Video: Laura Benanti Brings Melania Trump Back to THE LATE SHOW for Holiday Segment

The First Lady is weighing in on the holidays. On Tuesday's episode of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Broadway's Laura Benanti brought her fan-favorite performance as Melania Trump to the show. 

During her appearance, she offered Christmas wishes to Colbert and addressed the rumors of her apparent dislike of the season, saying, " I love Christmas the same way I love my husband: once a year."

Watch the segment, where Melania (played by Benanti) speaks about her favorite holiday traditions, the recent demolition of the East Wing of the White House, and shares new holiday-themed merchandise.

Benanti has been portraying the former First Lady in appearances on The Late Show since 2016. 

About Laura Benanti 

Tony Award-winner and five-time Tony Award nominee Laura Benanti is a highly celebrated stage and screen actress. Ms. Benanti has an impressive television roster including Hulu’s “Life & Beth,” created by and starring Amy Schumer, the hit series “Younger,” HBO Max’s “Gossip Girl” reboot, and the second season of HBO Max’s “The Gilded Age.” Other television credits include guest starring roles on Cinema Toast, created by Jeff Baena and produced by the Duplass Brothers, Ziwe featuring comedian Ziwe Fumudoh, both for Showtime, as well as “Inside Amy Schumer” on Paramount+ (among many others). Benanti has also made widely acclaimed appearances on “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” as Melania Trump. Additionally, Benanti created and executive produced the HBO Max special Homeschool Musical: Class Of 2020 based on her viral social media movement: #sunshinesongs.

In film, Benanti starred in Netflix’s Worth opposite Michael Keaton, Stanley Tucci and Amy Ryan, Here Today opposite Billy Crystal and Tiffany Haddish, and was featured in Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Tick, Tick…Boom!.

In the theater, Ms. Benanti took Broadway by storm at the age of 18 as Maria in The Sound of Music and has subsequently starred in ten more Broadway shows (musicals, straight plays, comedies, and dramas) including Into The Woods, Nine (opposite Antonio Banderas), Gypsy (for which she won a Tony Award), She Loves Me, My Fair Lady, and Steve Martin’s Meteor Shower opposite Amy Schumer and Keegan-Michael Key.

Additionally, Benanti co-authored a comedic board book for mothers entitled M is for MAMA (and also Merlot): A Modern Mom’s ABCs, co-written with Metropolitan Opera Star Kate Mangiameli. She released a self-titled studio album for Sony Music Masterworks and tours the world performing solo concerts alongside highly celebrated musicians and orchestras.

Ms. Benanti's recent films include Goodrich opposite Michael Keaton and Mila Kunis, Everything’s Going To Be Great opposite Bryan Cranston, and The Shade, based on the award-winning short of the same name.

Her comedy show, Laura Benanti: Nobody Cares, is now available to stream on Audible.

Photo Credit: Scott Kowalchyk/CBS