Melissa was interviewed and photographed for COVETEUR. View the interview and photoshoot below.

The Life-Changing Lesson Supergirl’s Melissa Benoist Learned From Her On-Screen Alter Ego

COVETEUR – We spoke with the actress about her mini-series Waco, crossword puzzles, and connecting to dogs.
So, a superhero enters a bar. It sounds like beginning of a way-too-corny joke that’s only mildly funny at the end, but in this case, it’s how we met Supergirl’s Melissa Benoist. Just replace the word “bar” with Toro NYC. And make the punch something about the fact that as we waited for everyone else to arrive, the actress treated herself that day’s crossword puzzle, all while looking—literally!—powerful in a kickass, all-black, leather suit.

Still, it isn’t exactly fair to *only* reference Benoist’s role on the CW hit (even if she did arrive looking quite superhero-ish). She has plenty of other big credits under her belt as well, including Glee from back in the day and, most recently, the Paramount Network’s mini-series, Waco, which airs on Wednesday nights and tells the story of the ’90s siege involving a religious cult. We spoke with Melissa on why she was initially intrigued by the role, her open struggle with anxiety, and her real-life super power (which might actually top any we’ve seen on TV).
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THE LATERALS – To say that Melissa Benoist has range is an understatement. The familiar face from Supergirl and Glee has vaulted onto a dramatic piece on Paramount Network. Benoist plays Rachel Koresh, the enigmatic wife of David Koresh, and the mini-series explores the trials and struggles of the Branch Davidians’ standoff with the Federal government. The storytelling captivates audiences with its raw look, yet approaches the couple’s relationship with a tenderness that is often misplaced. Melissa Benoist has an unrivaled gamut of strength, which cannot be tethered.
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Melissa Benoist Wants to Use Her Platform as an Actress, on Supergirl and Waco, to Remind Women That They Are Strong

W MAGAZINE – In March, it will be exactly three years since Glee, the unexpected, yet completely world-dominating a cappella TV hit, aired its final episode. But for Melissa Benoist, it feels like it was a lifetime ago.

“I was a baby,” said the actress, who appeared on the show for the final two seasons. “It was my first foray into any on camera work and I knew nothing. I was so naive. It was like a massive, ten car pile-up crash course.”

Benoist said this while sitting in a New York photo studio—a location that may be somewhat triggering of musical flashbacks; “Sometimes I’ll hear the songs [we sang] in the grocery stores, like ‘New York State of Mind,’” and I’ll be like, ‘Wow, this is so weird,” she noted. Now, Benoist’s recent work is eons away from the family friendly show that catapulted her career. Case in point: her latest project, the new mini-series Waco, which debuted on the Paramount network just last night.
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