Alfre Woodard is slated to play the first Black female President of the free world in NBCs drama pilot State of Affairs.
In what has been described as Scandal meets the West Wing, Woodward will be playing President Roberta Payton opposite Katherine Heigl (Grey’s Anatomy).
The drama revolves around a maverick CIA officer Charlie Whitney Tucker (Heigl) who was plucked from the field to become the president’s daily briefer, assuming responsibility for targeting America’s most critical threats. She is also the ex-girlfriend of the president’s late son.
On TV we’ve had Black presidents and we’ve had female presidents but a Black female president is a first, who better than the award winning actress to play the role. Woodard whose recent role was in 12 Years a Slave has four Emmy wins and a whole bunch of nominations. State of Affairs will be Woodard’s return to the NBC family after starring in the award-winning Hill Street Blues.
Here’s hoping that the President isn’t involved in any sleazy love triangles like Olivia Pope on Scandal and Mary Jane on Being Mary Jane. Those shows seem to have cornered the market on that. It would be really great to see a Black female character that is not defined by the men around her. Here’s hoping.
