Nancy Reagan: The Role of a Lifetime

Overview

Part of a series of portraits of past first ladies, this PBS documentary explores the political and personal lives of former first lady Nancy Reagan, who moved from Hollywood to the California governor's mansion -- and eventually the White House. While playing a behind-the-scenes but integral role in the president's policies, she also launched a campaign to "Just Say No" and later cared for her ailing husband as he suffered from Alzheimer's.

Directed by Mary Beth Durkin

Top cast

Nancy Reagan

Self (archive footage)

Judy Woodruff

Narrator

Ronald Reagan

Self (archive footage)

Details