Actor Michelle Pfeiffer has been roped in to play the role of Betty Ford, wife of President Gerald Ford, in Showtime's upcoming series The First Lady.

The show, formerly known as First Ladies, also features actor Viola Davis as Michelle Obama.

According to reports, Emmy winner Susanne Bier has come on board to direct the series.

The episodes will focus on the personal and political lives of First Ladies from throughout the history of the US. Season one will feature the life stories of Eleanor Roosevelt, Betty Ford, and Michelle Obama.

Novelist Aaron Cooley is writing the series and will also serve as the executive producer along with Cathy Schulman, Davis, and Julius Tennon of JuVee Productions, Andrew Wang, Jeff Gaspin, and Brad Kaplan.