear in supporting roles. Meanwhile, behind the camera is an equally exciting lineup, with director Susanne Bier - who made the hit HBO miniseries The Undoing - helming all of the first season.

Featured Image Credit:  REUTERS / Alamy