>> Stephen: WELCOME BACK, EVERYBODY!
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, OF THE JURY, MY NEXT GUEST HAS STARRED
ON BROADWAY IN "HAMILTON" AND "THE GREAT COMET."
NOW YOU CAN WATCH HER IN "THE GILDED AGE."
PLEASE WELCOME BACK TO "THE LATE SHOW," DENEE BENTON!
♪ ♪ ♪
>> HELLO.
GOOD TO SEE YOU.
THANK YOU!
>> IT DOESN'T GET OLD.
>> Stephen: NEITHER DOES IT GET WARM.
YOU'LL WANT TO PUT THAT ON YOUR SHOULDERS AGAIN.
>> IT'S ALL GLAM.
>> Stephen: NOW, YOU'RE STARRING IN "THE GILDED AGE,"
FROM THE CREATORS OF "DOWNTON ABBEY" OVER ON HBO.
IT WAS SUPPOSED TO START, LIKE, ONE WEEK AFTER THE PANDEMIC
BEGAN.
YOU GUYS WERE ALL READY TO GO, LITERALLY, PRINCIPAL
PHOTOGRAPHY-- >> MARCH 17, THAT TUESDAY.
>> Stephen: 2020.
>> YEAH.
>> Stephen: THE LOST TIME.
HOW DOES IT FEEL TO FINALLY HAVE IT OUT THERE AFTER ALL THIS
WAIT?
>> I MEAN, IT'S BEEN BETTER THAN I COULD HAVE IMAGINED.
YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY, THE WORLD WENT THROUGH SO MANY CHANGES
DURING THAT TIME, I WAS LIKE IS ANYONE GOING TO WATCH US BE,
LIKE, SHADY IN CORETS?
AND IT TURNS OUT THEY REALLY DO.
( LAUGHTER ) ( APPLAUSE )
AND I'M REALLY GLAD.
>> Stephen: A LITTLE SHADY CORSETING.
>> EXACTLY.
>> Stephen: NOW, THE INCREDIBLE AUDRA McDONALD
PLAYS YOUR MOM.
>> YES.
>> Stephen: IN THIS.
PLAWZ AND I GOTTA IMAGINE, HARD NOT TO BE AN AUDRA McDONALD
FAN.
WERE YOU BEFORE YOU WORKED WITH HER?
>> I MEAN, YES, IT'S A LAW.
YOU MUST BE, ESSENTIALLY, IF YOU ARE A BLACK GIRL IN MUSICAL
THEATER.
IT'S NOT NEGOTIABLE.
>> Stephen: HAD YOU MET HER BEFORE DID YOU THIS?
>> YOU KNOW, I DIDN'T.
WHEN I WAS NOMINATED, SHE HOSTED AN EVENT THEY GOT TO ATTEND.
AND I-- I SAW HER FROM ACROSS THE ROOM.
I WAS,s LIKE, WORKING UP MY COURAGE.
>> AND CHICKENED OUT, AND I DIDN'T INTRODUCE MYSELF.
I REMEMBER I CALLED MY MOM CRYING AFTER.
I WAS LIKE, "THIS WAS MY CHANCE TO MEET AUDRA McDONALD.
I'M NEVER GOING TO MEET HER, AND I DON'T KNOW WHY I CHICKENED
OUT.
AND THE MOMENT'S GONE."
AND NOW I GET TO CRY IN HER LAP AS MY MOM.
I HAD NO CLUE.
AND SO--
IT'S A FULL-SICKLE MOMENT.
>> Stephen: I WANT TO KNOW WHY YOU CHICKENED OUT?
I HAVE CHICKENED OUT BEFORE.
>> IT'S HARD TO MEET YOUR HEROES, SOMEONE YOU'VE LOOKED UP
TO FOR SO LONG.
YOU WANT EVERYTHING TO GO PERFECTLY.
LEAST I DO.
MY GOAL FOR THIS ROLE WAS I WANTED BLACK WOMEN TO FEEL
PROUD, AND THE FACT THEY GOT TO DO IT BESIDE A BLACK WOMAN WHO
MADE ME FEEL STOW PROUD.
>> Stephen: WE HAVE A CLIP OF THE TWO OF YOU TOGETHER.
DO YOU WANT TO SET THIS UP?
>> PEGGY HAS HAD A LOT OF FAMILY DRAWM THE WHOLE SEASON THAT YOU
DON'T QUITE KNOW ABOUT.
HER MOM REFUSES TO LET THE BOND GO.
AND THIS IS A MOMENT WHERE PEGGY SEEMS LIKE SHE MIGHT BE LETTING
HER BACK NWITH SOME RULES.
>> Stephen: JIM.
>> WHAT ABOUT YOU?
>> THAT'S WHAT I WANT TO KNOW.
THERE'S A LOT IN YOUR FUTURE IF YOU ONLY GET OUT AND MAKE IT
HAPPEN.
I JUST KNOW IT.
>> YOU REMIND ME OF MRS. VRHIJN.
>> IF THAT'S TRUE, I RESPECT HER FOR IT.
>> WHAT WOULD DO YOU?
>> STAY HERE, IF YOU LET ME, AND CONTINUE WITH MY WORK AT THE
GLOBE.
>> WE MAY HAVE A PROBLEM WITH YOUR FATHER.
>> I CAN ALWAYS MOVE OUT AGAIN.
>> THERE'S NO NEED FOR FIGHTING TALK JUST YET.
>> I'LL SAYING NOTHING UNLESS HE'S LOOKING FOR A FIGHT, AND IF
HE IS, I'LL GIVE HIM ONE.
>> RIGHT NOW, WOULD YOU PUT DOWN YOUR SWORD AND HAVE SOME COFFEE
( RINGS BELL )
>> Stephen: NOW, CAN YOU EXPLAIN THIS PHOTO TO ME.
