What Broadway’s Laurie Metcalf Learned From Playing Hillary Clinton

Tony and Emmy winner Laurie Metcalf is very clear: She and co-star John Lithgow play versions of Hillary and Bill Clinton in the new Lucas Hnath play Hillary and Clinton.

“That frees us up to do our own interpretations of this couple,” Metcalf told Stephen Colbert on The Late Show. “It’s very much a marriage play, and it’s set in 2008.”

The show, which officially opens April 18 at the Golden Theatre on Broadway, takes a look at 48 hours in New Hampshire and a possible version of events that could have occurred when Hillary was running against Barack Obama for the Democratic nomination.

“You know what strikes me, because this is set on the campaign trail,” Metcalf said. “I don’t know how people endure that. I can’t imagine how grueling that is to put yourself through a year-and-a-half of that kind of pressure and being under the microscope every day, all day. It doesn’t seem like people are built to do that.”

See Lin-Manuel Miranda, Hugh Jackman, Emily Blunt, and More at the Hillary Clinton Broadway Fundraiser

Broadway_For_Hillary_Event_03_HR — See Lin-Manuel Miranda, Hugh Jackman, Emily Blunt, and More at the Hillary Clinton Broadway Fundraiser

Stage and screen stars joined forces October 17 for *Stronger Together*, an evening at Broadway's St. James Theatre to benefit Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton’s Hillary Victory Fund.
63 PHOTOS

Broadway_For_Hillary_Event_02_HR — Billy Crystal

Broadway_For_Hillary_Event_04_HR — Hugh Jackman

Broadway_For_Hillary_Event_05_HR — Hugh Jackman

Broadway_For_Hillary_Event_08_HR — Hugh Jackman

Adam Schultz/Hillary for America

Broadway_For_Hillary_Event_06_HR — Hugh Jackman, Chelsea Clinton, and Bill Clinton

Broadway_For_Hillary_Event_01_HR — Chelsea Clinton, Jordan Roth, and Anna Wintour

Broadway_For_Hillary_Event_09_HR — Joel Grey

Broadway_For_Hillary_Event_10_HR — Joel Grey

Broadway_For_Hillary_Event_11_HR — Sarah Jessica Parker and Chelsea Clinton

Broadway_For_Hillary_Event_12_HR — Sarah Jones

Broadway_For_Hillary_Event_13_HR — Sarah Jones

Broadway_For_Hillary_Event_14_HR — Joel Grey

Broadway_For_Hillary_Event_15_HR — Joel Grey

Broadway_For_Hillary_Event_17_HR — Sienna Miller

Broadway_For_Hillary_Event_18_HR — Sienna Miller

Broadway_For_Hillary_Event_07_HR — Hugh Jackman

Broadway_For_Hillary_Event_20_HR — Sarah Jessica Parker, Victoria Clark and Matthew Broderick

Broadway_For_Hillary_Event_21_HR — Victoria Clark and Matthew Broderick

Broadway_For_Hillary_Event_22_HR — Victoria Clark, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Matthew Broderick

Broadway_For_Hillary_Event_23_HR — Lena Dunham

Broadway_For_Hillary_Event_24_HR — Lena Dunham

Broadway_For_Hillary_Event_25_HR — Ayodele Casel

Broadway_For_Hillary_Event_26_HR — Ayodele Casel

Broadway_For_Hillary_Event_27_HR — Bill Clinton and Billy Crystal

Broadway_For_Hillary_Event_28_HR — Sara Bareilles

Broadway_For_Hillary_Event_29_HR — Sara Bareilles

Broadway_For_Hillary_Event_30_HR. — Sara Bareilles

Broadway_For_Hillary_Event_63_HR — Renee Elise Goldsberry and Lin-Manuel Miranda

Broadway_For_Hillary_Event_31_HR — Bill Clinton and Sienna Miller

Broadway_For_Hillary_Event_62_HR — Lin-Manuel Miranda

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