The Best Piece Of Advice Supergirl's Melissa Benoist Got From Greg Berlanti
Melissa Benoist has had quite the experience on "Supergirl." The Girl of Steel's story witnessed six seasons, a rattling network change from CBS to The CW, and multiple Arrowverse crossovers — but the superhero shined through it all. "Supergirl" arrived in late 2015 when superheroes on television had just started to make it big. "Arrow" and "The Flash" were already live, and "Daredevil" had started a few months prior on Netflix.
But superhero shows with women in the lead were non-existent — "Jessica Jones" was a month away — not to mention the character of Supergirl hadn't been seen on screen since the poorly-received 1984 film starring Helen Slater. This renewed serialized iteration of the story placed an unapologetic focus on its female protagonist, and treated her like the powerful superhero she was, while simultaneously balancing action-heavy storylines with her personal life. Benoist was a charming leading star — she assumed Supergirl's optimism and morals, and her portrayal stayed true to the character's mythos.
That's not to say Benoist didn't have her struggles. Embracing the role of Supergirl sometimes proved to be a challenging, physical experience for the actor (via Fox News) — and there were moments when she had to put things in perspective. Fortunately, Benoist was well supported by "Supergirl" co-creator Greg Berlanti and the rest of the crew.
'You have to fight for what you know'
Ahead of the show's finale in late 2021, Melissa Benoist revisited her stint as the Woman of Tomorrow. In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, she shared what Greg Berlanti told her:
"The best piece of advice I've gotten in recent years, I think, came from Berlanti and he said it to me numerous times, where he's told me in specific situations where I'll be opening up to him, and he said, 'Melissa, you have to tell people what you need and you have to fight for what you know you need to take care of yourself.'"
Although Berlanti's advice may come across as a "simple sentiment," Benoist added, it was easy to overlook because of the nature of the business. The actress was supported by her team if she ever needed to take a step back from filming — or if something "didn't feel right." It took Benoist some time to embrace the advice though, she noted:
"They were always on set when I would know that something didn't feel right, or a moment where I knew I needed to take a step back or take a moment to myself, even just to breathe and meditate for five, 10 minutes, whatever I needed. But it also, I think, ... is applicable to just life in general and I find myself using it all the time now. But it took me a really long time to actually embrace that idea."