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.
Known For
Everything's Going to Be Great
Tallulah Bankhead
2025
Kinda Pregnant
Daisy's Mom
2025
Goodrich
Naomi
2024
The Shade
Renee Beckman
2024
Elsbeth
Nadine Clay · (2 episodes)
2024
No Hard Feelings
Allison Becker
2023
Would I Lie to You?
Self · (1 episode)
2022
Becoming Benanti: The Role of a Lifetime
Self (pre-recorded video)
2022
The Gilded Age
Susan Blane · (3 episodes)
2022
Reopening: The Broadway Revival
Self
2022
Slugfest
Louise Simonson · (10 episodes)
2021
tick, tick... BOOM!
Judy
2021
Worth
Karen Donato
2021
Gossip Girl
Kiki Hope · (22 episodes)
2021
Ziwe
Jane · (1 episode)
2021
Ziwe
Fake Ziwe · (1 episode)
2021
Ziwe
(1 episode)
2021
Here Today
Francine
2021
Homeschool Musical: Class of 2020
Self - Host
2020
Laura Benanti: Live From the West Side
2020
Stars in the House
Self · (2 episodes)
2020
Stars in the House
Self - Host · (1 episode)
2020
Tamron Hall
Self - Guest · (1 episode)
2019
She Loves Me: Behind the Curtain
Self
2017
Tangled: Before Ever After
Lady Caine (voice)
2017
Stephen Colbert's Live Election Night Democracy's Series Finale
Melania Trump
2016
She Loves Me
Amalia
2016
The $100,000 Pyramid
(1 episode)
2016
Match Game
Self - Panelist · (1 episode)
2016
The Detour
Edie · (11 episodes)
2016
Supergirl
Alura Zor-El / Astra · (7 episodes)
2015
Supergirl
Alura Zor-El · (3 episodes)
2015
The Late Show with Stephen Colbert
Self · (4 episodes)
2015
Younger
Quinn Tyler · (18 episodes)
2015
Russian Broadway Shut Down
2014
The Sound of Music Live!
Baroness Elsa Schrader
2013
Elementary
Anne Barker · (1 episode)
2012
Go On
Lauren Schneider · (22 episodes)
2012
The Playboy Club
Bunny Carol-Lynne · (3 episodes)
2011
Sondheim! The Birthday Concert
Self
2010
Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown
Candela
2010
Meskada
Allison Connor
2010
The Good Wife
Renata Ellard · (2 episodes)
2009
Royal Pains
Shelby Shackelford · (8 episodes)
2009
Life on Mars
Denise Carling · (1 episode)
2008
Eli Stone
(3 episodes)
2008
Falling for Grace
Alexandra
2006
Take the Lead
Tina
2006
Broadway's Lost Treasures III: The Best of The Tony Awards
Cinderella (segment "Into the Woods") (archive footage)
2005
Starved
Billie Frasier · (7 episodes)
2005
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
Maria Grazie · (9 episodes)
1999
Tony Awards
Self - Nominee · (1 episode)
1956
Tony Awards
Self - Winner · (1 episode)
1956
Tony Awards
Self - Performer · (2 episodes)
1956