The battle for equal rights is being waged in the anticipated upcoming show Mrs. America, but the battle for our affections is taking place in the first look images for the FX limited series. Cate Blanchett transforms into conservative ’70s activist Phyllis Schlafly, who faces off against prominent feminist figures in the nine-episode limited series played by Rose Byrne, Margo Martindale, and more. See the Mrs. America first look images below.

Mrs. America First Look

Cate Blanchett is leading a legion of character actresses in Mrs. America, which chronicles the true story of the Equal Rights Amendment movement. It’s a story ripe for adaptation, and a limited series packed with Emmy potential — just look at the likeness of all the actresses in the above first images! In addition to Blanchett, we see Rose Byrne as Gloria Steinem, Margo Martindale as Bella Abzug, Tracey Ullmann as Betty Friedan, and Uzo Aduba as Shirley Chisholm. The one original character in this collection of images is Sarah Paulson as Alice, a composite character who will act as the audience surrogate to the events unfolding around the battle to get the Equal Rights Amendment passed.

The series will follow the fight to get the ERA, an amendment that would have guaranteed women legal equality to men, passed in the ’70s, a fierce battle in which Schafly was on the opposing side. The battle would give way to the rise of the Moral Majority and help shape our current political landscape. You can guarantee that this series will be equal turns inspiring and infuriating (since history doesn’t turn out so well for the ERA), and rack up tons of Emmy and Golden Globe nominations.

Additional cast includes James Marsden as Republican congressman Philip Crane, John Slattery plays Fred Schlafly, and Elizabeth Banks is Jill Ruckelshaus, a White House assistant, women’s rights activist, and wife of the former head of the EPA, William Ruckelshaus.

Here is the official Mrs. America synopsis:

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 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.

Mrs. America will air on FX in 2020.

The post ‘Mrs. America’ First Look: Cate Blanchett and All Your Favorite Character Actresses Transform Into ’70s Political Figures appeared first on /Film.