Supergirl actress Laura Benanti shocked fans of the series during its first episode by not only appearing on the show as Kara's mother, Alura, but also appearing as Kara's newest archnemesis, her aunt Astra who seems intent on taking down Kara and destroying the Earth.
In an interview with Tech Times, Benanti opened up about being able to play these two very distinctive characters, as well as what it's like working as a hologram and how the series portrays women in a positive and strong way.
So not only are you playing Kara's mom on Supergirl, but you're also portraying the villainous Astra: two very different characters. What's your process for approaching how you portray each?
I try to get into the action and intention of each character. They both have very different objectives, and I try to concentrate on that. I didn't want to do a different voice or anything like that. I also try and remember that Alura allows her heart to be open, while Astra keeps hers covered. That makes a big difference in how they relate to people.
Can you talk a little bit about what Astra has in mind for Supergirl?
I don't think I can. That would be a spoiler. Sorry!
In the scenes that we've seen so far with Alura and Kara, Alura is a hologram. How was that filmed and what was that like?
Sometimes it's filmed speaking directly into the camera (which is odd). Sometimes Melissa (Benoist) or the other actors are there. It's a fine line between being warm enough that it's emotional for the audience, but also, it is AI so she doesn't have any actual feelings. She can't listen and react the way a human would. So that's tricky.
One of the key takeaways from this show is female empowerment. How do you feel Supergirl best represents that, both in the series itself and the characters you play?
I think the metaphor of Kara hiding her powers for so long mimics what so many women and girls do to themselves. We tend to subjugate and hide what makes us special in order to seem "nice" or "palatable" to others. I hope that watching Kara become more and more herself inspires women (and men!) to step into their own power.
How familiar were you with the source material for the series: the comic books, the movie and other television portrayals of Supergirl?
I watched the Superman movies, but I wasn't familiar with Supergirl. I wanted to approach it from a fresh perspective, as I try to do with all my roles.
Supergirl airs at 8 p.m. EST Mondays on CBS.
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