Laura Benanti
Biography
Laura Benanti (born July 15, 1979) is an American actress and singer. Over the course of her Broadway career, she has received five Tony Award nominations. She played Louise in the 2008 Broadway revival of Gypsy, winning the 2008 Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical. In 2016 she starred in She Loves Me as Amalia Balash, which was televised. She played Elsa Schräder in the 2013 NBC television production of The Sound of Music Live!, appeared as Sadie Stone in Nashville in 2014 and 2015 and that same year began playing twin sisters Alura and Astra in the TV series Supergirl. Beginning in 2017, Benanti appeared as Edie Randall in the TBS comedy The Detour. Since 2016, she has had a recurring role as First Lady Melania Trump on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.
Also Known As
Movie Appearances
She Loves Me: Behind the Curtain
as Self
2017
Take the Lead
as Tina
2006
tick, tick... BOOM!
as Judy
2021
Meskada
as Allison Connor
2010
Reopening: The Broadway Revival
as Self
2022
Goodrich
as Naomi
2024
Sondheim! The Birthday Concert
as Self
2010
The Sound of Music Live!
as Baroness Elsa Schrader
2013
Becoming Benanti: The Role of a Lifetime
as Self (pre-recorded video)
2022
No Hard Feelings
as Allison Becker
2023
The Shade
as Renee Beckman
2024
Falling for Grace
as Alexandra
2006
She Loves Me
as Amalia
2016
Stephen Colbert's Live Election Night Democracy's Series Finale
as Melania Trump
2016
Everything's Going to Be Great
as Tallulah Bankhead
2025
Tangled: Before Ever After
as Lady Caine (voice)
2017
Broadway's Lost Treasures III: The Best of The Tony Awards
as Cinderella (segment "Into the Woods") (archive footage)
2005
Worth
as Karen Donato
2021
Here Today
as Francine
2021
Laura Benanti: Live From the West Side
2020
TV Appearances
Eli Stone
as Beth Keller
2008
Starved
as Billie Frasier
2005
Tamron Hall
as Self - Guest
2019
Supergirl
as Alura Zor-El / Astra
2015
Younger
as Quinn Tyler
2015
Go On
as Lauren Schneider
2012
The Playboy Club
as Bunny Carol-Lynne
2011
Elementary
as Anne Barker
2012
Gossip Girl
as Kiki Hope
2021
Ziwe
as Jane
2021
Ziwe
as Fake Ziwe
2021
Supergirl
as Alura Zor-El
2015