- Born
- Birth nameLaura Ilene Vidnovic
- Nickname
- La-La
- Height5′ 8″ (1.73 m)
- Tony® Award-winner and five-time Tony® Award nominee Laura Benanti is a highly celebrated stage and screen actress. Benanti recently co-starred in the hit film NO HARD FEELINGS with Jennifer Lawrence and Matthew Broderick and guest stars in Max's GILDED AGE, Hulu's LIFE & BETH (created by and starring Amy Schumer), and ELSBETH on CBS.
Benanti earned rave reviews for her portrayal of a grieving widow in Netflix's film WORTH, starring opposite Michael Keaton, Stanley Tucci, and Amy Ryan. She will be seen later this year in the film GOODRICH, opposite Michael Keaton and EVERYTHING'S GOING TO BE GREAT with Bryan Cranston and Allison Janney.
Ms. Benanti's iconic impression of Melania Trump on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert is widely praised. Other TV work includes YOUNGER, ZIWE, GOSSIP GIRL, SUPERGIRL, NASHVILLE and INSIDE AMY SCHUMER (among many others).
In the theater, Ms. Benanti took Broadway by storm at the age of 18 as Maria in THE SOUND OF MUSIC and has subsequently starred in ten more Broadway shows (musicals, straight plays, comedies, and dramas) including INTO THE WOODS, NINE (opposite Antonio Banderas), GYPSY (for which she won a Tony Award), SHE LOVES ME, MY FAIR LADY, and Steve Martin's METEOR SHOWER opposite Amy Schumer and Keegan-Michael Key.
This year, Ms. Benanti debuted her highly celebrated solo comedy show LAURA BENANTI: NOBODY CARES, which she created, wrote, and starred in. This New York Times critic pick is available for streaming on Audible.
- IMDb mini biography by: Untitled
- SpousesPatrick Brown(November 15, 2015 - present) (2 children)Steven Pasquale(September 16, 2007 - 2013) (divorced)Chris Barron(July 25, 2005 - 2006) (divorced)
- ChildrenElla Rose Benanti-Brown
- ParentsLinda Wonneberger
- Her father Martin Vidnovic is an actor. As was mother Linda who is now Laura's vocal coach. Stepfather Sal Benanti is a psychologist.
- Can be heard in the role of Jennie Brinker, the hero's money-hungry wife, in the studio cast recording of Rodgers and Hammerstein's "Allegro".
- Refuses to work with Zachary Levi ever again.
- Has two daughters Ella Rose (b February 14, 2017) and Louisa Georgia (b. July 9, 2022). with her husband Patrick Brown.
- A celebrated theatre actress, she made her Broadway debut as an ensemble member and later as Maria von Trapp in the 1998 revival of The Sound of Music.
- [on Melissa Benoist] She is so talented and so smart and so funny and so kind and so down to earth and I just cannot say enough good things about her. I really, really love her. And I'm excited for little girls and young women to look up to her because she is a true role model.
- You know when really, really good people become very successful - it makes me feel really happy, because there are so many idiot jerks in the world who are successful. Urgh, why?
- [on Supergirl (2015)] She [Supergirl] has darkness - she's an orphan and she definitely comes up against some dark, evil powers. So I think although her life is a positive life, the world that she then enters when she becomes Supergirl can be pretty dark and creepy. But not so creepy that kids can't watch it. It's a family-friendly... Yeah, a family-friendly creepiness!
- I'll never forget reading the pilot for Glee (2009) and being like, 'Ugh, this is ridiculous'. And then it took over the world! I have terrible taste, apparently. If I read something and I think it's amazing, it will fail.
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