The Late Show Pod Show with Stephen Colbert

Episode: Stephen Presents: Laura Benanti
Date: February 12, 2026
Main Theme:
This episode is centered around celebrating the long-standing comedic partnership between Stephen Colbert and Broadway star Laura Benanti, especially known for her hilariously sharp impressions of Melania Trump on The Late Show. The episode features behind-the-scenes stories of how Benanti’s Melania character came to be, highlights from one of her recent performances, and a candid interview discussing her craft, background, and the humor required to survive political satire.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Friendly Banter and Podcast Dynamics

• Host Dynamic: Stephen Colbert and co-host Becca open with playful banter about who gets to introduce the episode.
  • "Is a power play good for you. No, no." – Colbert [01:13]
• Guess the Guest Game: Becca quizzes Stephen to guess the guest, giving humorous clues before revealing it is Laura Benanti.
  • "Dear friend of the show. It's not Ian McKellen..." – Colbert [02:23]

2. Origins of Benanti’s Melania Trump Impression

• First "Melania" Performance: Colbert recalls the 2016 Republican Convention and Melania Trump’s infamous plagiarized speech.
  • The team instantly thought of Benanti for an impression due to a prior resemblance joke.
  • "Matt Lapin, one of our producers here… sat bolt upright and went: Melania. Laura Benanti." – Colbert [03:15]
• Fast Turnaround: Laura lives in New York and was able to join the show on short notice, delivering a stellar live performance.
  • "We called her up and she goes, sure, I'll be there tomorrow. And we did the Next Night Live. And she crushed it." – Colbert [03:29]
• Improvisational Talent: Benanti is celebrated for elevating the material with her comedic choices.
  • "She makes so much more of that script than we give her. She makes a meal out of a cracker." – Colbert [04:36]

3. Laura Benanti as Melania: The Recent Satirical Sketch

• Mock "Melania" Interview: A send-up of a fictional Melania Trump documentary, with Laura Benanti gleefully embodying the role.
  • "This film is a deliberate window of tapestries draped over a rich bed frame of insights that are so authorship few have ever seen it, and even less have wanted to." – Benanti as Melania [07:54]
  • "Oh, it's about $28 million in my pocket. Cha Ching." – Benanti as Melania [08:17]
  • Openly mocks the strained Trump relationship and Melania’s public persona:
    • "My husband has not attended my opening in years. Up top." – Benanti as Melania [10:23]
    • "Let's just say it brings a smile to my face every time I look at Eric and think, 'the kid is not my son.'" – Benanti as Melania [09:47]
    • "The only person that should have pulled out in South Africa is Elon Musk's dad. Boom goes the rocket ship." – Benanti as Melania [10:46]

4. In-Studio Interview: Laura Benanti’s Perspective

• First Impressions: Benanti relives the spontaneity of her debut as Melania and the nervous fun of trying to get the accent right.
  • "I appreciate that you guys asked me to do it without having any understanding of whether I could do it or not. Like, you knew I could do the face, but nobody knew if I could do the accent." – Benanti [12:44]
• Developing the Character: Laura recounts obsessively studying Melania’s speech on a train, practicing her mouth movements to the confusion of fellow passengers.
  • "I kept zooming in on her mouth and being like... My husband. And he was like, this woman is insane." – Benanti [13:15]
• Empathy for Melania: Benanti reflects on how impressions require finding humanity in the subject.
  • "To do a good impression, you have sort of sympathize with the person." – Colbert [14:03]
  • "Now we are all Melania Trump. Like, we are all reluctantly married to Donald Trump and making the best of it." – Benanti [14:23]
• Personal Life & Family: Laura shares anecdotes about her mother—a singer and her first voice teacher—and their close relationship, including their recent cabaret performance together.
  • "The first time she'd been on stage in 34 years. Oh, that's good. So, yeah, it was amazing." – Benanti [15:49]
  • "She was my voice teacher as well. And she was like, super patient and loving." – Benanti [16:46]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• "She makes a meal out of a cracker." – Stephen Colbert, praising Benanti's comedic contributions [04:39]
• "It's about $28 million in my pocket. Cha Ching." – Laura Benanti as Melania, on the 'documentary' [08:17]
• "Now we are all Melania Trump. Like, we are all reluctantly married to Donald Trump and making the best of it." – Laura Benanti [14:23]
• "I was not trying to wear her skin like a suit." – Laura Benanti, on researching Melania's facial movements [13:37]
• "The only person that should have pulled out in South Africa is Elon Musk's dad. Boom goes the rocket ship." – Laura Benanti as Melania, satirizing current events [10:46]
• "You have the voice of an angel." – Colbert, complimenting Benanti [17:04]

Noteworthy Segments with Timestamps

• Guess the Guest Game [01:36 – 02:45]
• The Origins of Melania Impression [03:02 – 04:28]
• Recent Satirical “Melania” Segment [05:04 – 11:13]
• Benanti Interview—Origins & Backstory [11:43 – 15:49]
• Family & Cabaret Anecdotes [15:38 – 16:46]
• Reflections on Voice and Upbringing [16:22 – 17:06]

Episode Takeaways

• Laura Benanti’s Melania Trump impression has become a staple of The Late Show, both satirizing and, to a degree, humanizing the former First Lady.
• The collaborative nature and improvisational spontaneity of political comedy—especially live—is highlighted.
• Benanti’s warmth, talent, and ability to elevate material through empathy and craft are evident throughout both the satirical sketch and interview.
• The segment also sheds light on her stage roots, family traditions, and the inheritance of artistic dedication.

This episode blends sharp political comedy with personal storytelling, making it a treat for fans of The Late Show, Broadway, or smart, character-driven satire.