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11:24 am - 12/10/2012

Lea Michele covers Marie Claire

Lea Michele: Best in Show

Outspoken and fired up, Glee’s Lea Michele sets the record straight on everything — rumors of diva behavior and celebrity feuds; her romance with costar Cory Monteith; and her new, smoking-hot style. Listen up, Gleeks: She’s no choirgirl. Also, be sure to check out all of the photos from our January cover shoot with Lea, and browse the star’s fashion evolution!


Lea Michele didn't arrive in Hollywood overnight, some plucky young ingenue who nailed an audition for an unexpected hit show about, of all things, a high school glee club. She'd already clocked years on Broadway by the time she landed on TV. Just watch the grainy YouTube clips of her transcendent, window-rattling performances in Spring Awakening, the 2006 Tony-winning rock musical that crowned her the next big thing of the Great White Way, replete with stage door groupies and fawning reviewers tossing out comparisons (both because of her prominent nose and impressive pipes) to her idol Barbara Streisand. By the time Michele, now 26, locked up the part of überdriven Rachel Berry on Glee — a role written just for her by creator Ryan Murphy — she was already a star; albeit in theater circles. So when Glee popped and tabloid reports of bitchiness and bad behavior started to fly, Michele was stunned to find the goodwill she'd enjoyed on Broadway
in short supply. Hollywood, she quickly realized, was a different animal entirely.

"I am a very outspoken person, and if something makes me uncomfortable, you will know that it makes me uncomfortable, but that's as far as it goes," she says over pizza and kale salad at Soho House in West Hollywood. "I can assure you that [the diva rumors] aren't real. It's super-frustrating sometimes, and I used to fight back, but now I feel like, You can think what you want about me — that's OK. I have the most amazing fans, friends, and family members who have stood by me, and I know that my cast and crew really enjoy working with me. That's all that matters."

Like it or not, her high-maintenance reputation persists. This past summer the glossies practically licked their lips relaying word of anon-set feud between Michele and Glee guest star Kate Hudson, who is alleged to have called the stint a nightmare — a rumor Michele flatly denies. She says that when Hudson heard what the tabloids were saying, she called Michele and told her, "I just heard about that, and it f**king sucks. I want you to know I think you're amazing." After that, Michele adds, Hudson went "straight to the top of my list because it was so classy of her to take a minute to [address the rumor], even though we both knew it was the biggest piece of crap in the whole world. I told her, 'I love you, and I adore you. Thank you so much for creating a human moment with me.'"

No question, Michele, like her Glee alter ego, savors the spotlight. (Another memorable YouTube clip: cajoling a toothy grin from Jay-Z for her full-throttle rendition of "Don't Rain on My Parade" at the Tonys two years ago.) She's got a mantel full of hardware — including a Grammy and Screen Actors Guild Award (bestowed upon the entire Glee cast) and nominations for an Emmy and two Golden Globes — to prove she belongs there. But the girl can hardly be called a snob. When my cell phone rings in the middle of dinner, Michele freaks when she sees the name Carole Radziwill — a Real Housewives of New York cast member — flash on my screen. (I was Radziwill's editor at a magazine and, later, her roommate in Los Angeles.)

"No!" Michele shrieks, her enormous brown eyes growing round as saucers. "OK, this is crazy. Can you please pick up?" Michele, it turns out, is a huge RHONY fan. I hand her the phone, and she gushes, "Carole, don't be embarrassed. I have to say, I think you're the greatest . . . Are you crazy?! It's going to happen. You officially have a stalker." When she hangs up, she immediately texts Glee costar Chris Colfer, her Housewives-viewing buddy, to tell him she's found an "in." Two minutes later, he responds: "You're crazy. Shut up. I am so excited. Cannot wait. Amazing."


It's an endearing window into the star's personal life, which she has managed to keep fairly private despite the media's fixation on her supposed work antics. Born in the Bronx and raised in Tenafly, New Jersey, Michele was discovered at the age of 8, when she accompanied a friend to an audition for a Broadway production of Les Misérables and ended up getting the part herself. Bigger roles followed until she snagged the lead in Spring Awakening. Two years later, she packed it in to follow her costar and "best friend in the entire world" Jonathan Groff to Los Angeles, where he was filming a pilot for Ryan Murphy. The trio had dinner, and Murphy was so taken with Michele that he later penned the character of Rachel with her in mind. Glee proved a phenomenon and made a celebrity of its star. "It was so much so quickly," she says.

