Katharine McPhee Takes Us Behind the Scenes of ‘Beautiful’ Video

Katharine McPhee has married her singing career and acting career "beautifully" with her cover of Christina Aguilera's self-love anthem 'Beautiful' and the Broadway-themed sit com 'Smash,' the latter of which debuts on NBC on Feb. 6. McPhee, a former 'American Idol' Season 5 contestant, plays Karen Cartwright on the show. Karen is an aspiring actress living in New York and she performs 'Beautiful.' McPhee recently gave fans a sneak peek of the show and now opened up a bit more about the song and the video in relation to her character.

McPhee shared behind-the-scenes footage from the video along with a making-of segment, allowing for some keen insight into the character.

In the video, McPhee says her character is "pounding the pavement" and that she "loves musical theater but is frustrated at where she is at and us not making any headway, so this is the perfect song" to express her character's emotions and status.

In the video, McPhee is simple, natural and beautiful, with her hair in side braid while wearing a nude-colored dress as she sings and comes alive on stage. McPhee joked that her favorite part of the day was the turkey chili provided by craft services, along with filming in the old fashioned theater to film. She even revealed that as a child all she wanted to do was sing, dance or act. With 'Smash,' she's doing all three.

Dreams do come true, for Kat and for Karen!

In the "making of" portion, we experience the wonder of the arts and of theater, and we enjoy watching McPhee go on that journey, leaving the safety and comforts of home to pursue a dream. For Kat and for Karen, no dream is too big!

Karen sings 'Beautiful' in the first episode, with McPhee saying that her character "picked a song that reassured her. 'Beautiful' is not the exterior, but about self-worth."

Watch the Behind-the-Scenes Video for 'Beautiful'

Watch the 'Making of' Video for 'Beautiful'