Kate Mulgrew to portray former Michelle Obama Chief of Staff Susan Sher in Showtime’s The First Lady
Kate Mulgrew (left), Susan Sher (center) and former First Lady Michelle Obama (right)
JUNE 9, 2021 - A unique anthology series examining American leadership through the eyes of important women in White House history has recruited a Star Trek leader to help tell the story, according to Deadline.com. On Tuesday it was announced that Star Trek: Voyager’s Captain Janeway, Kate Mulgrew, will have a recurring role in The First Lady, a new Showtime series that focuses during its first season on the lives of Eleanor Roosevelt, Betty Ford, and Michelle Obama. Mulgrew will be playing Susan Sher, a longtime friend of the Obamas who became Chief of Staff in the Office of the First Lady during the Obama Administration.
Created by author and screenwriter Aaron Cooley, season one of The First Lady features Viola Davis as Michelle Obama, and also stars Gillian Anderson as Eleanor Roosevelt and Michelle Pfieffer as Betty Ford. Oscar-winning producer Cathy Shulman serves as showrunner, and the appointment of Golden Globe and Emmy-winning director Susanne Bier to helm the series elicited praise from Mulgrew, who tweeted, “[Susanne Bier] is uniquely qualified to direct women who have carved singular paths - her style is wildly creative, completely original.” Mulgrew also praised the women who will bring the First Ladies to life, and expressed gratitude for the opportunity to help share their stories, adding, “Excited to assist in the telling of @MichelleObama’s #FLOTUS journey as her accomplished chief of staff Susan Sher.”
It is extremely gratifying to work with such extraordinary women - @violadavis is a force of nature & @DirSusanneBier is uniquely qualified to direct women who have carved singular paths - her style is wildly creative, completely original. (1/2) https://t.co/deDpIgeyZM
— Kate Mulgrew (@TheKateMulgrew) June 9, 2021
Filming for the series began earlier this year, but no premiere date has been set. You can read more about The First Lady by visiting Showtime’s website, at sho.com.
Jack Brown is a contributing writer for Daily Star Trek News on the Roddenberry Podcast Network. Jack teaches at a small film school in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and also helps to manage his wife's career as a novelist and speaker. In his spare time he writes fiction, cooks, and watches classic movies.
