Tony Award-winning Broadway star Laura Benanti was offered a slice of humble pie on a recent flight by a group of theater kids who didn’t know who she was.
“So I would say about 83 percent of the people on this plane are teenagers in a theater company, and not one of them recognized me,” she said in the video, which was reposted on Thursday.
“Of course I couldn’t accept that. So I said, ‘Are you guys part of a troupe?’ And they said, ‘Yes.’ Then I said, “I do theater.” Then a young man wearing a beret and a jacket slung over his shoulder said, “That’s cool,” and then joked, “Rest in peace.”
Of course, it didn’t take long for fans to criticize Benanti, who has starred in Broadway productions such as “Gypsy” (2008), “She Loves Me” (2016), and “My Fair Lady” (2018), for expecting children to approve of her.
“I have no idea who she is. Poor baby has to fly away unnoticed like everyone else. Oops lol,” one X user replied to Benanti’s video.
“I wouldn’t recognize her either. I still don’t know who she is,” said another woman.
Another added: “Everyone has their own life. You’re just one of thousands of actresses. Get on with your life and stop drooling over the lack of attention.”
Eventually, the actress retracted the original video and explained in a follow-up post on Friday that she was joking about herself.
“So I posted a video on the plane wearing this hat and jacket, and it made people so angry. What I’m saying is, in that video, I’m making fun of myself. I’m not making fun of kids, and I’m not expecting them to know me. That kid is an icon,” Benanti declared.
“I know no one cares about me. I literally have a comedy show called ‘Laura Benanti: Nobody Cares.'” So you mean guys aren’t saying anything I don’t know. I thought this was going to be my niche theater community, but somehow I ended up on the bad side of the internet. So, I’ll say it here, um. ”
She echoed her comments in her new video in the caption, adding, “Dear internet, I was making fun of myself. That’s literally why my comedy show is called NOBODY CARES.”
“I don’t know how a real celebrity would handle this. I’m going back to my sweet theatrical side of the internet where people understand my self-deprecating humor,” she concluded.
Amid the backlash, several stars came out to offer words of encouragement to Benanti. Pamela Adlon and Bianca Del Rio responded to the clip, sharing several laughing emojis in the comments section.
Actress Alexandra Billings said: “Your idea was great! Don’t pay attention to humans who are trying so hard to understand their misery. It’s a waste of time. Thank you for the joy. Your gift and your brilliance.”
“You people got it. 😂 More importantly, has the kid in the jacket reached out yet? I really hope he gets it,” said fellow Broadway actress Rachel Potter.
