Denée Benton | |
|---|---|
 Benton in 2017 | |
| Born | (1991-12-31)December 31, 1991 (age 33) Eustis, Florida, U.S. |
| Education | Carnegie Mellon University (BFA) |
| Occupation(s) | Actor, singer |
| Years active | 2013–present |
| Spouse | |
Denée Benton (born December 31, 1991[1]) is an American actress and singer. She is best known for her performance asNatasha Rostova in the 2016 musicalNatasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812 onBroadway, for which she was nominated for aTony Award.[2][3] Benton's other Broadway credits include the role ofEliza Hamilton inHamilton (2018) and the role ofCinderella inInto the Woods (2022).[4][5] Her television acting credits includeUnREAL andThe Gilded Age.
Benton was born and raised inEustis, Florida.[6][7] Her mother was a journalist, therapist, and businesswoman; her father was a mayor of Eustis and an airport executive.[6]Rodgers and Hammerstein'sCinderella was an early inspiration for her desire to act.[8]
She attendedTrinity Preparatory School inWinter Park, Florida, before graduating fromCarnegie Mellon University in 2014.[3]
Benton's first prominent professional role was her role as Nabulungi in theWest End and U.S. national tour ofThe Book of Mormon.[9]
Benton was cast in the titular role ofNatasha Rostova inNatasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812 with theAmerican Repertory Theatre; she later made herBroadway debut oppositeJosh Groban as Pierre when the show opened at theImperial Theatre on November 14, 2016.[3][10] Benton was nominated for theTony Award for Best Actress in a Musical for her role in the show.[8] Later in the run, she starred oppositeOkieriete Onaodowan and the show's creatorDave Malloy as Pierre. She appeared onThe Late Show with Stephen Colbert on December 12, 2016, to discuss the role.
Benton gained wider prominence in her recurring role on the second season of theLifetime series,UnREAL, as Ruby Carter in 2016.[11][12]
On October 17, 2018, it was announced that Benton would assume the role ofEliza Hamilton in the Broadway production ofHamilton, beginning performances on October 30, starring oppositeMichael Luwoye,Daniel Breaker,Mandy Gonzalez andJames Monroe Iglehart.[13][4] She left the show on December 8, 2019.
In 2022, Benton started acting as Peggy Scott in the main cast of theHBO historical drama seriesThe Gilded Age, alongsideLouisa Jacobson,Cynthia Nixon andChristine Baranski.[7] In 2023 she was nominated alongside the cast for theScreen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series.
In May 2022, Benton played the role ofCinderella inStephen Sondheim'sInto the Woods atNew York City Center oppositeHeather Headley,Neil Patrick Harris,Sara Bareilles, andGavin Creel.[14] In November, she reprised her role replacingKrysta Rodriguez in the Broadway revival of the show. She left the production on December 24. She would star opposite Creel,Brian d'Arcy James,Patina Miller,Stephanie J. Block,Montego Glover,Andy Karl,Joshua Henry, andJoaquina Kalukango.[5]
In December 2023, it was announced that Denee will star as Susan in the production ofTick, Tick... Boom! atThe Kennedy Center.[15]
Benton began dating Carl Lundstedt in 2014, whom she met in her acting program atCarnegie Mellon University. They were married from 2020 to 2023.[16][17] She isqueer.[18]
| Year(s) | Production | Role | Location | Category |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | Annie | Star-To-Be | Benedum Center | Regional |
| Fiddler on the Roof | Ensemble | |||
| Sunset Boulevard | ||||
| 2013 | The Crucible | Rebecca Nurse | Carnegie Mellon University | |
| 2014–2015 | The Book of Mormon | Nabulungi | - | U.S. National Tour |
| 2015 | Prince of Wales Theatre | West End | ||
| 2015–2016 | Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812 | Natasha Rostova | American Repertory Theater | Regional, Pre-Broadway |
| 2016–2017 | Imperial Theatre | Broadway | ||
| 2017 | Of Thee I Sing | Mary Turner | Carnegie Hall | MasterVoices Concert |
| 2018–2019 | Hamilton | Eliza Hamilton | Richard Rodgers Theatre | Broadway |
| 2022 | Into the Woods | Cinderella | New York City Center | Off-Broadway,Encores! |
| St. James Theatre | Broadway | |||
| 2024 | Tick, Tick... Boom! | Susan | Kennedy Center | Regional |
| 2025 | Pericles | Thaisa | The Public Theatre | Off-Broadway |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | The Narrative of Dalvin Reynolds | Felicia | Short film |
| 2018 | Mother's Milk | Lark | |
| 2019 | Our Friend | Charlotte | |
| 2023 | Genie | Julie | |
| 2024 | Dreams in Nightmares | Z |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | UnREAL | Ruby Carter | 10 episodes |
| 2018 | 25 | Morgan | Television film |
| 2022–present | The Gilded Age | Peggy Scott | Main cast[19] |
| Year | Award | Category | Work | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | Elliot Norton Award | Outstanding Performance by an Actress | Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812 | Nominated | [20][21] |
| IRNE Awards | Best Actress in a Musical | Nominated | [22] | ||
| 2017 | Tony Awards | Best Leading Actress in a Musical | Nominated | ||
| Drama League Awards | Distinguished Performance | Nominated | |||
| Theatre World Awards | Honoree | ||||
| 2023 | Screen Actors Guild Awards | Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series | The Gilded Age | Nominated | [23] |
The actress, who played Natasha...at Boston's American Repertory Theater this past winter, has been chosen to reprise her performance for Broadway...
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