BECAUSE I'M CURIOUS WHAT YOUR ORIGINAL GOALS WERE.
CLEARLY, YOU ALWAYS HAD A LOVE OF THE LIME LIGHT.
BUT WHAT'S GOING ON HERE?
WAS THIS A CAREER ASPIRATION?
>> I WENT THROUGH A VERY SERIOUS COUNTRY MUSIC COWGIRL PHASE.
LEANNE RHYMES WAS MY WHOLE JAM.
YEAH, I FELT LIKE I COULD BE ANYTHING.
AND AT THE TIME, COYGIRL WAS THE GOAL.
I SPOKE OF IT IN A BEAUTY PAGEANT ONCE.
>> Stephen: IS THAT WHAT THIS IS?
I HAVE THIS.
I WASN'T SURE-- >> YEAH.
>> Stephen: THAT IS.
SO HERE YOU ARE-- YOU ALSO-- THEN WAS YOUR NEXT DREAM TO BE A
BEAUTY QUEEN?
>> THEY'RE KIND OF CONNECTED.
THIS TOOK PLACE AT A MALL IN ORLANDO.
IT WAS CALLED "THE LITTLE MISS SUNBURST PAGEANT."
>> Stephen: SURE.
>> THE SUN.
THERE'S A THEME.
MY MOM PUT ME INTO IT.
MY GRANDMA, MY COUSINS, MY AUNTIES ALL CAME.
I THINK I WAS THE ONLY LITTLE BLACK GIRL IN THE PAGEANT.
AND ALL THE OTHER GIRLS-- WE WERE FOUR "WHAT DO YOU WANT TO
BE WHEN YOU GROW UP?" "I WANT TO BE A PRINCESS.
AND MY MOM SAID I STRUTTED ACROSS THE STAGE AND SAID, "I
WANT TO BE A COWGIRL."
MY GRANDMA TELLS THE STORY ALL THE TIME.
APPARENTLY WHEN IT WAS TIME TO ANNOUNCE THE WINNERS, ALL THE
OTHER GIRLS WERE SITTING IN THEIR SEATS AND I WAS STANDING
BY THE STAGE READY FOR MY NAME TO BE ANNOUNCED AND IT WAS AND I
WON.
AND SO--
THE...
>> Stephen: SO, OKAY, SO THAT'S A FORM--
>> SO, YES, THESE ARE CONNECTED.
>> Stephen: THAT'S A FORM OF PERFORMANCE THERE.
A LOT OF PEOPLE WHEN THEY'RE YOUNGER PERFORM ON SOME LEVEL.
>> OF COURSE.
>> Stephen: WHEN DID IT GO FROM, I ENJOY THIS," TO "THIS IS
WHAT I WANT TO DO"?
>> I DEALT WITH A LOT OF SELF-DOUBT, AROUND NOT QUITE
FEELING LIKE I BELONGED AND STEREOTYPES AROUND WHAT BLACK
GIRLS CAN AND CANNOT DO.
I FELT LIKE MY VOICE WASN'T GOOD ENOUGH.
I WAS JUDGING MYSELF, AND THE SUMMER BEFORE MY SENIOR YEAR OF
HIGH SCHOOL, I DID A PRODUCTION OF "IETATHE."
>> Stephen: THAT'S NOT EASY SINGING.
>> IT'S NOT.
I WAS STRESSED.
AND I LISTENED TO HEATHER HEADLEY NONSTOP.
I DID IT AND FELT THIS BURST OF CONFIDENCE.
AND I SAID, OKAY, MOM, AND DAD, I WANT TO GO TO DRAMA SCHOOL."
AND THEY SAID, "DUH.
WHY DO YOU THINK WE'RE PAYING FOR THE VOICE LESSONS AND
DRIVING YOU ACROSS THE WORLD."
THEY KIND OF KNEW OF MY DREAM BEFORE I CAUGHT UP TO IT SO I
FELT REALLY SUPPORTED TO TAKE THE LEAP AND I'M THANKFUL I DID.
>> Stephen: IF THERE WAS ANY PART YOU COULD PICK RIGHT NOW TO
PLAY, OTHER THAN THE PART YOU'RE PLAYING RIGHT NEW, WHAT WOULD IT
BE?
IF YOU COULD CAST YOURSELF.
>> OH, MY GOSH.
>> Stephen: APPROPRIATE OR NOT.
IN OTHER WORDS, "NO ONE IS EVER GOING TO CAST ME."
I WANT TO BE JUDAS IN "JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR," BUT I'LL
NEVER BE CAST.
>> DON'T EVER SAY NEVER.
I NEVER THOUGHT I WOULD PLAY A RUSSIAN COUNTESS HND HERE WE
ARE.
THE BOOK SERIES "CHILDREN OF BLOOD AND BONES," IS BEING
TURNED INTO A FILM SERIES.
IT'S WEST AFRICAN MYTHOLOGY.
IT'S GIVING LIKE, I DON'T KNOW, HARRY POTTER MEETS OUR OWN
AFRICAN FOLKLORE.
AND I'M LIKE LET ME JUST HOLD A STAFF IN THE BACKGROUND.
>> Stephen: GOOD LUCK.
THIS ISN'T THE FIRST AUDITION.
WHOEVER IS CASTING THIS.
>> PLEASE, ANYONE, I'M HERE.
BUT IT'S, YEAH.
>> Stephen: THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE.
>> THANK YOU.
>> Stephen: NEW EPISODES OF "THE GILDED AGE" AIR MONDAYS ON HBO.
DENEE BENTON, EVERYBODY!
WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK WITH A PERFORMANCE BY FATHER JOHN
MISTY.