IN CONVERSATION WITH DENÈE BENTON

interview by JANA LETONJA

Denée Benton is a Tony-nominated actress celebrated for her commanding presence across both stage and screen. She currently stars as Peggy Scott in HBO’s Emmy and SAG-nominated series ‘The Gilded Age’, now in its third season. She first rose to prominence with her Tony-nominated Broadway debut in ‘Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812’, and has since dazzled in ‘Hamilton’, ‘Into the Woods’, and ‘tick, tick…BOOM!’. With a career defined by range, nuance, and magnetic talent, Benton continues to be one of the most compelling performers of her generation.

Your role as Natasha in ‘The Great Comet' was a breakthrough moment. How did that experience shape you as an artist?

It really solidified my audacity to dream for myself something that others couldn’t quite see for me. I’ve always hated feeling limited by someone else’s lack of vision and Natasha felt like the affirmation that I didn’t have to be limited. It also reminded me that you only need one or two people to say yes and ‘get you’. I’ve been lucky to work with directors who’ve helped me to value myself as an artistic collaborator. It was the most physically demanding thing I’ve ever undertaken, it showed me that musical theatre performers are olympians and my body won’t join me on the journey if I didn’t learn how to protect and nurture it and say no when I need to. 

You've portrayed iconic characters like Eliza in 'Hamilton' and Cinderella in 'Into the Woods'. How do you approach reimagining such beloved roles while still honouring the original material?

With my whole soul. Natasha, Cinderella, Eliza, Peggy at their core are all women trying to get free by following their desire, their passion, their questions inside of really restrictive environments. It sounds woo woo, but I let my heart lead the way. I just deeply connect with what they’re fighting for because that’s been much of my life journey. That and a lot of vocal technique, and the fact that I’d been singing the roles alone in my room for a decade.

What drew you to acting in the first place, and how has your perspective evolved since your days at Carnegie Mellon?

Once again, my soul. Much to my chagrin sometimes, I’ve always been a deeply earnest and intensely sincere person, always been chalant. Throw in my obsession with storytelling and I think I was just wired for this. In some ways it was the first place I learned to practice self love. CMU taught me to turn that love into a craft and since then it’s been a lot about learning to balance the craft with the business of the industry and not letting one over take the other. 

As someone with a strong background in both musical theatre and screen acting, how do you transition between the two mediums?

Less singing and twirling and arm waving, same passion and intensity. 

How do you prepare for emotionally intense roles like Ruby in 'UnREAL' or Peggy Scott in ‘The Gilded Age'?

I swear by a good moody set playlist. 

Peggy Scott in ‘The Gilded Age' is a role that challenges period stereotypes. What does Peggy represent to you, and what has her evolution meant across the seasons?

It’s felt like an opportunity to invite some of my ancestors into their rightful place in the spotlight. It’s hard to express how special that feels. It also felt like the chance to engage with helping to craft a role that got to spotlight my own talents as well. The more dynamic and specific the character, the more universal, which only gets to make my acting richer. Her evolution felt like another affirmation that sharing one’s vision with the right person at the right time can open up whole new worlds. It’s not only been a gift to me, but a gift to our audiences, and imagining the impact this story line could have on them was what kept me advocating. 

What role or project challenged you the most creatively, and why?

I got to star in Shatara Michelle Ford’s new road trip film ‘Dreams in Nightmares’, which had its international premiere at the Berlinale in February, and that film asked for 100% vulnerability. All of the characters I’ve played up to this point come from other worlds whose archetypes I connected to, Z on the other hand felt like my actual modern queer story. They direct in the style of Mike Leigh, meaning the dialogue is formed through watching us rehearse and improv based on the given circumstances, so the film is literally a piece of all of us. No corsets, no laid edges, no dialects, no sound cues, just my form as it was in that moment. Healing, exposing, liberating, and terrifying. 

Your performances often centre around characters who challenge social norms. How intentional are you in choosing roles that reflect your values or advocate for change?

In a lot of ways, all of my roles have given me the chance to challenge the industry’s “norms” around who a mainstream ingenue or leading lady can be, while also playing characters who are trying to do a version of that in their own lives. I’m not at the place in my career yet where I choose what roles I book. I throw my heart fully into the auditions that come my way and that’s what feels most humbling and magical about the last decade. All of these roles chose me, these are the doors that opened and this is the synchronicity of mission all of these characters share. It’s incredible to me that this will be a part of the legacy of my body of work so far and that I’ll be able to point to the doors it left open behind me. 

Forbes named you to their 30 Under 30 list early in your career. How did that recognition affect you, if at all?

The Capricorn in me was thrilled. Some kids in elementary school math were doing their times tables, I was testing out different forms of my autograph. 

How do you stay grounded amidst a busy and high-profile career?

Maybe my toxic trait is that I don’t consider it high profile just yet. Maybe it’s the actor curse to always feel like we’re ‘on our way’. But right now, staying grounded looks a lot like honouring my creative practices outside of working. Time in nature, dance classes with friends, doing “the artist’s way”. 

What is coming up next for you?

I’d love to get to play someone dark and twisted next, dance around in my range. I’m excited to be making my debut with The Public Theater in a concert adaptation of ‘Pericles’ next month, which is completely free to the public and feels like an NYC actor rite of passage. After that, hopefully preparing for Season 4 of ‘The Gilded Age’, fingers crossed. And then manifesting carrying my period drama niche into film by starring in ‘The Favourite: The Next Generation’ directed by Yorgos Lanthimos. But truly my hope is to get to continue the archetype bending work I’ve done in mainstream theatre and television and continue it onto the silver screen. It‘s always been my dream to be a triple threat.