'Shirley': Who plays Shirley Chisholm and other politicians in popular new Netflix film?

Regina King's first film in three years, "Shirley," based on the first Black woman elected to Congress Shirley Chisholm has been creating buzz.

The biopic, starring King as Chisholm, written and directed by John Ridley, dropped on Netflix on March 22 and has been trending on the Top 10 list since.

King, in an interview with Netflix, said that she and her sister Reina King first decided to tell Shirley's story when they "realized separately and together how many people did not know who Shirley was — and these were people that we would just assume would know."

"After so many times of having that experience, we thought, 'Wait a minute, this is not right. When you hear just even the last name Chisholm, you should think Shirley'," King said.

Here's everything you need to know about "Shirley's" cast and who they are portraying.

Fact-check:How true is Regina King biopic on Shirley Chisholm, the first Black woman elected to Congress?

Regina King as Shirley Chisholm

King plays Chisholm, who was the first Black woman elected to be elected to Congress. Chisholm was a force in Congress, fighting for her constituents while facing racism and sexism. She also influenced some of today's politicians, a few of whom are shown in the film.

Chisholm was born in New York City, graduating from Brooklyn College in 1946 and later earning a Master’s degree in elementary education from Columbia University, as per History. After starting her career as a teacher, Chisholm made history in 1968 becoming the first African American to be elected to the Congress, where she worked on the Education and Labor Committee and helped form the Black Caucus.

"In 1972, she made history again by becoming the first Black woman of a major party to run for a presidential nomination," History says. "After serving seven terms in the House, Chisholm retired from office to become a teacher and public speaker."

She died on January 1, 2005 at the age of 80.

Michael Cherrie as Conrad Chisholm

Netflix describes Conrad as "Shirley’s supportive but increasingly strained husband". The two were married from 1949 to 1977, as per History.

Terrence Howard as Arthur Hardwick Jr.

Soon after her divorce from Conrad, Shirley married Arthur Hardwick Jr., a Buffalo liquor store owner and state legislator, as per the New York Times.

Christina Jackson as Barbara Lee

Jackson plays Barbara Lee, Shirley's protégée, who worked on her presidential campaign and who herself was elected to Congress in 1998. She currently serves as California’s 12th congressional district.

Lucas Hedges as Robert Gottlieb

Hedges plays Gottlieb, Shirley’s former intern, who takes leave from Cornell to be her youth coordinator, as per Netflix. Gottlieb went on to become a high-profile trial attorney "who has tried countless criminal and white-collar cases" across the country in a career spanning 40 years, his firm's official website states.

Dorian Missick as Ron Dellums

Dellums is described as one of "America’s best-known black congressmen," by The Washington Post in his obituary. He hailed from California and served as a U.S. Democratic representative from California for nearly three decades, also serving as the Mayor of Oakland at one point. Dellums was known for his strong antiwar stance and advocacy for progressive agendas such as civil rights. He died in July 2018 at the age of 82 from cancer.

W. Earl Brown as George Wallace

Wallace Jr., the son of a farmer, was an American politician and judge who served as the 45th governor of Alabama for four terms. He is described "as a villain of the civil rights era," by The Washington Post, based on his staunch segregationist and populist views.

André Holland as Walter Fauntroy

A graduate of Yale Divinity School, the Rev. Walter E. Fauntroy was a member of the House of Representatives, representing the District of Columbia in Congress. Fauntroy played a significant role in major civil rights events including the 1963 March on Washington, the Selma to Montgomery March of 1965, and the Meredith Mississippi Freedom March of 1966, according to his profile on Yale.

'Shirley' trailer

Netflix released the official trailer for the film on Feb. 19.

Saman Shafiq is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at [email protected] and follow her on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter @saman_shafiq7.