Photo shows Jane Fonda transformed into Nancy Reagan

Claudine Zap

This is sure to cause '80s flashbacks. But look closely at this photo that Oprah Winfrey tweeted (also below): The couple in the picture who are ringers for Nancy and Ronald Reagan are actually Jane Fonda and Alan Rickman. They stand next to Winfrey and director Lee Daniels ("Precious"), who is filming the movie "The Butler." Winfrey's photo shows Fonda transformed into the first lady.

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The 74-year-old is appearing in the movie, a historical drama told from the perspective of the White House servant (played by Forest Whitaker) who served eight presidents in the White House, from Harry Truman through Ronald Reagan -- meaning plenty of chances for cameos from A-list actors, including Oprah Winfrey as the butler's wife.

Casting Jane Fonda as Nancy Reagan may seem to be a stretch: Fonda, the Vietnam War protester, taking on the iconic conservative first lady. But physically, Fonda and Reagan share wide-set eyes, high cheekbones, long faces and cropped hair. In the photo, Fonda's face appears flat, with almost no eyelashes, her hair swept into the helmet-head style favored by Reagan.

Fonda's eyebrows arch up, and her red lips are pressed together in a tight smile. Wearing statement jewelry and signature red: That's Nancy Reagan, all right. In his blog in the 'Village Voice,' Michael Musto posted the photo and noted, "Let me tell you, I just got a chill." While Reagan fans may take issue with the liberal activist channeling the conservative, Fonda took to her website to note that Nancy Reagan approved of the casting choice.

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The Oscar winner wrote on her site as filming began, "I'm excited about this. I feel very ready to take her on. ... I know that she (Nancy) is pleased that I am playing her. I know this because a friend of mine, writer Annette Tapert, was at a party given for her ... birthday. I asked Annette to tell Ms. Reagan I was honored to be playing her."