Now, four seasons later, with her character graduated from McKinley High, Michele is looking ahead. She recently landed a campaign with L'Oréal Paris, and she's enthusiastic about its charitable efforts, including Women of Worth, which honors women who give back to their communities. (Find out how you can support Women of Worth on p. 14.) And she's set her eyes on the big screen. "When it comes to Glee, I feel like I've been in a relationship, and now I can mingle a bit," she says, while chewing on a slice of pizza. ("I talk with my mouth full. If I'm not talking while I'm eating, it is not normal for me.") "In five years, I believe the show will be over, and I would hope to be doing movies — regular ones, not just musicals. Film is an itch I have yet to scratch." She name-checks Anne Hathaway and Amy Adams, acclaimed actresses capable of both lighthearted rom-coms and wrenching dramas. "Amy Adams did Junebug (congrats on your flawless taste bb!!) and then Enchanted, and Anne Hathaway did Princess Diaries and then Rachel Getting Married. I love women who have [that kind of range]," she says.

For the full article, pick up the January issue of Marie Claire when it hits newsstands on December 18.

Nobody wears her New York bona fides quite like Bronx-born Lea Michele, who stormed the set of our cover shoot rocking head-to-toe black — Citizens of Humanity skinny jeans, Jimmy Choo booties, and IRO leather jacket, a Givenchy Nightingale dangling off her shoulder. Fierce. During prep time, she noshed on whole wheat toast and giggled while trading texts with costar turned boyfriend Cory Monteith. (Rachel&Finn4Ever!) And for those who buy into rumors of diva antics, chew on this: When a crew member blasted the opening number from Spring Awakening, the award-winning Broadway musical that earned Michele legions of fans, she recoiled. Turns out even a vocal superstar gets self-conscious hearing herself sing. For this showstopper, anything goes. — Ashley Ross
  
 

Behind the Scenes Video! (I'm a flop embed-er if it's not from YouTube 'kay?)


And the NYPost offers us this awesomely shit stirring interpretation:
Sexy “Glee” star Lea Michele clearly isn’t afraid to show off her backside — but it’s her breasts that she just can’t stop talking about.

“These babies are great. They are my prizewinners,” she boasts in the latest issue of Marie Claire magazine (inset).

“They were nervous to make their appearance but feel they’ve earned their place,” joked the Bronx-born and Tenafly, NJ-raised Michele, who’s been burning up red carpets with her plunging necklines. “So they asked if they could come out, and I was like, ‘All right, you guys.’ They definitely rose to the occasion, so I’m going to continue to give themmore opportunities.”

Michele, 26, candidly added that she was bummed about not winning the role of Eponine in Hollywood’s version of “Les Misérables.”

“It’s something I would have loved to have done, and I think I could have done an amazing job,” she says.

The role went to Samantha Barks.

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(I see no hotlinks mods? All tinypic. Tags fixed tho, sry!)

My Platypus Queen graciously welcomes you in.


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bibbysbaby 10th-Dec-2012 05:37 pm (UTC)
that's a face only a mother could love
kurtvonnegut 10th-Dec-2012 05:39 pm (UTC)
i hate when ppl refer to humans as "best in show"
whossoulsister 10th-Dec-2012 05:40 pm (UTC)
I told her, 'I love you, and I adore you. Thank you so much for creating a human moment with me.'"

lol
calinewarkwc69 10th-Dec-2012 05:43 pm (UTC)
Yeah, I laughed too. Wtf is a "human moment?"
lovepollution 10th-Dec-2012 05:54 pm (UTC)
I think she's been reading too much Twilight TBH.
imnotasquirrel 10th-Dec-2012 05:51 pm (UTC)
i'm imagining her saying those exact words, lol.
bellwetherr 10th-Dec-2012 06:01 pm (UTC)
ikr. as opposed to what, exactly.
mmbien 10th-Dec-2012 06:07 pm (UTC)
lol. fuck off, lea.
ms_mmelissa 10th-Dec-2012 06:12 pm (UTC)
I had flashbacks to drama class. Actors are the most annoying people in the world.
xcollsangelx 10th-Dec-2012 08:51 pm (UTC)
LOL I rolled my eyes at that one.

ljubavirakija 10th-Dec-2012 05:41 pm (UTC)
I can't hate. She looks gorgeous here.

