Supergirl's Melissa Benoist Reveals How Glee Prepared Her for DC Role
Melissa Benoist says that her time as Marley Rose gave her confidence to play Supergirl.
Melissa Benoist played Supergirl for six seasons on The CW Arrowverse series and taking on the iconic role was one that didn't come without pressure. However, according to Benoist, her role on the hit series Glee helped her prepare for it. During an appearance on Collider's Ladies Night, Benoist said that the difficult workload she experienced working on Glee helped her develop the confidence that let her take on Supergirl.
"What I learned on Glee was that I was a really hard worker and that I could do really. hard things, because the schedule on that show was grueling because there were so many moving parts," Benoist said. "It was fun but tough. I'm sure if you've had anyone else from the show on here, they've said the same thing. You had to rehearse the dances, you had to prerecord the songs, then you had to film the songs, and filming the songs were a lot longer. They took hours and hours and hours. And then you also had the scene work. I knew that Supergirl was going to carry a lot of pressure, and the responsibilities were going to be immense, and I think my experience on Glee gave me the belief that I had the ability to carry Supergirl."
Benoist played Marley Rose for two seasons on Glee before going on to star in Supergirl which first debuted on CBS before making the jump to The CW where the rest of the Arrowverse shows — Arrow and The Flash (and later Legends of Tomorrow and Black Lightning) aired. Supergirl ultimately ran for six total seasons and became the second Arrowverse series to end, concluding in 2021. During her time in the Arrowverse, the skills Benoist picked up on Glee came in handy beyond confidence, however. A crossover with The Flash saw her team up with another Glee alum, Grant Gustin in a musical episode.
As for her post-Supergirl career, Benoist most recently appeared in Max's The Girls on the Bus. The series, which was based on Amy Chozick's 2018 memoir Chasing Hilary: Ten Years, Two Presidential Campaigns, and One Intact Glass Ceiling, was cancelled earlier this year after just one season by the network. In addition to Benoist as Sadie McCarthy, the series starred Carla Gugino as Grace, Natasha Benham as Lola, Christina Elmore as Kimberlyn, Scott Foley, Tala Ashe, Mark Consuelos, Brandon Scott, and Griffin Dunne. The series is written and executive produced by Julie Plec and Amy Chozick. Rina Mimoun serves as executive producer and showrunner. Greg Berlanti and Sarah Schechter executive produce via Berlanti Productions. Benoist also serves as a producer. Jesse Peretz directed the pilot.
