The Greatest Showman Featurette - This is Me with Keala Settle (2017) | Movieclips Coming Soon

Overview

The featurette explores how Keala Settle’s iconic “This Is Me” moment was created and performed for The Greatest Showman. The song was written to serve as the film’s anthem, but at the time, no one had heard her sing it live—making the upcoming presentation a major, nerve-wracking first test.

Keala explains that she tried to stay “hidden” behind the music stand, repeatedly being prompted to “step out” and take her place “in the ring.” She also admits that during a key point in the performance, she was so scared she grabbed someone’s hands for support. The team then reaches the end of the number, followed by an intense, “deafening” wave of applause—described as almost otherworldly. Keala says the moment will stay with her for life, even though it was filmed rather than experienced only in the instant.

Highlights / Key Reactions

• Keala had never performed the song live before the big presentation.
• She was visibly anxious and tried to avoid fully stepping into the spotlight.
• At a particularly scary point in the song, she held onto someone’s hands.
• The performance ends with overwhelming applause, framed as an emotional, career-defining experience.

Jokes

• None; the tone is inspirational and behind-the-scenes.

Appearing Personalities

• Keala Settle
• Jesslyn (mentioned in the songwriting context)
• Bench (mentioned as part of the team that wrote/introduced the song)