Here's how 20 real-life first ladies compare to the actors who have played them

Washington was in office from April 30, 1789 to March 4, 1797. She lived another five years and died in 1802 at the age of 70.

"Washington's" three episodes aired on February 16, 17, and 18, 2020, on the History Channel.

She was the first lady from March 4, 1797, to March 4, 1801. She died in 1818 at the age of 73 — she didn't live to see her son John Quincy Adams get elected in 1825.

Over the course of seven episodes in 2008, viewers watched the progression of the Adams' lives from 1770 to 1826.

Vestoff played the first lady in the original Broadway run, as well.

In the 2015 episode, Trachtenberg played an Adams that was "as historically accurate as possible, with a little twist. She is trying to catch the big bad evil that is ruining her era and becomes a profiler of sorts."

It's because she technically was never the first lady of the US, just Virginia — she died in 1782, almost two decades before her husband would be elected the third president. He never remarried.

Danner is, of course, now best known as Gwyneth Paltrow's mom.

Madison served as the first lady from March 4, 1809, to March 4, 1817 — she famously saved a portrait of George Washington when the British burned the White House down in 1814. She died in 1849 at age 81.

In 1946's "Magnificent Doll," Madison is being wooed by both Aaron Burr and her future husband James Madison.

She was the first lady from March 4, 1861, to April 15, 1865, until her husband's assassination. She lived another 17 years and died in 1882 at the age of 63.

Field received an Oscar nomination for her performance in the 2012 biographical drama.

She told Jay Leno that her weight gain "wasn't fun."

Moore was nominated for an Emmy for her performance. Her on-screen husband was played by Sam Waterston.

Back in 1988, the Christian Science Monitor wrote that Moore was "having a ball ... establishing the strong, turbulent personality of Mary." They added, "Southern accent at full throttle, she creates a shrewd ex-belle in readings full of nuance, bite, and furtive undertones that occasionally mock her listeners."

"Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter," released in 2012, is based on the horror novel of the same name, which posits that Lincoln was actually a vampire hunter.

While the real woman was known to have suffered from some form of mental illness, this version of her is bold, takes no prisoners, and is fiercely independent.

Roosevelt was the president's second wife, as his first wife Alice died in 1884. She married him in 1886, and was in the White House from September 14, 1901, to March 4, 1909. Roosevelt died in 1948 at 87 years old.

The TNT miniseries aired in July 1997 and focused on the Roosevelts' lives pre-presidency.

She was Woodrow Wilson's first wife — she was only in the White House from March 4, 1913, to August 6, 1914, before she died at age 54 of Bright's disease.

"Wilson" was released in 1944.

President Wilson remarried around a year after his first wife's death. Edith Wilson was the FLOTUS from December 18, 1915, to March 4, 1921. She's best known now as the de facto president after her husband's debilitating stroke in 1919.

She died in 1969 at 89 years old.

Fitzgerald was Irish in real life, and had to put on an American accent for the film.

Harding was in the White House from March 4, 1921, to August 2, 1923, until her husband Warren died while in office. She died just over a year later in 1924 at age 64.

"Backstairs at the White House" was a miniseries that aired on NBC in 1979 that tracked decades in the White House, from Presidents Taft to Eisenhower.

As her husband served four terms, she is also the longest-serving first lady as well — she was FLOTUS from March 4, 1933, to April 12, 1945. She lived until 1962 and died at age 78.

Yes, the Roosevelts play a semi-prominent role in "Annie," as Mr. Warbucks takes Annie to the White House to meet Eleanor and Franklin.

Alexander and Edward Herrmann were forever linked to the Roosevelts after their portrayals of Eleanor and Franklin in the beloved ABC television films, which aired in 1976 and 1977.

In "Hyde Park on Hudson," FDR is played by none other than Bill Murray.

"Another Period" was a satire on shows like "Keeping Up With the Kardashians"— except focusing on the Bellacourts, a powerful Rhode Island family in the early 1900s.

Heckart appeared in two of the four episodes.

In "Hollywood," Roosevelt pops up in episode four as a friend of Patti LuPone's character Avis.

She still holds the record as the longest-lived first lady of all time, as she lived to be 97 years and 247 days old. She died in 1982. The Trumans were in the White House from April 12, 1945, to January 20, 1953.

"Truman" was released on HBO in 1995, and starred Gary Sinise as President Truman. The New York Times called Scarwid's performance "impressive," and said her version of the first lady was "a tower of common sense."

Of course, her world was turned upside down when her husband was assassinated while sitting next to her in 1963 — but she continued to fascinate the public until her death in 1994 at age 64.

Portman was nominated for an Oscar for her performance. W Magazine called the performance "studied," and said "her unplaceable, transatlantic accent honed from watching countless hours of the First Lady on film."

