Viola Davis Is Set to Play Michelle Obama in Upcoming First Ladies Series & YES!

We can’t remember the last time we were so excited about a casting choice — and frankly, we’re livid that this series doesn’t yet have a release date. Viola Davis will play Michelle Obama in new Showtime series First Ladies, and we can’t imagine anyone better to capture the stunning good looks, charisma and all-around awesomeness of our favorite First Lady of all time. While our hearts definitely broke hearing that Davis will be wrapping up her tenure as Annalise Keating on How to Get Away With Murder, we’d say this is a pretty good consolation prize.

First Ladies will be a one-hour drama anthology series, and it’s currently in development. The series will look at many of America’s First Lady figures, including Michelle Obama, Eleanor Roosevelt and Betty Ford. While additional information on how the series will play out is scarce, we do have access to the show’s logline, as follows: “In the East Wing of the White House, many of history’s most impactful and world changing decisions have been hidden from view, made by America’s charismatic, complex and dynamic First Ladies. This series will peel back the curtain on the personal and political lives of our most enigmatic heroes.” Count us in!

.@violadavis is set to portray former First Lady Michelle Obama in #FirstLadies on @Showtimehttps://t.co/3haqglymR9

— Deadline Hollywood (@DEADLINE) August 26, 2019

Since the announcement broke, Twitter has been jumping up and down to express its support for this casting decision. “Give Viola her Emmy already!” one tweet reads. “She’s perfect for the role,” another adds, tacking on a heart emoji. A third keeps things short and sweet: “Correct,” Katherine Clark Gray writes.

Proud to spotlight these brave, extraordinary women! #FirstLadieshttps://t.co/Q5WktTR4sX

— Viola Davis (@violadavis) August 26, 2019

Davis herself chimed in on Twitter too, writing the following: “Proud to spotlight these brave, extraordinary women! #FirstLadies.” Of course, her response is gracious, and — dare we say — presidential? Yet more proof that she’s the perfect pick to play Michelle Obama (and we can’t wait until Michelle herself weighs in!).