Video: Nicole Scherzinger Reflects on Healing Journey Portraying Norma Desmond

In honor of the 75th anniversary of the classic film Sunset Boulevard, Nicole Scherzinger joined CBS Sunday Morning for an extended interview about the story and its long-lasting legacy.

Scherzinger, who recently won a Tony Award for her performance in the recent Broadway revival of the musical, spoke with correspondent Tracy Smith about playing femme fatale Norma Desmond. She also discussed the musical's themes of ageism in the entertainment industry, her early theater experiences, and why the original film's tragic story still resonates today. 

In July, the performer ended her run in the show and shared that, after over 400 performances, she has gained a sense of healing from the experience. "I can proudly say I've come out on the other side a lot more evolved and healed and grown. [Norma] is a big part of me and will always be a big part of me. 

She also praised collaborator and director Jamie Lloyd. "One of the best things about [Jamie Lloyd] as a director is that he didn't put any barriers on me. So much of your life being in the industry, you're just constantly put in one box to another. And he didn't... He just took away the chains, took away the walls, the barriers, and that's when I work the best." Watch the full interview now and check out a clip from Scherzinger's final Broadway performance, where she held out a note for a record-breaking 29 seconds. 

In addition to her role as Norma Desmond, Scherzinger has appeared onscreen in the NBC musical television special, “Annie Live!” as ‘Grace Farrell.’ She won “Dancing with the Stars” in 2010 and served as a judge on several other television talent shows, including “The X Factor” US (2011), “The X Factor” UK (2012-2013, 2016-2017), and “The Masked Singer” (2019-2023). Scherzinger is also the voice of Sina in Disney’s Moana franchise.

Despite the run of Sunset Blvd. recently ending, Scherzinger has expressed her interest in reprising the role of Norma in the long-discussed potential film adaptation, also sharing that she hopes to do movie musicals in general. A film adaptation has been in development for years, most notably with Glenn Close, who won a Tony Award for originating the role on Broadway. Close originally stated that the film would go into production with Paramount in the summer of 2021, but Andrew Lloyd Webber later revealed that Paramount passed on the project.

Jamie Lloyd’s reimagination of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s musical was honored with three Tony Awards, including Best Revival of a Musical, Best Actress in a Musical for Nicole Scherzinger, and Best Lighting Design of a Musical for Jack Knowles. The production also received the Drama League Award for Distinguished Revival of a Musical, and Scherzinger received the Distinguished Performance Award. Check out Scherzinger holding a 29-second note in "As If We Never Said Goodbye," from her final performance in the show.

The creative team for Sunset Blvd. includes Soutra Gilmour (set and costume design), Fabian Aloise (choreography), Alan Williams (music supervisor and music director), 2025 Tony Award winner Jack Knowles (lighting design), 2025 Tony Award nominee Adam Fisher (sound design), Nathan Amzi and Joe Ransom (video design and cinematography), Cheryl Thomas (hair and makeup design), Ann James (intimacy coordinator), Jim Carnahan CSA and Jason Thinger CSA (U.S. casting director), and Stuart Burt CDG (U.K. casting director). 101 Productions, Ltd. serves as the General Manager for Sunset Blvd.