Her on-screen JFK was played by James Marsden.

The film revolved around two time-travelers trying to stop the assassination of JFK.

In this iteration, JFK was played by Rob Lowe.

"I found the voice to be very difficult. We don't have much of her speaking in private. Whenever she's being interviewed on camera, she spoke in a very, very specific way. I'm not convinced that that's how she spoke in private with her husband. So that's not how I spoke in private with [Lowe]. I tried to incorporate her vocal stylings, taking into consideration the time, her time at boarding school, and her being incredibly nervous on camera. Also, I had to remember that she was a massive chain-smoker, which I am not," Goodwin told HuffPost.

The first eight episodes were released in 2011 on the Reelz Channel. In addition to Holmes, the series starred Greg Kinnear as JFK and Barry Pepper as RFK.

"After Camelot," another two episodes, was released in 2017.

According to Racked, "Katie Holmes is as close as any actress (and there have been nine of them) has come to looking like Jackie Kennedy."

In "The Crown," the Kennedys show up in an episode depicting their one and only visit to Buckingham Palace.

Slash Film called Balfour's performance "more subtle, more believable" than her on-screen husband's, played by Michael C. Hall.

The 2009 film is based on the real story of her aunt and first cousin, both named Edith Bouvier Beale — the documentary about their real lives was released in the '70s.

Johnson immediately succeeded Jackie Kennedy as first lady, and held the title from November 22, 1963, to January 20, 1969. She died in 2007 at age 94, outliving her husband by 30 years.

In the 2016 film, her on-screen husband was played by none other than Woody Harrelson. The New York Times didn't recognize Leigh until she started speaking, the makeup was that intense.

Grant is best known to audiences now, probably, as Beverly in "The Mindy Project." She called getting to play Johnson "one of my life dreams."

Leo was nominated for an Emmy and a Critics Choice Award for her performance.

The 2002 HBO film starred Michael Gambon as President Johnson.

She was first lady from January 20, 1969, to August 9, 1974, until her husband's resignation. She died in 1993 at 81 years old.

The 1995 film starred Anthony Hopkins as Richard Nixon, one of the most embattled presidents of all time. Allen was nominated for an Oscar.

"On-screen, though, with brown contact lenses and Mrs. Nixon's blond bubble hair and taut posture, the similarity is startling," the Los Angeles Times wrote of her performance.

McCormack's President Nixon was played by Frank Langella, who was nominated for an Oscar.

Ford was in office from August 9, 1974, to January 20, 1977. After her husband was out of the White House, Ford co-founded the Betty Ford Center, a rehab, in 1982. It's still operational to this day.

She died in 2011 at 93.

Rowlands, who might be best known to modern audiences as the older Allie in "The Notebook," played the first lady in the 1987 TV film. She earned an Emmy for her performance.

The Reagans were in the White House from January 20, 1981, to January 20, 1989. She died in 2006 at age 94.

Fonda was another star who appeared in "The Butler." Her on-screen was husband was played by Alan Rickman.

"I might not have always agreed with Nancy Reagan, but I admire her, and I'd never try to insert my views when playing her," Fonda told the Hollywood Reporter. "I tried to be who she was: a forceful, loyal, powerful first lady."

Taylor played the first lady in the 2001 made-for-TV film which centered around the crisis and chaos in the country after President Reagan was shot in 1981.

Davis played the FLOTUS, while James Brolin played POTUS.

Bush was the first lady from January 20, 1989, to January 20, 1993. She and President George H.W. Bush were married for 73 years before her death in 2018 at age 92.

In "W.," Burstyn mainly appears as the former first lady, as her son George W. Bush became president in 2001.

Clinton, 73, was first lady from January 20, 1993, to January 20, 2001 — but of course, she has continued to have a political career since then, as a US senator, the Secretary of State, and the 2016 Democratic presidential nominee.

"The Special Relationship" was released in 2010, and starred Dennis Quaid as President Bill Clinton. Both Quaid and Davis received Emmy and Golden Globe noms for their work.

Bush, 74, was in the White House from January 20, 2001, to January 20, 2009. She remains one of the most popular first ladies of all time.

Banks said, at the time, that she "just want[ed] to honor her voice, her stillness, and her hairstyle."

Obama, 56, was first lady from January 20, 2009, to January 20, 2017. When her husband was inaugurated, they became the first Black president and first lady in history.

"Southside with You" explores the very beginning of the Obamas' relationship — specifically, their first date.

According to the New York Times, "To prepare, [Sumpter] worked with a vocal coach to master Mrs. Obama's speech patterns, and watched videos to see how she walked and carried herself. "

• Read more:
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