Showtime's The First Lady Cast Side by Side With Real People
See the Cast of "The First Lady" Next to Their Real-Life Counterparts
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Betty Ford was born Elizabeth Anne Bloomer in 1918. As a child, she had a passion for dance, which stayed with her for years. She joined a dance troupe as a young woman but eventually gave it up in favour of teaching kids to dance instead. She married William C. Warren, a travelling businessman, and together they lived an on-the-road lifestyle, which she didn't love. They divorced, after which she met Gerald Ford, and they wed in 1948.
As her husband's political career grew, Betty took on the role of not only his wife and parent of their children, but his counselor when he needed it. In 1974, Betty became the first lady when Gerald was promoted from vice president to president following Richard Nixon's resignation amid fallout over the Watergate scandal. She was quite the modern voice as a first lady, speaking out in support of women's rights issues like divorce and abortion. Though she ruffled some feathers, she was overall well-liked.
Throughout much of her adult life, Betty struggled with opioid addiction, which got worse after she left the White House. After going to rehab and working on herself, she dug into figuring out how she could help others struggling with substance abuse disorder. She created the Betty Ford Centre to help those struggling with addiction, most especially women.
Betty died in 2011 and was buried alongside her husband, who died five years prior.