The Marley Rose of 'Glee' is finally signed on to portray Superman's cousin in the upcoming TV adaptation of DC Comics superheroine.
- Jan 23, 2015
AceShowbiz - CBS has found its Supergirl in Melissa Benoist. The actress who joined "Glee" as Marley Rose on the fourth and fifth seasons after Lea Michele's Rachel Berry headed to New York is cast as the title role on the small-screen adaptation of DC Comics superheroine.
The hour-long drama tells the story of Superman's cousin Kara Zor-El, who also lands on Earth after escaping Krypton. She's been hiding the powers she shares with Superman, but later decides to embrace her superhuman abilities and be the hero she was always meant to be.
Speaking at the recent Television Critics Association press tour, CBS Entertainment chief Nina Tassler explained their interest in adding the superhero series into their slate, "As you can tell from the strength of the female characters we have on television, it's a real passion of ours."
"We heard the pitch to 'Supergirl,' and we realized that she embodied so many of the qualities and the characteristics of classic female heroines on this network, and we think that it is a story and a coming of age opportunity for us. We also just fell in love with the pitch. We think she's a great character, and I love the superhero genre."
Back then, she explained what they looked for in the lead actress, "She's got to be an every woman. She's got to be specific. She's got to be a terrific actor." They're "looking for someone who embodies both the freshness and the exuberance of being a young woman in today's challenging climate and being someone who can carry this kind of series on her shoulders" because "it's a big, big show."
Benoist's film "Whiplash" with J.K. Simmons and Miles Teller is currently in theaters. It got numerous nods at the critics' awards leading up to the Academy Awards where it gets five nominations including Best Picture.
