Melissa Benoist on “Glee” and how she prepares for the series and more

Posted in: CW, Max, TV | Tagged: Arrowverse, Melissa Benoist, Supergirl

Melissa Benoist explains how “Glee” prepared her for the lead role in “Supergirl” and how the show’s audience inspired her for six seasons.

She continues to expand her resume in diverse and challenging directions – such as with the current Max series. The girls on the bus – Melissa Benoist will always be remembered for her portrayal of Kara Zor-El/Supergirl for six seasons, considered by many to be one of the staple characters of the Arrowverse (impressive considering her first season began on CBS). At a recent Collider Ladies Night, Benoist talked about how her role as Marley Rose on FOX and Robert F. Kennedy‘S Joy helped her gain the confidence and experience she needed to star in the superhero series.

“Glee taught me that I have to work really hard and do really hard things because the schedule of that show was grueling because there were so many moving parts. It was fun but it was hard. I’m sure if you had anyone else from the show here, they said the same thing. You had to rehearse the dances, you had to pre-record the songs, then you had to film the songs, and filming the songs took a lot longer. It took hours and hours and hours. And then you had to do the scene work as well,” Benoist said. “I knew Supergirl was going to bring a lot of pressure and the responsibility was going to be immense, and I think my experience on Glee gave me the belief that I had the ability to carry Supergirl.”

Although she hesitated, either Sascha Calle (Warner Bros. Discovery’s Ezra Miller-with The Lightning) or Milly Alcock (DC Studios upcoming feature film Supergirl: The Woman of Tomorrow) direct advice on how to play the hero, Benoist shared who she had in mind when she faced the challenges of Supergirl. “I think what always motivated me when working on this show was the audience and who I was making the show for. And of course I know she’s an iconic character that spans many generations of fans, but the people I was making this show for, while we were making it, were young women, and keeping that in mind, it was always palatable,” she explained.

In October 2021, Benoist met with EW‘s “Bold School” series for an in-depth interview about her appearance on the Arrowverse series, what the last few days of filming were like, and what’s next for her (including the fantasy children’s book she co-wrote, Haven’s Secret). Here are just some of the highlights:

Although Benoist is ready for a break, she is open to returning as Supergirl: “I don’t mind putting the suit on again, and I know there will probably be opportunities to do so. It would have to feel right for the character, and I know they would probably do it justice. I love acting with Grant Gustin. I love Tyler Hoechlin and Bitsie Tulloch in ‘Superman & Lois.’ So no, I don’t mind.”

Benoist would like to watch the first episode of Kevin Smith again…: “It (S02 ‘Supergirl Lives’) was like this buddy adventure, almost a bottle episode, and we did a ‘Star Wars’ homage, and we were on another planet for the first time and it was so much fun. And also working with Kevin Smith is just a blast, especially when he’s so in his element and working on sci-fi and the geeky stuff that he loves, we just had so much fun. So I would revisit that specifically because it was just a blast. We were laughing the whole time and really collaborating and improvising, which I love to do.”

… and season 1, but for different reasons: “The second scene I would love to see again was in season 1 – a lot of the first season. I don’t know if that would work because I think with the knowledge I have now, the scenes would probably be different, but there was a scene where I was confronted with my mother’s hologram for the first time. That’s a scene I would love to do again, just by feeling something different emotionally or trying different colors.”

Benoist’s favorite Arrowverse crossover memory: “You know what’s so funny about the crossovers? They were crazy and insane and so hectic and chaotic, but I had so much fun doing them. All my memories are just laughing with Grant and Tyler and Stephen (Amell) – we were just laughing our heads off and so slack and wild and just having the best time. There was a kind of electric energy. And one of my favorite moments too was when Grant Gustin and I were running in a scene (in ‘Crisis on Infinite Earths’) and we were a group and I said, ‘How about we just walk fast because I’m sick of running?’ And he walked fast and this guy is actually unusually fast! I’ve never seen anyone… It was incredible!”

Stay up to date and support the site by following Bleeding Cool on Google News today!