Former First Lady of the United States, Michelle Obama is set to guest star in the final season of Black-Ish. The news was revealed on social media by the television series’ various platforms with a photo of Mrs. Obama surrounded by the family sitcom’s main and recurring cast members. According to The Hollywood Reporter, she will play herself, however further details about the episode are not yet available.
“#blackish is going all out for the final season! We are honored to have trailblazer @michelleobama join us as an upcoming guest star,” shared the Black-ish Instagram page.
Obama shared her mutual excitement in a social media post of her own.
“I’ve long been a fan of @BlackishABC’s wit and all-around brilliance,” the New York Times bestselling author wrote on Twitter. “It was such a thrill to join in for an episode. I can’t wait for you all to see it!,” she closed with a heart emoji.
I’ve long been a fan of @BlackishABC’s wit and all-around brilliance, and it was such a thrill to join in for an episode. I can’t wait for you all to see it! ❤️ https://t.co/NsyN6KfpG4
— Michelle Obama (@MichelleObama) October 28, 2021
Additionally, Mrs. Obama will join Yara Shahidi, a member of the Black-ish cast and leading character in the spinoff Grown-ish in a new effort to share her memoir Becoming with college-aged students. According to ABC News, the two will appear on Nov. 9 at 1 p.m in conversation with students from 22 schools throughout the country. The event will air on BET at a later date.
“I can’t wait to hear from students across our country as they navigate their studies and lives during this unprecedented time,” said Obama in a statement.
She added, “As a first-generation college student myself, I remember my own struggles to manage classes and figure out my place on campus—and I can’t even imagine how much harder it is to do it during a pandemic, when so much feels like it’s constantly up in the air. I just hope they realize that moments of self-doubt and fear are completely natural, but if we embrace those moments—if we own our stories and use our voices—we can share the very best parts of ourselves with the world.”
The Kenya Barris-created Black-ish was renewed for the eighth and final season this May. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the series initially pushed for a six-episode pickup after being set for a 15-episode seventh season.
“In this day and age it is rare to get to decide when your show should come to an end, and we are grateful along with ABC to be able to make this final season exactly what we’d hoped for—and to do it with the entire and AMAZINGLY STELLAR cast coming back to close this chapter out with us the right way!” wrote Barris Friday (Oct. 29) on Instagram.
He continued, “This show has changed my life in so many ways and I am so proud of the conversations we’ve started along the way. None of this would have been possible without our audience and supporters, who have championed the show every step of the journey; allowing us to change not just the narrative of Black Families, but of Family, Culture, and and the World in general. All the while allowing us to talk about things that people were not supposed to talk about period and especially on a network television comedy.”