Portraying former first ladies Eleanor Roosevelt, Betty Ford and Michelle Obama in the new Showtime series The First Lady, actresses Gillian Anderson, Michelle Pfeiffer and Viola Davis chronicle the tales of some of the most pivotal women in American history amid their fortuitous tenures in the White House.
With their differing timelines intertwining thematically, The First Lady dives deep into each former first lady’s political contributions, family lives and historical impact. Recreating nearly identical looks from their counterparts, the same costume designer responsible for the fashion in HBO’s The Undoing and 2014’s Serena, Signe Sejlund, brings the most memorable ensembles from these former first ladies to our screens.
In an interview Sejlund did with the TV network on Instagram, the costume designer said, “This show is so extremely big. This is a historic document, and it’s not a documentary,” she says. “Each one of them so interesting. There are certain looks of all these first ladies that are so iconic that you have to match it.”
According to the New York Times, each actress made approximately 75 costume changes throughout the series. With Carol Rasheed as the makeup department head, each actress had her own personal artist tending to their transformational needs.
Rasheed told Harper’s Bazaar, “It was just a makeup artist’s dream, to be honest with you. I am so ecstatic about the opportunity that I got with this, to be able to bring this team on and be able to help tell the story through the lens of makeup artists.”
Having premiered Sunday 17, new episodes of the historical drama will be dropping every week. We can’t wait to watch the compelling journeys of the triumphant trio of women unfold on screens.
Gillian Anderson as Eleanor Roosevelt
Eleanor Roosevelt served as first lady from 1933 to 1945, making her the longest-presiding first lady in United States history. During her husband (played by Kiefer Sutherland) President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s four terms, Mrs. Roosevelt was considered a strident diplomat and activist, credited for her staunch championing of women’s rights and standing against segregation.
Played by Anderson, the costume department captured the era, highlighting Mrs. Roosevelt’s particular affinity for hats, while makeup artist Julie Kendrick aged Anderson just enough to look the part.
Michelle Pfeiffer as Betty Ford
Serving as first lady from 1974 to 1977, Betty Ford is credited for heightening the awareness on breast cancer, mammograms, and the many faces of addiction. Wife to the 38th President of the United States, Gerald Ford, the Betty Ford Center founder is portrayed by none other than Pfeiffer.
Replicating her various shirt dresses, silk scarves, Sejlund’s costume department duplicated the powder blue dress Mrs. Ford wore in her official portrait, and the famous yellow robe she adorned after her mastectomy. Makeup artist Valli O’Reilly’s made sure Mrs. Ford’s essence was fully captured.
Viola Davis as Michelle Obama
Chronicling Michelle Obama’s fight for gay marriage, equality, and exposing racism, Davis (who is also a producer of the series) looked the part, thin eyebrows and all. Serving as first lady from 2009 to 2017, amid her husband Barack Obama’s (played by The Handmaid’s Tale actor O-T Fagbenle) two terms as President of the United States, both the beauty and costume department put their very best foot forward.
With makeup artist Sergio Lopez-Rivera responsible for Davis’ Obama-esque uber thin brows, hair department head Louisa Anthony worked alongside the Academy Award-winning actress’ personal hairstylist Jamika Wilson, to complete her dramatic transformation.
Accurately replicating some of Mrs. Obama’s most iconic looks, designer Jason Wu came on board to recreate one of the two inaugural gowns he made for the first lady. With the original having already been donated to the Smithsonian, Wu whipped up a secondary version of the silver and white dress for the series. Keeping in line with historical accuracy, Sejlund’s costume team even purchased the very same Milly dress Mrs. Obama wore in her White House portrait. While the correct size was not available, they ordered even more fabric from the brand to complete the gown, according to the New York Times.
