Gillian Anderson is moving from playing one historical figure to another.
The
X-Files star, who recently earned her sixth career Golden Globe nomination for her work as Margaret Thatcher on Netflix’s acclaimed costume drama
The Crown, will soon suit up to play Eleanor Roosevelt in
The First Lady (working title), a new series coming to Showtime that already has
Viola Davis and
Michelle Pfeiffer on board to star. The show is described as “a revelatory reframing of American leadership, told through the lens of the women at the heart of the White House.”
Anderson, who already has Emmy, Golden Globe, and Screen Actors Guild trophies on her shelf, will play Eleanor Roosevelt, the longest-serving First Lady in the history of the United States. While women have often been brushed aside during the recounting of the history of this nation, Eleanor Roosevelt has become one of the (depressingly few) female figures who is regularly highlighted in schools and lauded for her contributions. A press release describes her as “controversial for her outspokenness, particularly on civil rights, she was the first presidential spouse to hold regular press conferences, write a daily newspaper column and host a weekly radio show. She also pushed the United States to join and support the United Nations and became its first delegate.”