Viola Davis Is Scared To Watch ‘The First Lady,’ Fears What Michelle Obama Will Think Of Her Performance: It Keeps Me Up At Night

Viola Davis, Michelle Obama

Viola Davis Is Scared To Watch ‘The First Lady,’ Fears What Michelle Obama Will Think Of Her Performance: It Keeps Me Up At Night

Viola Davis is anxious about her portrayal of Michelle Obama.

Actress Viola Davis is afraid of what Michelle Obama will think of her performance in the upcoming Showtime series The First Lady. On Apr. 17, Davis will star as the former first lady. Although it’s nearly two months before the show’s debut, Davis said that she’s nervous.

“Let me tell you something, not only does the thought [of Michelle Obama watching the show] come to mind, it keeps me up at night,”

She continued:

“You don’t want to insult them by your portrayal… As much as we feel like we know Michelle Obama—and I did everything I could to research—there are those private moments where there’s some level of creative decision-making that you have to take.”

Viola Davis

She went on:

“I don’t know how she lays in bed with Barack or how she disciplines her children. There are small minutiae that I can just take creative license with and hope that I’m not insulting her with it. That’s what you have to navigate as an artist.”

She added:

“So yes, there’s a huge amount of fear. Huge. But that’s what we live for as artists. It’s a huge exercise in letting go and in transformation.”

Michelle Obama

The First Lady chronicles the lives of former White House matriarchs. Season 1 will follow Eleanor Roosevelt, Betty Ford, and Michelle Obama.

Do you think Viola Davis should be nervous about playing Michelle Obama? Leave us a comment and let us know!

[VIA]