WHO’S WHO IN MRS AMERICA

Mrs America is based on the battle for the Equal Rights Amendment in the 1970s with some of the world’s biggest stars taking lead roles.

PHYLLIS SCHLAFLY

Phyllis Schlafly (Cate Blanchett) was a conservative campaigner who led the grassroots resistance against the Equal Rights Amendment. She was described by Donald Trump as a “true patriot” when he spoke at her funeral in 2016.

BELLA ABZUG

Bella Abzug (Margo Martindale) was a civil rights lawyer and Democratic congresswoman. She campaigned against the Vietnam War and was on Richard Nixon’s “enemies list.” She clashed with colleagues over campaign tactics.

BETTY FRIEDAN

Betty Friedan (Tracey Ullman) was credited with sparking a new wave of feminism in the ’60s with her book The Feminine Mystique, which examined the plight of the American housewife. She co-founded the National Organisation for Women, which organised protests for equality.

GLORIA STEINEM

Campaigning journalist Gloria Steinem (Rose Byrne) remains one of the most influential voices in gender equality.

She made her name by going undercover to expose conditions.

JILL RUCKELSHAUS

Jill Ruckelshaus (Elizabeth Banks) was a Republican activist appointed in 1975 by President Gerald Ford as the head of commission on women’s rights.

SHIRLEY CHISHOLM

Shirley Chisholm (Uzo Aduba) was the first black woman to seek the presidential nomination for a major political party, running for the Democratic nomination in 1972. She was also the first black woman elected to Congress.