Laura Benanti reveals she nearly fainted during ‘Mayor of Kingstown’ scene

Broadway darling and Tony Award winner Laura Benanti is trading the stage lights for a darker set — joining the gritty crime drama Mayor of Kingstown for its fourth season. The actress and singer, known for her powerhouse vocals and comedic charm, appeared on NBC’s Today Show to talk about her new role, her fear of blood, and life as a mom of two.

Laura Benanti, who has starred in 11 Broadway shows and taken home a Tony for Gypsy, steps into unfamiliar territory in Mayor of Kingstown, playing a corrections officer in a maximum-security men’s prison. She admitted she was hesitant at first, expecting the set to be tough and intense. Filmed in Pittsburgh during the freezing January months, the role was far from her usual upbeat projects.

“I usually do comedy or lighter stuff,” Laura Benanti said, describing how she prepared for the show’s harsh and violent tone. Despite the grim surroundings, she quickly discovered the set was full of fun, kind people — even if the scenes were anything but.

In her very first day of filming Mayor of Kingstown, Laura Benanti found herself face-to-face with one of her biggest fears: blood. She confessed to having a vasovagal response — meaning she faints at the sight of blood, even fake blood. “People kept saying, ‘It’s not real,’ and I was like, ‘I know that,’ but my body just shuts down,” she joked. The producers even stationed a medic beside her with alcohol swabs, just in case she passed out during a gory stabbing scene.

Luckily, she didn’t. “I was proud of myself,” Laura Benanti laughed. “It was embarrassing, but I made it through.”

Outside of Mayor of Kingstown, Laura Benanti continues to keep busy with her comedy show Nobody Cares, which she recently took to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival — the world’s biggest theatre and comedy event. The show sold out nightly, later heading to London, with plans to tour across the U.S. and release a video version soon.

When asked about balancing her career with motherhood, Laura Benanti melted hearts talking about her two young daughters, Ella and Louisa. “They know I’m an actress — they just don’t care,” she laughed. “My older one is calculated, the younger one just wants to party.”

Fans can catch Laura Benanti in Mayor of Kingstown Season 4, streaming on Paramount+ starting October 26.