Gillian Anderson to play Eleanor Roosevelt in The First Lady anthology

Gillian Anderson is bouncing from U.K. Prime Minister to U.S. First Lady after signing up to play Eleanor Roosevelt in an upcoming anthology series.

The X-Files star, who played Margaret Thatcher on The Crown, has joined fellow 2021 Golden Globe nominees Viola Davis and Michelle Pfeiffer in the upcoming Showtime drama The First Lady.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Aaron Cooley's series will focus on America's leading ladies Roosevelt, Betty Ford, and Michelle Obama.
Pfeiffer will play Ford, while Davis, who also serves as a producer for the Showtime series, will portray Obama.

Aaron Eckhart, Rhys Wakefield, and Judy Greer are attached to supporting roles.

"Gillian Anderson is an actress of incredible range and exquisite talent - she is the perfect choice to complete this powerhouse trio, who will inhabit the roles of these iconic women," said Amy Israel, the executive vice president of scripted programming for Showtime Networks.

“It’s inspiring to have Gillian, Viola Davis, Michelle Pfeiffer, Susanne Bier and Cathy Schulman at the forefront of The First Lady. They have truly set the stage for a landmark Showtime series," she went on.

The first lady of the U.S. from 1933-45, Roosevelt was the longest woman to occupy the role in history as her husband, Franklin D. Roosevelt, led the country through the Great Depression and the Second World War.

An outspoken political figure who was passionate about civil rights, Roosevelt has been portrayed on screen by multiple actresses including Olivia Williams in 2012's Hyde Park on Hudson, Jane Alexander in 1976's Eleanor and Franklin, and Eileen Heckart in 1979 NBC miniseries Backstairs at the Whitehouse. She was also voiced by Meryl Streep in the 2014 documentary series The Roosevelts: An Intimate History.