Melissa Benosit Poses For COVETEUR

Melissa Benoist stars in a new feature for COVETEUR. The young actress posed for the style site to promote her new series Waco. Highlights from her interview are below.

On what made her sign on to do the series: “Initially, I was drawn to the word ‘cult,’ because I’ve always been really fascinated—I think we all are. We all imagine how you can get wrapped into something that seems so extreme, you know? I’ve watched every Scientology documentary, and I watched Fundamental Latter-Day Saints, and I’m always really interested in those outliers of society. Then, in one of the first meetings I had to play Rachel [Koresh], I saw a picture of her and couldn’t look away. She was just so strong and stoic, and imagining what this woman went through was really what made me want to tell her story.”

On struggling with her anxiety and mental illness: “That is something I still don’t know how to deal with yet, because I’m introverted in a really extroverted position. The anxiety is there on days like today, when I’m running around and doing press, talking as Melissa and not as a character. The words fail me sometimes, and I kind of retreat back into my shell, and that constriction in your chest is always there. But it’s good to be a little afraid and push yourself out of your comfort zone. That being said, being in that public position where people are looking at you, you do have to be courageous and brave to put yourself out there like that—unless you’re the kind of person that loves it. And I know people like that, too.”

You can check out more from Melissa’s interview here.