Lea Michele is gearing up for her controversial Broadway comeback after surviving life in a “robotic state” amid a high-profile bout of backlash.
The “Glee” alum, 36, is takes over the role of Fanny Brice in “Funny Girl” Sept. 6 — infamously replacing former leading lady Beanie Feldstein, who left the production amid a swirl of rumors earlier this summer.
Michele addressed the online hate over her casting — as well as past claims she bullied her castmates in a profile published on Thursday.
“I feel more ready than I ever have before, both personally and professionally,” the “Spring Awakening” star told the New York Times about coming back to her theater roots.
She’s keen for a fresh start two years after her former “Glee” co-stars Samantha Marie Ware and Heather Morris alleged she bullied them both, with Ware accusing her of racist, “traumatic microaggressions.”
When the bombshell claims were first dropped in 2020, Michele apologized for her actions, saying in a statement at the time that she “clearly acted in ways which hurt other people.”
Now, the “Scream Queens” actress is admitting she had an “intense time of reflection” about her notorious behavior, noting she felt like she was in “semi-robotic state” in an effort to stay perfect.
“I have an edge to me. I work really hard. I leave no room for mistakes,” she told the Times. “That level of perfectionism, or that pressure of perfectionism, left me with a lot of blind spots.”
The Broadway starlet touched up on the rumor that she’s illiterate.Getty Images
Beanie Feldstein dropped out of playing Fanny Brice in “Funny Girl” in July and Lea Michele was then cast in her place.Greg Allen/Invision/APThe New York-born actress explained to the outlet: “I really understand the importance and value now of being a leader. 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.”
Michele also revealed how she’s ready for a comeback with her “Funny Girl” role. “Everyone here has been through a lot,” she noted, adding, “and I just have to come in and be prepared and do a good job and be respectful of the fact that this is their space.”
She even touched upon the wild online conspiracy theory stating that the mother-of-one can’t read: “I went to ‘Glee’ every single day; I knew my lines every single day,” she recalled. “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.”
Michele also firmly stated that she doesn’t mind other people’s opinions anymore and she’s just trying to be the best Fanny Brice she can be. “I really don’t care about that at this point. It’s just about being able to play this part,” she said. “[But] I will never be as good as Barbra Streisand,” she added.
Streisand, 80, iconically played Fanny in the 1968 musical “Funny Girl” and even scored the Oscar for Best Actress.
