Pop-Culturalist.com

Laura Benanti is more than just a gorgeous face with killer pipes. A Tony-winner whose luminous voice is matched by her wit and warmth, she is indisputably one of Broadway’s finest actors. After making her Broadway debut in The Sound of Music at the tender age of 18, she has since appeared in musicals like Nine, Into the Woods, Gypsy, Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown, and currently She Loves Me. She has used her talents on the small screen in Nashville and The Sound of Music Live!. (In fact, hers was the side eye that launched a thousand gifs.) Most recently, she has appeared on Supergirl and has even written her own songs. With a resume like this, we’re left to wonder: what can’t she do?

What makes Benanti the subject of this week’s “Woman Crush Wednesday” is her badass feminism, her gracious spirit, her sense of humor, and her sharp intelligence. In a world of Kim Kardashians, Laura Benanti is an effortlessly charming and refreshingly old-fashioned Audrey Hepburn. No, strike that. Laura Benanti is Laura Benanti, a sparkling original whose flawless talent is humanized by personal authenticity.

Being “authentically Laura” means she doesn’t take herself too seriously. She owns the fact that she was a Broadway geek growing up (I feel you, girl), makes her Twitter followers laugh regularly, and has created self-deprecating videos that prove how fiercely she loves her family. She’s the kind of lady-stud who reminds us that women can be funny, articulate, and unapologetic about who they are.

In being so authentic, Benanti is connected to the world around her, not aloofly above it. Indeed, Benanti isn’t afraid to identify as a feminist. She has worked to destigmatize “feminism” in a culture that still treats it as a dirty word. Exhibit A: a funny short video she wrote and directed for The Representation Project that features her friend and Nashville co-star Connie Britton (#FNL4Ever). Together, they explain what feminism has done for women:

But, “feminism” isn’t just a noun; for Benanti, it’s also a verb and something you live every day. In an interview with The Interval, Benanti recognized that being a feminist means helping out your sisters:

… [This is something] that my dad, Sal, taught me: think of life and the world as a wall and that we’re all climbing up the wall. So just put one hand in front of the other, keep your eye on the prize, and then get there. And then turn around and help the other people up– because you’re already there, so start helping. A lot of women, I think, are taught to climb with one hand and claw with the other, and then a lot of people don’t get up there that need to be. I’ve had wonderfully generous women– like Chita Rivera, like Connie Britton, like Patti LuPone– help me up. They taught me that. So now I’d like to return the favor to other actresses.

Benanti is living proof that feminism is about cooperation, not competition.

Being “authentically Laura” doesn’t always mean that everything is coming up roses. Her strength of character has given her the courage to be forthright about her own struggles. In a touching piece published in the Huffington Post in September 2015, Benanti dared to speak about what she insightfully dubbed the “Voldemort of women’s health issues”– her miscarriage. Benanti wrote the article because she was frustrated that our culture treats miscarriage as a taboo. She claimed, “Sometimes it can be helpful to know that someone out there has felt the same pain as you, and that they are holding you in their heart.” I dare you to read this piece without tearing up. By sharing her own pain, Benanti and her beautiful words have brought solace to many women who have felt alone. Writing the article could not have been easy for Benanti; but her brave choice evidences how selflessly she promotes women’s issues.

There’s so much to admire about Benanti: her gifts as a performer, her career, her voice, her humor, her intelligence– and that’s just scratching the surface. But I admire Benanti most because she has the courage to be her bright, fun, fabulous, and honest self, even though she has made a career pretending to be other people. To quote from Benanti’s lovable “The Ukulele Song”: “Have you ever tried so hard to be someone you’re not? / We do those things a lot, but it’s the only life you’ve got / to be exactly who you are– / I think you are a star.” Shine on, sister.

Laura Benanti is currently starring in Roundabout Theatre Company’s production of She Loves Me at Studio 54. Tickets are on sale through June 12, 2016.

Photo Credit: laurabenanti.com