Ahead of a new chapter in her career, Lea Michele is discussing her past.
Days before her upcoming debut as Fanny Brice in Broadway’s Funny Girl, the 35-year-old opened up about the aspects of her professional life, including past allegations about her conduct amongst Glee co-stars.
(In June 2020, Glee star Samantha Ware accused Michele of making her experience on the show, which ran from 2009 to 2015, “a living hell” and said she faced “traumatic microaggressions” from Michele. In response, Michele issued an apology for the ways “she hurt other people.”)
Now, the Scream Queens actress said that the allegations against her evoked an “intense time of reflection.”
“I really understand the importance and value now of being a leader,” she told the New York Times in an interview published Sept. 1. “It means not only going and doing a good job when the camera’s rolling, but also when it’s not. And that wasn’t always the most important thing for me.”
She continued, “I have an edge to me. I work really hard. I leave no room for mistakes. That level of perfectionism, or that pressure of perfectionism, left me with a lot of blind spots.”
In addition to reflecting on past allegations, Michele also addressed a rumor that once circulated about her not being able to read or write. (According to i-D, the online rumor traces back to a Facebook Live video made by podcasters in 2017.)
“I went to ‘Glee’ every single day; I knew my lines every single day,” Michele told NYT. “And then there’s a rumor online that I can’t read or write? It’s sad. It really is. I think often if I were a man, a lot of this wouldn’t be the case.”
However, Michele, who married Zandy Reich in 2019 and welcomed their son, Ever, in August 2020, said she’s focusing on her new role with a completely different outlook as a wife and mom—and isn’t worried about the accolades that may or may not come with it.
“You might think that’s the biggest piece of bull that I’m going to say to you all day,” Michele said. “But I really don’t care about that at this point. It’s just about being able to play this part.”
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