Beanie Feldstein on playing Monica Lewinsky: 'My task is to be Monica's bodyguard'

Beanie Feldstein is opening up about taking on the role of Monica Lewinsky — and acting as her "bodyguard."
Feldstein plays the former White House intern in Impeachment: American Crime Story, the upcoming FX series about former President Bill Clinton's affair with Lewinsky and his impeachment. In an interview with W Magazine, Feldstein described portraying Lewinsky's "pain" on the show.
"I felt gutted by some of the things that Monica went through," Feldstein said. "My task is to be Monica's bodyguard — to put my body in front of hers. It's my job to portray her pain, because I feel so much for her."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
The Booksmart star also reflected on how she and Lewinsky are "cut from the same cloth in so many ways" and described how she could relate to her situation.
"Obviously, I'm queer, so I don't know if I'd flirt with the president, but who knows?" Feldstein said. "When Clinton shined his light on you, there was no better feeling in the world. It wouldn't matter if you were male, female, nonbinary, queer. When that man put his spotlight on you, the world fell away. And if I was 22 and the most powerful person in the world focused his high beams on me, I would probably do the exact same thing as Monica."
Lewinsky herself is one of the producers of Impeachment, and according to Feldstein, she provided feedback on every episode.
"[The producers] would go through the scripts with her and [she would] give all her feedback and her notes," Feldstein previously said, per Entertainment Weekly. "And by the time it got to me, I was sure that everything in there was something that she felt comfortable with, she felt was real to her life and represented her."
Impeachment: American Crime Story is set to premiere on Sept. 7.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.
-
Trump lays out plans for broad 'reciprocal' tariffs
Speed Read Tariffs imposed on countries that are deemed to be treating the US unfairly could ignite a global trade war and worsen American inflation
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
'What Americans really need is access to safer products'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
Top US prosecutors resign rather than drop Adams case
speed read The interim US attorney for the Southern District and five senior Justice Department officials quit following an order to drop the charges against Mayor Eric Adams
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Giant schnauzer wins top prize at Westminster show
Speed Read Monty won best in show at the 149th Westminster Kennel Club dog show
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Beyoncé, Kendrick Lamar take top Grammys
Speed Read Beyoncé took home album of the year for 'Cowboy Carter' and Kendrick Lamar's diss track 'Not Like Us' won five awards
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
The Louvre is giving 'Mona Lisa' her own room
Speed Read The world's most-visited art museum is getting a major renovation
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Honda and Nissan in merger talks
Speed Read The companies are currently Japan's second and third-biggest automakers, respectively
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Taylor Swift wraps up record-shattering Eras tour
Speed Read The pop star finally ended her long-running tour in Vancouver, Canada
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Drake claims illegal boosting, defamation
Speed Read The rapper accused Universal Music of boosting Kendrick Lamar's diss track and said UMG allowed him to be falsely accused of pedophilia
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
'Wicked' and 'Gladiator II' ignite holiday box office
Speed Read The combination of the two movies revitalized a struggling box office
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Jussie Smollet conviction overturned on appeal
Speed Read The Illinois Supreme Court overturned the actor's conviction on charges of staging a racist and homophobic attack against himself in 2019
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published