Viola Davis opens up about playing Michelle Obama on ‘Jimmy Kimmel’

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This week acting powerhouse Viola Davis opened up about all the pressures implied with playing Michelle Obama.

“I’m terrified,” the Emmy winner confessed Thursday during an appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live.

Back in August it was reported that after bidding farewell to her award-winning role on How To Get Away With Murder, which just started it’s final season, Davis has signed on to portray Obama in an upcoming series at SHOWTIME entitled First Ladies. The show is still currently in development at the premium network and will be a one-hour drama written and executive produced by Aaron Cooley.

Variety reports, that the series will look at the personal and political lives of our nation’s First Ladies from throughout our country’s history. Season One will focus three dynamic president’s wives of note: Eleanor Roosevelt, Betty Ford and Michelle Obama.

Davis said the script for the ambitious project is wonderful, but she’s very keenly aware of how high expectations are for her to do the former FLOTUS justice.

“I don’t care what else I’ve done in my life ― I won an Emmy, I won an Oscar, two Tonys ― but if I mess this up, this’ll be the defining moment in my life,” she informed host Kimmel.

She then went on to joke that a part of her is waiting for her publicist “to call and say, ’Hold the line, it’s Michelle Obama ― to cuss your ass out.’”

“Listen, I don’t want to make my people mad,” she concluded.

Check out the humorous but candid sit down, below.