The pandemic may have put a halt on a number of film productions, but out in Oklahoma, the cast and crew of the forthcoming Ronald Reagan biopic is hard at work. And now we’ve learned who will be playing the former first lady Nancy Reagan.
According to the Hollywood Reporter, which broke the story, Reagan is an indie film by Soul Surfer director Sean McNamara in production with Rawhide Pictures. It explores the former president’s life through the eyes of a fictional KGB agent as he tracks Reagan from his days of acting all the way up to his time in the White House. Dennis Quaid stars as Reagan and Jon Voight will play the Russian spy. As for Nancy Reagan, she will be played by Hollywood veteran Penelope Ann Miller.
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Miller followed up on the news of her role with a live announcement on the Today Show.
Excited to be playing #NancyReagan in the biopic feature film #Reagan opposite #dennisquaid announced @TODAYshow https://t.co/VKhoXFXojc
— Penelope Ann Miller (@PenelopeAMiller) October 14, 2020
Nancy Reagan, who passed away in 2016, was a former actress and the president’s second wife. During her two-term tenure as the first lady, she made drug awareness a signature initiative. She is credited with coining the ’80s catchphrase “Just Say No.”
Miller, a Golden Globe nominee, is a veteran actress who previously starred in Carlito’s Way, Kindergarten Cop, and ABC’s American Crime. According to her Twitter account, the role provides her with “pretty big (or little ????) shoes to fill!”