LOS ANGELES (AP) — Renée Elise Goldsberry is most inspired by artists bold enough to take a career leap, even when there’s no guarantee of a safe landing.
Over the years, Goldsberry spent her celebrated career surrounded by fearless risk-takers. Now, the Tony and Grammy winner, best known for her breakout role in the Broadway musical “Hamilton,” is taking a bold move of her own. She’s stepping into the spotlight as a solo artist: Her debut album, “Who I Really Am,” was released Friday.
“I’m surrounded by friends that do really crazy, brave, ‘I could fail miserably’ things,” said Goldsberry, whose role as Angelica Schuyler in Hamilton won her a Tony in 2016 for best featured actress in a musical. In that same year, she earned a Grammy for best musical theater album.
“They jump off cliffs, they start to fly, we get to see it and it’s so inspiring that you put out an album,” she said.
Goldsberry has made her presence felt in other Broadway projects including “Rent” and “The Color Purple.” She’s had standout work on “Girls5Eva” and “The Good Wife ” and was on the daytime soap “One Life to Live.”
With “Who I Really Am,” Goldsberry is carving her own musical path. The album is a 13-track project filled with soul, funk, blues and gospel vibes featuring a reimagined version of her iconic “Hamilton” song “Satisfied,” which was originally penned by Lin-Manuel Miranda.
In a recent interview, Goldsberry talks to The Associated Press about finding her identity through the album, whether returning to “Hamilton” is an option and aspirations for an EGOT, a term for the rare person who’s won an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony award during their career.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
AP: You wrote 11 songs on the album. While creating this project, what did you discover more about yourself?
GOLDSBERRY: I need to give myself license to be more than one thing. I think that’s always been the case with recorded music for me. I’ve been writing since I was a kid. The challenge for me has always been feeling like you have to be extremely specific about a box when you’re a recording artist. It has to all sound like one mood, one vibe. I had to give myself permission to not try to fit into a box that exists, or even a box that’s specific. I gave myself license to express myself in all the ways it naturally comes out.
AP: You started the album process in 2020. What was your initial thoughts on re-recording “Satisfied”?
GOLDSBERRY: Somebody said to me “You could probably get a record deal and do an album if you re-record ‘Satisfied.’” I said “Absolutely no.” I’m absolutely not doing that. It already exists. It’s perfect. The show is perfect.
AP: What shifted your thinking?
GOLDSBERRY: In the process of recording all the music, we rented a studio in Nashville. It’s where Dolly Parton recorded “Jolene.” It felt like all this history was there. We had all these great musicians there. We booked the studio for a week or two and we finished early, and they were going to let everybody go home. And I was like ‘We might as well record this version of ’Satisfied’ that I do in my concert, because we’re sitting here.” And these cats are amazing. We started playing. They started playing, and our minds exploded. The control booth. Our brains exploded. It was so good. Then I started singing it. I said to us “This belongs.”
AP: Your “Girls5Eva” co-star Sara Bareilles wrote the song “Smiling.” How was it reuniting with her?
GOLDSBERRY: I think she is one of the greatest singer-songwriters that has ever existed and might ever exist. I had the privilege of being in a concert with her. I opened for her at the Hollywood Bowl a couple of months ago. She was doing something new. I love artists and I’m one of them in this moment. But I love artists that do new things that might not work, bravely. She had orchestrated all of her music. She had a huge symphony orchestrated show. All the music that she had written.
GOLDSBERRY: We got to see her jump off a cliff for the first time. It was one of the greatest things I ever saw in my life. I could start crying right now. It was so great. It’s so brave. I’m surrounded by people like that, and it’s so inspiring. They’re all doing crazy things. All of them. Leslie Odom Jr. decided to go back to “Hamilton.” Like that’s insane.
AP: Would you ever return to “Hamilton”?
GOLDSBERRY: That’s what Leslie taught us: Never say never.
AP: You’re halfway to EGOT status. Is that something you feel like it’s achievable?
GOLDSBERRY: I’m not going to lie, I’ve thought of different ways I could slip in the back door, you know what I mean? Like I have a documentary called “Satisfied” (which premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival last year) about the journey in my life when I was part of the original company of “Hamilton” and also trying to raise my young family. We were like, “What original song can we put in this movie to contend for slipping in the Oscar category. … It’s possible. But I’m less interested in the results of a journey than the journey itself.
