Who Plays FDR On The History Channel? Meet Actor Christian McKay

May 2024 · 5 minute read

Actor Christian McKay plays FDR on the History Channel. FDR is scheduled to be released on May 29, 2023.

The three-part docuseries, FDR, tells the untold story of Franklin D. Roosevelt, one of the most influential presidents in US history.

It is executive produced by Pulitzer Prize-winner Doris Kearns Goodwin and Academy Award-nominated producer Bradley Cooper under his production company Lea Pictures and RadicalMedia.

The presidential series is based on Goodwin’s 2018 best-selling FDR biography “Leadership: In Turbulent Times.”

It opens with the president’s formative years before his presidency. The docuseries starts with his marriage to Eleanor Roosevelt, where Teddy Roosevelt is presiding as Eleanor’s uncle.

The series then charts FDR’s early political career, being distressed by polio, and how he converted his personal struggle with a disability to help people navigate the depths of the Depression.

Moreover, former Director at the Frankin D. Roosevelt Presidental Library and Museum, Paul Sparrow, joined the crew as a historical consultant.

Who Plays FDR On The History Channel?

Christian McKay plays FDR on the History Channel newest presidential docuseries. The actor appears alongside Alice Bounsall, Rufus Jones, Adrian Galley, Jack Parham, and more.

McKay is an English stage and screen actor best known for playing the role of Orson Welles in Me and Orson Weles (2008).

He was nominated for over two dozen awards, including the British Academy Film Award for Best Supporting Actor, following his remarkable performance in the 2008 drama film.

Christian made his film debut appearing as Robert in Abraham’s Point in 2008. His television appearances include portraying Pierre Monteux in the BBC TV production Riot at the Rite in 2005.

Film director Richard Linklater cast him as Welles in Me and Orson Welles after seeing him perform at the 2007 Brits Off Broadway festival.

In 2013, he appeared in the biographical drama Rush, alongside Daniel Bruhl and Chris Hemsworth. He also had a significant role in the BAFTA-nominated film Northern Soul (2014).

The same year, he played the role of Roger Penrose in the Oscar-winning biographical romantic drama film The Theory of Everything, starring Eddie Redmayne and Felicity Jones.

Other notable acting credit includes Margaret (2009), Here Lies (2014), Borgia (2011-2013), Serena (2014), Frontier (2016), Warrior (2019-2020), and Dangerous Liaisons (2022).

Born in Bury, Lancashire, he grew up with his sister Karen. He shares two children -Maximilian Sidney McKay and Aniela Rita Lynn McKay- with his former wife, Emily Allen.

Bradley Cooper is Not FDR on The Show

Cooper is not FDR on the docuseries but the co-executive producer. He and Kristen Barnett serve as executive producers for Lea Pictures.

In Partnership with Kearna, the actor’s RadicalMedia, and Lea Pictures, and in association with GroupM Motion Entertainment, the miniseries seeks to explore the backstories of FDR.

The series contributes to building on The History Channel’s vision to explore the life stories of former American presidents, the historical moments they influenced, and the inner battles they fought.

The network released the trailer of the series on March 8, 2023, where Cooper appears in the opening part and gives a short commentary about the former president and the series.

He talks briefly about the former president’s undeniable impact on American history -his presiding over one of the most challenging and consequential periods, the Great Depression and World War II.

Cooper partnered with the History Channel and Goodwin to bring to life the untold story of Roosevelt.

Meet The Cast of FDR on the History Channel

History Channel’s FDR cast consists of McKay in the title role as Franklin D. Roosevelt. Parham, Adrian Galley, Sean Cameron Michael, and Jones have significant roles in the documentary series.

The cast members of FDR on The Bradley Cooper Movie are:

When Does FDR Come Out On History Channel?

FDR is set to premiere on Monday, May 29, 2023, on History Channel. It marks the fifth installment of the channel’s successful series of presidential documentaries.

The series comes after History’s last year documentaries, Theodore Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln. Like these previous docuseries, FDR is based on the NY Times bestseller book by Goodwin.

Premiering on Memorial Day, the series will air in two-hour installments over three consecutive nights from May 29 to May 31 at 8 pm ET/PT.

It provides an epic portrait of the former President, unfolding how his own fight with polio prepared him to face the challenges of leading the US through the Great Depression and Second World War.

Viewers will experience a harrowing yet heroic time the US history when FDR stood as the right man at the right time through grit, commitment, and sacrifice to lead the nation.

The series uses dramatic narrative sequences, archival footage, expert interviews, and never-before-seen documents to chronicle Franklins’s rise as a leader at one of the most perilous moments in history.

Moreover, it showcases his early political career, his marriage to Eleanor, and pivotal historical moments, including his partnership with Winston Churchill, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.

“It’s been a dream of mine to tell the story of Franklin and Eleanor in this way, so the audience can truly know them and understand how they inspired and improved our country,” Goodwin said.

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