Laura Benanti Shares Which of Her Kids Has a Knack for ‘Comedy’ — and Why She Hopes They Don't Go into Show Business (Exclusive)
- - Laura Benanti Shares Which of Her Kids Has a Knack for ‘Comedy’ — and Why She Hopes They Don't Go into Show Business (Exclusive)
Kimberlee SpeakmanJanuary 3, 2026 at 3:30 AM
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Theo Wargo/Getty; Laura Benanti/Instagram
Laura Benanti; Benanti's kids with her husband, Patrick Brown -
Laura Benanti shared in an exclusive interview with PEOPLE that her older daughter, Ella, is into sports, while her younger daughter, Louisa, is a "natural comedian"
She added that she "would rather they did not [go into show business]," and instead make their own way in the world
The actress shares Ella, 8, and Louisa, 3, with husband Patrick Brown
Laura Benanti is committed to letting her daughters discover their own passions in life.
The Younger star, 46, shared an update on her two kids, Ella Rose, 8, and Louisa Georgia, 3, whom she shares with husband Patrick Brown – and revealed which one is closer to following in her footsteps.
“My older daughter now, she's very into sports,” Benanti told PEOPLE at the Mayor of Kingstown season 4 New York City screening. “She's amazing at soccer, so that's become our family obsession.”
“But I will say the little one, who's 3, she's a natural comedian,” the actress added. “She really gets it. She understands a joke. All she wants to do is play pretend.”
ANGELA WEISS/AFP via Getty
Laura Benanti at the premiere of 'No Hard Feelings' on June 20, 2023.
Despite her younger daughter having a knack for the arts, the Broadway alum said she is still hoping that her kids will choose to pursue other careers that are different from her own.
“I would rather they did not [go into show business]. I would rather they make their [own] way in a different [manner],” Benanti said.
However, the Elsbeth star also noted that she didn’t “know” yet, as it was still too soon to tell what their interests would be in the long run. She said Ella was initially interested in the arts before joining sports, and maybe her younger daughter will be the same.
“That's how Ella was when she was younger, so maybe she'll grow out of it,” Benanti said.
Benanti — who followed in her own mother, actress Linda Wonneberger’s footsteps — previously told PEOPLE last year while promoting her show, Laura Benanti: Nobody Cares, that her older daughter had been asking to do more with the arts.
"She has the comedic timing, she's so good at dancing, she loves it so much, she keeps being like, 'Please, please, please let me do it' — and I'm over here like, 'Oh no, this is terrible,' " the actress teased.
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Patrick Brown and Laura Benanti attend the 'Life & Beth' premiere in N.Y.C. in March 2022
When asked if Ella was planning to follow her into show business, the actress responded, "Are you kidding me? I'm terrified! I am not at all ready for that. Please, no!"
She explained that she wanted her daughter to have a different childhood than she had and to explore different kinds of things before settling on one path.
"I want her to follow her own bliss and her journey, of course. And frankly, had I had more of a creative outlet as a child, I actually think I would've been much happier and perhaps wouldn't have made some of the mistakes that I made. But I don't want her to do it too soon because it can be really damaging," she said at the time.
on People
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
