Laura Benanti: From Broadway to "Nashville"
Laura Benanti had no idea what she was getting into when she signed on to "Nashville."
The 35-year-old actress plays Sadie Stone, an up-and-coming country singer who signs to Highway 65, the record label owned by singing sensation Rayna James (Connie Britton). Benanti's character is very light-hearted in the first couple of episodes, but things take a turn when she becomes a victim of domestic abuse.
"I didn't know that that was going be the story line when I signed up," Benanti told CBS News. "My first episode was me riding in a car with Rayna James and being like Lady 'Dukes of Hazzard' -- and I was like, 'Oh this character's so fun!'...The writers didn't really tell me what it was going to be. And then all of a sudden, they were like, 'And so, your ex-husband comes back and punches you in the face.' And I said, 'What?!'"
Benanti admits she was skeptical about the story line at first because "it's such a tricky subject matter...I just wanted to be really careful about it." But as the plot unfolded, Benanti realized the writers handled it very sensitively.
"People respond to this character in such a major way," Benanti said. "I've had so many women write to me on Twitter, saying how this is their story and they're so happy to see it on the show. I'm sort of kicking myself for how skeptical I was about it. I was definitely vocally like, 'I don't know, you guys.' But they were absolutely right."
After a few weeks off, season 3 of ABC's "Nashville" will pick up again this Wednesday night. Although Benanti didn't reveal too much about what viewers can expect, she did say Sadie's personal situation will continue to unfold.
"Actually, there's a lot more to be seen. The climax of it has yet to be seen and it's pretty amazing," she said.
The New York City native is heard singing country music throughout the series, but Benanti actually got her start in musical theater, appearing in the 1998 Broadway revival of "The Sound of Music" while understudying for Rebecca Luker as Maria. The following year she starred in "Swing!" -- earning Benanti her first Tony nomination for best performance by a featured actress in a musical. The Tony Award-winning actress since appeared in "Into the Woods," "Nine," and "Gypsy," among other major productions. Benanti, though, who's a pro at singing in the theater, says stepping into the country music genre for "Nashville" was a little challenging at first.
She teamed with award-winning country singer-songwriter Buddy Miller for some coaching before jumping in.
"It was really important to me that I sing in an authentically country way. I did not want anyone who's a true country singer or a fan of country music to be like, 'Oh that Broadway girl sounds like she's on Broadway.' So I worked really hard to try and get an authentic country sound," said Benanti. "I feel really lucky. When I listen to those tracks, I think, 'Wow, that doesn't really sound like me.' Which is what I wanted. I wanted to sound like Sadie."
The characters Sadie and Rayna are close buds on the series, but that on-screen friendship has since turned into a real-life one, too.
"I started watching the show because I love Connie Britton so for me becoming friends is a definite plus to this amazing job. She's just a remarkable woman. She's so smart. She's so funny. She's such a good mom. She's such a wonderful actress. I just really enjoy being around her. I feel like I learn from her," she said.
Benanti, meanwhile, will soon be seen in CBS' upcoming comic book series, "Supergirl," which will center on Kara Zor-El (Melissa Benoist), Superman's cousin who escapes from Krypton amid the planet's destruction years earlier. After arriving on Earth she initially hides her superpowers, but eventually decides to embrace them -- turning her into a hero.
With her recurring role as Supergirl's biological mother, Benanti is expected to appear in flashback scenes and possibly holograms.
Meanwhile, from now through May 3, Benanti is channeling her love of theater by headlining Radio City Music Hall's "New York Spring Spectacular" alongside Derek Hough of "Dancing with the Stars" fame. Benanti, who dances alongside the Rockettes, plays a tech mogul who wants to take the world virtual.
"Over the course of the 90-minute show she essentially learns that although technology isn't going anywhere, we have to have human contact. At the end of the day there's no substitute for the real thing," Benanti said about her character in the show.
With all of the projects she has in the works -- between the Radio City gig, "Supergirl" and possibly another season of "Nashville" -- Benanti doesn't expect to slow down any time soon.
There's even a chance she could return to "The Good Wife" to revive the character of Renata Ellard, the fiancee of Colin Sweeny (Dylan Baker).
"It's great. People love the character of Colin Sweeny. I feel lucky to get to act with Dylan Baker. People really like Renata -- this character that I play. And Dylan's character hasn't killed me yet, so hopefully I'll be around again," she said.
