Supergirl star Melissa Benoist discusses what it was like to don the iconic costume for the first time as well as her hopes for the upcoming series.
In its Comic-Con 2015 preview issue, Entertainment Weekly spoke to Benoist about becoming an iconic superhero and inspiring women.
With great power…
“When I learned that I got the part there were a mixture of many emotions that rushed through me — elation, relief, immense joy and then, there was also a huge sense of responsibility that came immediately,” Benoist says. “I definitely thought to myself, ‘Oh man, you’ve got your work cut out for you.'”
With that sense of responsibility in mind, Benoist says, “I have had to play some catch up specifically with the Supergirl books. I’ve been reading the new 52 series and more of the newly published Supergirl comics.”
Donning the costume
Benoist says the first time she put on the costume, she had “a mixture of a lot of emotions. It’s impossible not to feel empowered when you put it on. You would think, “Oh, it’s silly. I’m putting on tights. I’m putting on a leotard and a skirt. There’s muscles built into the suit. There’s a cape. I’m going to feel like it’s Halloween.” But something changes internally. I feel like a different person almost. It really is an alter ego, where I feel inspired, hopeful and empowered.”
Related: Supergirl trailer, synopsis tease Kara’s “phenomenal powers”
She adds that the first fitting wasn’t under ideal circumstances. “I tried the suit for the first time on at the costume designer’s house. I had just had an injury to my eye, so I had an eye patch on,” she laughs.
“So simultaneously, I’m feeling all these feelings of empowerment and positivity and femininity and strength, and I have this pirate patch on essentially. It was a little goofy. There was two things going on at once — two opposing factors of trying the suit on.”
A hero for women
In terms of being a female superhero on television, a rarity today, Benoist says, “I do think there’s a lot of pressure. I want to do right. Of course this is a broad statement, but I want to do right by women. I want to portray someone they can relate to and look up to that’s not a trite or a shallow depiction. I want her to be complicated and flawed.”
She adds, “I guess I just want all women to feel like they could be Kara and Superwoman as well. I don’t want it to be campy. I want it to be grounded and human. That goes for anybody. It doesn’t matter what sex. It doesn’t matter if it’s women or men I inspire, I just want to inspire people in general to realize their strengths and their potential, and that you can do the things that you feel like are impossible to accomplish.”
Black Widow parody
When asked about the comparisons between the Supergirl trailer and the Saturday Night Live Black Widow sketch, Benoist says, “Obviously you see Kara in her work atmosphere, it resembles the Black Widow parody, but what you don’t see is Kara kicking butt. There’s so much more in the pilot that I think people are really going to be surprised by.”
Related: Supergirl is the female-driven superhero show we need (opinion)
“Also, it’s a girl,” she continues. “Supergirl, that whole discussion, it’s a girl figuring out how to become a woman. [The SNL spoof] came out and all of us thought it was so hilarious. I don’t think any of us expected people to compare them or put them side-by-side.”
Read the full interview at EW.
Supergirl premieres Monday, October 26 at 8:30 p.m. ET on CBS.
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