uzo aduba to portray shirley chisholm in fx series

Uzo Aduba is slated to portray Shirley Chisholm in FX’s new limited series, Mrs. America.

Mrs. America tells the story of the movement to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA), and the unexpected backlash led by a conservative woman named Phyllis Schlafly, played by Cate Blanchett. Through the eyes of the women of that era — both Schlafly and second-wave feminists Gloria Steinem, Betty Friedan, Shirley Chisholm, Bella Abzug and Jill Ruckelshaus — the series explores how one of the toughest battlegrounds in the culture wars of the 70s helped give rise to the Moral Majority and forever shifted our political landscape.

So far, Rose Byrne will play Gloria Steinem, John Slattery will play Fred Schlafly, and Tracey Ullman will play Betty Friedan, among several others. The nine-episode limited series was written by Dahvi Waller who will also serve as the series’ showrunner. Stacey Sher, Waller, Coco Francini, Anna Boden, Ryan Fleck, and Blanchett have signed on to executive produce.

Aduba’s portrayal will be the second this year, following Viola Davis who portrays her in a film for Amazon Studios, which she also executive produces.