TV: Laura Benanti Opens Up About MY FAIR LADY, Motherhood, Melania and More!

"It's not like I sat at home as a child wanting to be a movie star. I wanted to be Julie Andrews," said Laura Benanti in an exclusive interview earlier this week with Richard Ridge. The Tony winner and Broadway favorite has played such cherished roles as Louise, Amalia, Maria, Cinderella and many more, but her sights were set early on her real dream role.

Benanti officially stepped into Eliza Doolitle's shoes last fall, taking over in My Fair Lady after Lauren Ambrose, who earned a Tony nomination for her performance. Now Benanti will conclude her run with the conclusion of the production, which will take its final bow on the Vivian Beaumont stage on Sunday, July 7.

Benanti wasn't sure that her dream of playing the iconic flower girl turned sophisticated socialite would ever become a reality. "The Eliza I had in my head was like 20 and the Eliza I am onstage, 39. The fact that I snuck in my dream role just shy of my 40th birthday is incredible."

"It was a very emotional for me," said Benanti of her first performance in the show. "When the turntable turned around and I could hear everybody applauding for me, so many people in the audience knew this story and knew how badly I wanted it and I got to be a mom and do this, it was probably one of the happiest moments of my life."

Watch as she she tells Richard Ridge even more about life in My Fair Lady, how she balances being a mom and being a Broadway star, and so much more below!