Denée Benton
Denée Benton is a total knock out in her portrayal of Peggy Scott in the hit period drama The Gilded Age. She is a Tony award nominated singer, Brooklyn dwelling, candid, creative young star on the move. she arrived to our shoot with zero makeup, a scarf wrapped around her natural locks in a bare beautiful laid back style. we captured her in a few pieces from her wardrobe including an Orlando Magic jersey number she purchased from designer Batsheva out of pure nostalgia growing up in Florida going to games. so scroll on down and spy the 2nd grade class photo she pulled from her archives wearing her Magic jersey when she was a kid and check our chat with this stunner whose heart is beyond gilded in gold….it is SOLID.
the bare magazine: the response to season 3 is hot! what kind of twists and turns does can one expect and in what ways has your character peggy evolved?
Denée Benton: We finally get to see Peggy giggle! Haha, we see her evolve through so much grief the first two seasons, but this season, even reflected in her costumes, we see a brightness and an ease. She has an available suitor for the first time, she’s really leaning into her multi-hyphenate powers as an activist, novelist, journalist, public speaker extraordinaire- basically The American Girl Doll of my dreams. But, she also meets a formidable foe, and that tension with a legend of an actress has been really fun to sink my teeth into.
bare: do you think the amazing chemistry between the cast members makes it special? what else do you think is an essential part of the shows success?
DB: I absolutely think that the ways we all are genuinely fans of each other and our craft shows up on the screen, we’re like one big theater company. Obviously the show is a feast for the eyes thanks to our incredible designers and crew, but I’m also always so humbled to hear about how the storylines of the Black Elite in our show are some of the audiences favorites. It feels like they get to come for delicious decadence and camp, but also walk away learning something about an intentionally hidden piece of history at the same time. The hand I got to have in developing this part of our show will always be one of the proudest moments of my career.
bare: can anyone who LOVES costume, set design, hair and makeup find ultimate satisfaction in this seasons look and vibe? it all really transports you to another time!
DB: oh my gosh just you wait! The Scott’s take Newport! And we get to see an entirely different region of Black life in this time period and the costumes are divine. The seaside cliff walk scenes with Jordan and I (who plays Dr. Kirkland, the handsome doctor who saves my life and courts my heart) are some of the most breathtaking images in the show. My costume is covered in hand stitched red poppy flowers and it’s just beyond. Watching the finale also had me in tears, we get to see my storylines characters at a Ball for the first time and it feels like images that truly haven’t been seen on television before.
bare: were you so excited to finally get a world premiere? was it a blast? please share deets!
DB: We got cast in these roles in 2019, our season 1 premiere was cancelled weeks before due to COVID, our season 2 premiere was cancelled due to the strike, but last week we finally got to put on pretty dresses and jump up and down and squeal together!! And we’re theater kids, so we actually did jump and down and squeal together haha. The party was lovely, a fresh flower station to take home gorgeous bouquets, great DJ, a palm reader. But one of the most special parts of the night for me was going to Times Square with my best friends at the end of the night to see our show’s Billboard for the first time. I’ve been dreaming of moments like this for so long and they’re not promised, so to see my face up there and do more squealing and jumping with them was truly so special
bare: are you on a summer break? how do you like to spend your off time?
DB: Our lives as actors are full of such intense output and then intense quiet it’s hard to find balance. This summer break my goal is to reclaim my creative practices outside of work, it’s so easy to fall into the rut of only creating when you’re hired to. But i created as a kid bc it felt good in my body so it’s been nice realizing how vital it is to keep that always, even if it’s just writing a bad poem a day. I started piano lessons again last fall after quitting as a kid and relearning has been really satisfying to my perfectionist brain, I’m committing to a dance class a week, and also working on building a solo concert for a New York cabaret debut. Other than that, park days with my friends and solo dates to the movies and joining the Love Island parade for the first time haha.
bare: on our shoot you seemed interested in zodiac signs ....are you a believer in how it shapes / influences a friend/partner and yourself?
DB: Guilty as charged, I’m a deeply spiritual person, but I also just love the puzzle of understanding people and myself. I tend to get excited about any modality that helps me do that. Peggy is definitely a Capricorn, haha.
bare: you loved the Orlando Magic outfit from Batsheva - tell us why that struck a chord in you?
DB: Pure nostalgia and connection to my inner child! I grew up in Orlando with two older brothers who played basketball and our time as a family going to Magic games in the 90s and early 2000s are some of my favorite memories as a kid. Seeing that Penny Hardaway Jersey just took me home immediately. Also peep this 2nd grade class photo: not new to this, true to this! Lol
bare: describe a dream gig or different genre of project you'd like to work on. are you considering getting back on stage as well?
DB: I’m obsessed with all things magical realism. Yorgos Lanthimos’ work really excites me. Emma Stone’s roles in Poor Things and The Favourite are dream characters to me. I also hope I get to check starring in a movie musical off my bucket list. Movie Musicals were my introduction to imagining myself as a performer.
bare: please list your top 6 bare essentials
DB:
1. A sister friend to laugh and cry about the universe with
2. Sun and a good tree
3. Delicious fruit
4. Kaytranada on a playlist
5. A good pair of Birkenstocks for a long walk
6. A slip dress
the cutest!
Founder & Editor in Chief - The Bare Magazine
