The First Lady” is a series that depicts the experiences of three former US First Ladies.

Actress Viola Davis portrays Michelle Obama, the wife of former US president Barack Obama.

Many are applauding its first episode but criticizing Davis' mouth pursing in it

One fan tweeted that the mouth pursing was "cringey and very distracting."

A fan suggested that Davis could have acted normally, without pursing her lips and only changed her voice, not her mouth.

More viewers said the pursing was unnecessary and seemed more like a parody of Obama.

The series follows the stories of Betty Ford, Eleanor Roosevelt and Obama across three decades.

Davis said she studied Obama extensively through her videos, memoir, and podcasts.

She said she wanted her portrayal of Obama to honour and protect her as the first Black First Lady.