Viola’s depiction of Michelle Obama in Showtime’s new series “The First Lady” had people talking following the premiere. The Oscar winner’s portrayal of Michelle Obama had fans completely shocked! Viewers were confused over the way Viola is talking and exaggerating her lips. Fans immediately took to social media to tease her the star’s acting skills.
“They set Viola Davis up by allowing her keep her mouth that way throughout the filming. It’s so cringey and distracting,” one user tweeted.
Another person chimed in, “I love viola davis but I cant take this First Lady thing seriously. The mouth thing looks like satire and she literally could’ve done without doing it the whole time. That’s not how Michelle always looks or talks anyways.”
“The First Lady” follows three wives of presidents across different decades; Barack Obama, Franklin D.Roosevelt and Gerald Ford.
“She said to me, ‘I’m not an angry person,’” Davis recalled after talking with Michelle. “So what I really wanted to do with my performance was to protect her, to honor her, and not be the perception that black women are angry and hostile.”
She continued, “Michelle Obama was the first black woman in the White House, and she was perceived to be angry, hostile, overly masculine, and not feminine enough. There is so much scrutiny that first ladies have to deal with.”
New episodes of “The First Lady” air Mondays at 9 p.m. ET on Showtime.
