Melissa Benoist on 'Supergirl,' Slouching and Her Pottery Wheel

The Supergirl star says wearing the suit "changes me from the inside out"

Photo: Maarten de Boer/Getty

Flying high on the new CBS series, Supergirl, Melissa Benoist says it’s all about the super suit.

“It really changes me from the inside out,” she tells PEOPLE in this week’s issue. “I’m usually such a horrible sloucher, but I stand differently. My shoulders are magically back. I feel strong, and I walk differently. It’s a cool feeling.”

On set, Benoist, 27, has embraced having super powers: “Everything is fun. Whether it’s some kind of action sequence, like I’m throwing a lot of punches and kicks, or I’m flying on the green screen,” she says. “There’s just something every day that I get to pause and be grateful for.”

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The actress, who is married to her former Glee costar Blake Jenner, also has a newfound appreciation for her rare moments of downtime. “I have a pottery wheel at home. I read a lot of books and see a lot of movies,” she adds. “Work is so fast-paced, I like to kind of slow things down a bit.”

For more of Benoist’s interview, including what her

ITALIC “Supergirl training entailed, pick up this week’s issue of PEOPLE, on newsstands now