Posted in: FX, Preview, TV | Tagged: ari graynor, Bella Abzug, Betty Friedan, bleeding cool, cable, cate blanchett, elizabeth banks, era, fx, gloria steinem, james marsden, Jeanne Tripplehorn, Jill Ruckelshaus, john slattery, Kayli Carter, limited series, Margo Martindale, Melanie Lynskey, mrs. america, Phyllis Schlafly, rose byrne, Sarah Paulson, Shirley Chisholm, streaming, television, Tracey Ullman, tv, Uzo Aduba

'Mrs. America': Elizabeth Banks Joins Cate Blanchett in FX Limited Series

Adding to its already impressive cast, Elizabeth Banks (Pitch Perfect franchise, upcoming Charlie's Angels reboot) is set to join Cate Blanchett in FX's Mrs. America, from Emmy-winning writer Davhi Waller, Oscar-nominated producer Stacey Sher and FX Productions. Banks' Ruckelshaus is a pro-choice, socially progressive Republican appointed by President Gerald Ford to advance women's rights – and to keep the Republican Party from being taken over by Phyllis Schlafly (Blanchett) and the religious right.

Set to premiere on FX in 2020, the nine-episode limited series tells the true story of the movement to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment, and the unexpected backlash led by conservative woman Schlafly. 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.

Here's a look at the rest of the all-star cast:

● Uzo Aduba as Shirley Chisholm – Chisholm not only made history as the first African American Congresswoman, but also became the first African American candidate to run for President from a national political party when she launched her unprecedented 1972 campaign.

● Rose Byrne as Gloria Steinem – Steinem was the most recognizable leader of the women's movement, who co-founded Ms. Magazine and played a major part in the effort to pass the ERA.

● Kayli Carter as Pamela – Pamela, a fictional character, is a young, impressionable housewife who is an early member of Phyllis' anti-ERA movement.

● Ari Graynor as Brenda Feigen-Fasteau – A Harvard-educated lawyer, Feigen-Fasteau was a young feminist in the women's movement who co-founded Ms. Magazine with Steinem and helped the feminist effort to pass the ERA.

● Melanie Lynskey as Rosemary Thomson – Thomson was a homemaker in Schlafley's inner circle who eagerly joined her fight against the ERA.

● James Marsden as Phil Crane – Crane was a conservative congressman from Phyllis' home state of Illinois and one of her most powerful allies.

● Margo Martindale as Bella Abzug – A leading figure in the feminist movement, Abzug was a three-term Congresswoman who spearheaded the effort to pass the ERA.

● Sarah Paulson as Alice – Alice, a fictional character, is Phyllis' best friend who joins Phyllis' efforts to block the ERA.

● John Slattery as Fred Schlafy – Phyllis' husband was a prominent lawyer, GOP donor and anti-communist.

● Jeanne Tripplehorn as Eleanor Schlafly – Eleanor is Fred's unmarried sister and a close confidante of Phyllis. Eleanor is a devoted aunt to Phyllis' six children.

● Tracey Ullman as Betty Friedan – Known as the mother of the women's movement, Friedan wrote The Feminine Mystique and co-founded the National Women's Political Caucus. She was an active proponent of the ERA.

Created, written, and executive produced by series showrunner Waller and executive produced by Sher, Waller, Coco Francini, Anna Boden, Ryan Fleck, and Blanchett, Mrs. America traces the history of – and resistance to – the ERA movement. Captain Marvel writers/directors Boden and Fleck are set to direct the first two episodes of the season

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