Michelle Pfeiffer as Betty Ford? We're so ready!
Thursday, January 21, 2021 at 7:00PM by Nathaniel R
As all of you pfans now, Michelle Pfeiffer is not easy to pin down. She's been skittish about projects for her entire career, regularly turning down big deal stuff. That became especially true after the mid 90s when she turned her attention to raising her two children and only sporadically made movies, taking some very long breaks from cameras. With the kids left for college she finally started acting again. Her return has been pretty slow but it's now speeding up. Her renewed public profile began with the launch of her perfume line "Henry Rose" and a wonderful Instagram account (social media is not something we ever thought she'd embrace!). We're now in the middle of French Exit's awards run (we're crossing our pfingers hard for a Globe nomination as they've historically loved her more than Oscar voters have). There's so much Pfeiffer to enjoy lately including an amazing new interview with George Clooney in which she reveals she feels exactly the opposite as critics do when it comes to what she thinks are her best performances, and a long conversation with Scott Feinberg at the Hollywood Reporter.
Now comes news that she's signed on for the Showtime series The First Lady to be directed by Danish director and Oscar winner Susanne Bier. Emmy nomination #2 here she comes! The anthology series will reportedly focus on multiple first ladies per season...
First up are Eleanor Roosevelt (no news on casting yet), Michelle Obama (Viola Davis), and Betty Ford (Michelle Pfeiffer). This news is exciting in at least three ways. First, La Pfeiff and Bier have long talked about working together but nothing ever came of it. In fact, several years ago I ran into Bier at TIFF and asked her specifically about this potential collaboration. She was tight-lipped but would only confirm that they were talking about something (that something obviously never materialized). Second Bier is 2-2 on her television projects, delivering major hits with both The Night Manager (2016) and The Undoing (2020).
Third, Betty Ford is a great role. She was a very active and outspoken First Lady -- often at odds with her own party (Republican) given her frank demeanor and her stances on abortion and the ERA. Her legacy is large having changed the nation's thinking about addiction by revealing her own struggles while she was in the White House. Can you imagine the impact that must have had at the time? Five years after leaving the White House she opened the Betty Ford Center for people struggling with alcohol and drug addictions.
Can we please get a scene at Studio 54 with Betty hanging out with Liz and Liza? Is this too much to ask?
Reader Comments (27)
Looking forward to this!
Gena Rowlands won an Emmy for playing Betty Ford in the 80s. :)
I can't think of anyone but Joan Allen for Pat Nixon or Sigourney who could do with some meaty roles and Tilda Swinton for Eleanor.
Viola as Michelle Obama?! Sorry but no, just no.
Yeah, Viola Davis as Michelle Obama, I can not see.
Wish this were a theatrical since we want an Oscar for Michelle. An Emmy is nice but that's not what we're really here for now is it?
Michelle Pfeiffer as Betty Ford? SHUT THE FUCK UP AND TAKE MY MONEY!!!!!!
Davis could make a great Obama. She's one year younger, which, considering she'll likely be playing Obama ten years ago, makes her almost a decade older than would be ideal, give or take, but makeup and lighting can do wonders. She actually kind of looks like her. Davis often dresses down for films. With this one she'll get to glam it up a bit.
This project sounds so promising, and I'm most excited for the Betty Ford sequence.
Very excited for this project and all the great actresses who could get meaty roles from it and of course I'm ecstatic to see that Michelle has another role lined up! Hopefully this is the start of a new productive phase for her.
I guess this show is trying to be America's answer to The Crown?
Please, Michelle! Tell me it ain't so! Are your going the way of Meg Ryan and Melanie Griffith? Those inflated lips give me pause. Just look at what Botox did to THEIR careers!
@Marcos I have always used plastic surgery. Right from the early 80's
I'm so excited about this! She's on a roll with her last few projects (Where is Kyra, The Wizard of Lies, French Exit, mother).
Please don't get mad like you did with Kidman, but isn't she totally wrong for the part?
This is great news for michelle. Funny as Suzanne bier was mentioned when michelle wanted to make chasing Montana in 2003. She also was part of the undoing with David e kelley Michelle's husband.
I wonder what actress they will cast as Eleanor Roosevelt? Sarah Paulton? Nicole kidman? Joan Allen? Sigourney weaver? Julianne Moore?
Viola Davis playing Michelle Obama. Here they chose someone famous instead of someone more appropriate for the role. You can have both, but this is not the case here.
Regina King would have been a great Michelle Obama (and she's famous).
I'm very excited for Michelle as Betty Ford, though. I hope the series covers her relapse into alcoholism after Ford's defeat and her recovery. It's such an inspiring story (and yes, could be fertile ground for an Emmy).
Jules - Yes! Regina King perfect! And she looks like Michelle Obama.
King would be a better fit or maybe someone less famous Lisa Gay Hamilton or Kimberly Elise.
Dear Nathaniel,
Thank you very very much for the podcast link with the interview with Pfeiffer. I just listened to it and it was a joy to hear Pfeiffer herself commenting on her filmography.
I would have thought they'd go with Lupita or the aforementioned Regina King for Michelle Obama. Oh well.
Betty Ford was amazing for the times. Much more of a "celebrity" than her husband, and she really put it to good use. Definitely should be a major role for Pfeiffer.
I was just thinking that Alison Brie could be a really good Edith Wilson. I'm going to hope for that, even though I think it's pretty unlikely to come to fruition.
How in the hell do Regina King,Lupita N'yongo,lisa gay hamilton or kimberly elise look like Michelle Obama????!!!! I mean....use another argument!! You criticize a Black actor for not transforming and they find those roles to transform and suddenly there're vacuous statements like,"She doesn't look like Michelle Obama"!!! Well....hell....neither do the others!!! In skin tone,features....They're all fabulous actresses but....damn. And really? Someone less famous. Do we do that to White actresses? They've won awards,gotten multi million dollar salaries,dozens of movies but.....My God! The double standards!! You're talking about a dark skinned actress aged 55 who played a lot of lawyers,urban mamas because THAT'S what's available to her!! And I don't want to hear other examples of what other actresses of color you think are better if you know nothing about colorism. If ANY of those actresses are lighter than a paper bag,their opportunities FAR superseded Ms Davis'!!! It's called ACTING for a reason!! Allow actors of color to do that.
Very exciting project and role for Pfeiffer! I could have also seen someone like Melissa Leo as Betty Ford.
Guess Jackie's story has been told so many times that the omission is understandable. But Hillary's would make for a very interesting season.
I would like to see Annette Bening or Cynthia Nixon as Eleanor.
Meryl Streep as Eleanor Roosevelt
I think you meant to write 'Michelle Pfeiffer as Betty Pford'.
Close as Roosevelt
She's totally wrong for the part but this is not the right site to say so.