Underwood joined the cast as Malia Obama in a recurring role. On March 10, 2021, nine more joined the cast, including Derek Cecil as Donald Rumsfeld, Aya Cash as Esther Liebowitz, Jake Picking as Gerald Ford (young), Cayden Boyd as Michael Ford, Marc Hills as Jack Ford, Ben Cook as Steven Ford, Leslie Kritzer as Martha Graham, Thomas E. Sullivan as Bill Warren, and Patrice Johnson Chevannes as Clara Powell. On April 13, 2021, Regina Taylor joined the cast in a series regular role as Marian Shields Robinson, while Saniyya Sidney, Julian De Niro and Evan Parke joined the cast in recurring roles as Sasha Obama, young Barack Obama and SS Allen Taylor, respectively. In June 2021, Gloria Reuben and Kate Mulgrew joined the cast as Valerie June Jarrett and Susan Sher, while Rosalind Chao, Michael Potts, Kathleen Garrett and Donna Lynne Champlin joined in recurring capacities. In July 2021, Kiefer Sutherland and Lily Rabe joined the main cast as Franklin D. Roosevelt and Lorena Hickok, respectively, while Ellen Burstyn, Eliza Scanlen, Cailee Spaeny, Clea DuVall and Charlie Plummer joined the cast in recurring roles. In August 2021, Jackie Earle Haley, Maria Dizzia, and Jeremy Bobb were cast in recurring capacities. The series premiered on April 17, 2022 on Showtime and Paramount+ Internationally in 2022. On August 1, 2022, Showtime canceled the series after one season. Filming On February 25, 2021, it was announced that filming had begun in Covington, Georgia. Reception Critical response The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reported a 41% approval rating with an average rating of 6.00/10, based on 44 critic reviews. The website's critics consensus reads, "Despite formidable stars and a rich history to draw from, a lack of focus and shallow characterization make The First Lady second-rate television." Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned a score of 50 out of 100 based on 22 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews". Accolades Ratings References External links 2022 American television series debuts 2022 American television series endings 2020s American anthology television series 2020s American drama television series 2020s American LGBT-related drama television series 2020s American political television series American political drama television series English-language television shows Showtime (TV network) original programming Television series by Lionsgate Television Television shows filmed in Georgia (U.S. state) Television shows set in Washington, D.C. Cultural depictions of first ladies of the United States Cultural depictions of Hillary Clinton Cultural depictions