First lady's acting: 'She nailed it' (Politico)

Michelle Obama showed off her acting skills in a cameo on one of her daughters? favorite shows on Monday: Nickelodeon?s ?iCarly.?

The first lady appeared on the popular kids? sitcom, which counts Sasha and Malia Obama among its many fans, to encourage support of military families, a cause she?s espoused through her Joining Forces initiative.

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Obama danced with the cast and played along as a game show contestant in the episode. And though she was playing herself, the role still required some acting chops, the ?iCarly? stars said.

?She nailed it,? actor Jerry Trainor said during a screening of the episode in Alexandria, Va., on Friday. The show?s teen star, Miranda Cosgrove, also complimented the first lady?s performance, calling her ?a good actress.?

But the small screen is nothing new for Obama, who has been using television to press her pet causes. She took part in an episode of ?Extreme Makeover: Home Edition? last summer, helping to rebuild a shelter for homeless vets. And to promote her campaign to end childhood obesity, Obama appeared on the season premiere of ?Iron Chef? in 2010.

Many of the first lady?s TV gigs have been the East Wing?s idea. ?They actually pitched us,? said Marva Smalls, a Nickelodeon executive who worked with Obama?s staff to organize the ?iCarly? appearance. The White House also approached ABC about a cameo, according to George Verschoor, executive producer of ?Extreme Makeover: Home Edition.?

Other first ladies have used television to get their messages out or to broaden their appeal, too. Laura Bush participated in an episode of ?Extreme Makeover: Home Edition? in 2005 to help victims of Hurricane Katrina. And Nancy Reagan appeared on ?Diff?rent Strokes? to raise awareness of her anti-drug campaign in 1983.

Myra Gutin, a first ladies historian at Rider University, said connecting with prime-time audiences is a wise move for Obama. ?She?s good on television,? she said. ?And these are popular programs ? ?iCarly?, ?Extreme Makeover? ? they?re going to draw people.?

But with the spotlight, comes extra scrutiny.

Critics have pounced on the first lady for the way she?s acted on-screen more than once. When Obama joked that she liked being called ?your excellency? on ?iCarly,? the line turned into a taunting headline on the Drudge Report. And some noted that Obama didn?t do enough heavy lifting on ?Extreme Makeover: Home Edition.?

Verschoor dismissed that critique, explaining that ABC determined Obama?s workload on the set: ?I don?t expect the first lady of the United States to be hanging drywall,? he said.

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