There’s nothing like a trip to the movies or, in this case, late-night television. On Wednesday’s episode of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Broadway favorite Laura Benanti stopped by the show as First Lady Melania Trump to shed some light on her much-talked-about new film.
During her appearance, she celebrated the “success” of the movie, which is now playing in theaters. Despite being called a documentary, she couldn’t pin down exactly which genre it belongs to. “Just like me, it is a creepy mystery,” she explained. “I play Melania, the third wife of an aging billionaire, and I am moving into a spooky old mansion called the White House, where I definitely live and sleep with my husband,” she said with a verbal “wink.”
Watch the segment, where Melania (played by Benanti) and Colbert speak more about the project, including the opening weekend, director Brett Ratner, and why her favorite song is Michael Jackson’s Billie Jean.
Benanti has been portraying the First Lady in appearances on The Late Show since 2016.
Tony Award-winner and five-time Tony Award nominee Laura Benanti is a highly celebrated stage and screen actress. Ms. Benanti has an impressive television roster including Hulu’s “Life & Beth,” created by and starring Amy Schumer, the hit series “Younger,” HBO Max’s “Gossip Girl” reboot, and the second season of HBO Max’s “The Gilded Age.” Other television credits include guest starring roles on Cinema Toast, created by Jeff Baena and produced by the Duplass Brothers, Ziwe featuring comedian Ziwe Fumudoh, both for Showtime, as well as “Inside Amy Schumer” on Paramount+ (among many others). Benanti has also made widely acclaimed appearances on “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” as Melania Trump. Additionally, Benanti created and executive produced the HBO Max special Homeschool Musical: Class Of 2020 based on her viral social media movement: #sunshinesongs.
In film, Benanti starred in Netflix’s Worth opposite Michael Keaton, Stanley Tucci and Amy Ryan, Here Today opposite Billy Crystal and Tiffany Haddish, and was featured in Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Tick, Tick…Boom!.
In the theater, Ms. Benanti took Broadway by storm at the age of 18 as Maria in The Sound of Music and has subsequently starred in ten more Broadway shows (musicals, straight plays, comedies, and dramas) including Into The Woods, Nine (opposite Antonio Banderas), Gypsy (for which she won a Tony Award), She Loves Me, My Fair Lady, and Steve Martin’s Meteor Shower opposite Amy Schumer and Keegan-Michael Key.
Additionally, Benanti co-authored a comedic board book for mothers entitled M is for MAMA (and also Merlot): A Modern Mom’s s, co-written with Metropolitan Opera Star Kate Mangiameli. She released a self-titled studio album for Sony Music Masterworks and tours the world performing solo concerts alongside highly celebrated musicians and orchestras.
Ms. Benanti’s recent films include Goodrich opposite Michael Keaton and Mila Kunis, Everything’s Going To Be Great opposite Bryan Cranston, and The Shade, based on the award-winning short of the same name.
Her comedy show, Laura Benanti: Nobody Cares, is now available to stream on Audible.
Photo Credit: Scott Kowalchyk/CBS
