As Viola Davis prepares to deliver audiences a look behind the curtain of Michelle Obama’s daily life as first lady, the Oscar-winning actress shared her own inner musings about portraying the larger-than-life figure.
In an exclusive interview with Entertainment Tonight this week, Davis, 56, opened up about the “absolutely terrifying” prospect of starring as Obama for Showtime’s highly anticipated anthology series The First Lady. The show is a 10-episode series depicting the personal and political lives of Obama, Eleanor Roosevelt and Betty Ford.
Days before the April 17 premiere, Davis told ET on Wednesday that portraying a well-known and established public figure who “everyone has ownership over” presents unique challenges and limits the creative liberties actors are otherwise afforded when playing a fictional character.
“You’re terrified whenever you start a job because you are afraid you are going to be found out — that’s big imposter syndrome. But with Michelle Obama, it’s like everyone has ownership over Michelle Obama,” she told the outlet. “I mean, her book came out and it was [on every] bestseller list, everyone knows what she looks like, what she sounds like, what her hair [is like], you know?”