I wonder how much of a mainstream success she'll be after "Glee"
firefoxyk 10th-Dec-2012 05:43 pm (UTC)
stunning photoshoot!
love the one with her sitting on a chair. she would look amazing with short hair
if_musicbe 10th-Dec-2012 05:49 pm (UTC)
Bless you! And I agree! She should definitely play around more with androgyny and menswear looks in general. She has very strong features and it really works for her.
therearewords 10th-Dec-2012 10:45 pm (UTC)
mte
fred2265 10th-Dec-2012 06:44 pm (UTC)
Yeah, great shoot..
shelostcontro1 10th-Dec-2012 05:44 pm (UTC)
ugh letdown tbh. i want lizzy caplan
calinewarkwc69 10th-Dec-2012 05:45 pm (UTC)
I hate these fucking photoshoots where no one ever fucking smiles. They either smolder, brood, or catch flies with their stupid ass mouth half-open bullshit.

Hate it. You're young, rich, beautiful, happy, and you can't smile for a fucking photo?

Fuck all of these magazines with their lackluster bullshit.

/end rant (also, I seem to have a lot of feelings about this today, I think it's because I was forced to drink instant coffee instead of the real thing)
queensabo 10th-Dec-2012 05:48 pm (UTC)


They should've used that one as the cover. Still don't like her, but she's pretty.
if_musicbe 10th-Dec-2012 05:57 pm (UTC)
She does look stunning.
withoutyoursmil 10th-Dec-2012 06:17 pm (UTC)
yeah, that's one of the best pics of her i've ever seen
belkisa 10th-Dec-2012 05:48 pm (UTC)
I find her so ugly.
nikkyc2001 10th-Dec-2012 06:05 pm (UTC)
Yeah. I just don't think she's pretty. Her features are SO CLOSE but something kills it for me. I've really tried to find her attractive, too.
ruby_winchester 10th-Dec-2012 06:23 pm (UTC)
ditto
imnotasquirrel 10th-Dec-2012 05:50 pm (UTC)
i want her to be a nightmarish diva, she's so much more entertaining that way.

also, what's up with the article acting as though these rumors only started surfacing after she transitioned to hollywood? i'm not a total broadway freak, but iirc, she definitely had a diva rep in broadway circles as well. i remember some gossip about how she made krysta rodriguez ~cry or something along those lines.
rinmonsterer 10th-Dec-2012 09:14 pm (UTC)
and this article doesn't even give us anything to invalidate those rumors. they just give us lea's word and their own on how precious and ~real~ she is. yeah okay marie claire, if you say so.
enema_recipe 10th-Dec-2012 05:51 pm (UTC)
I think she's very pretty... but she seems so, idk, perky from this interview. I have a feeling she'd get on my nerves.
if_musicbe 10th-Dec-2012 05:57 pm (UTC)
She's a theater kid through and through, take that as you will, lol.

And every time I see your icon... I can't.
enema_recipe 10th-Dec-2012 06:00 pm (UTC)
Lol have you seen Metropolis? The scene it's from is one of my favorite scenes in cinema ever.
luvthatdrtywata 10th-Dec-2012 05:57 pm (UTC)
i think i just hate rachel so much that i can't get past it until the show ends. that being said i'm so glad she wasn't eponine. she has the voice but not the depth or the acting talent for that role.
if_musicbe 10th-Dec-2012 06:16 pm (UTC)
I'm sorry you can't yet distinguish between a character and the actress that plays her.
bellwetherr 10th-Dec-2012 06:01 pm (UTC)
i think lea is gorgeous and insanely talented. it's too bad she's rachel tbh.
elijahxwhore 10th-Dec-2012 06:04 pm (UTC)
love her
latexana 10th-Dec-2012 06:04 pm (UTC)
love
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