Lea Michele has no problem getting candid. In her new cover story for Marie Claire’s November issue, the Scream Queens star, 29, stripped down and got honest about her body of work and she’s learned to take charge of all aspects of her career.
“The problem with the first record was that I would record a song, and then I would get it back from production and it would sound very different,” the former Broadway star told Marie Claire of her 2014 debut studio album, Louder. “As an artist, that can be jarring. That’s why I’m more hands-on [with my new album]. This is about experience, about confidence.”
Michele currently has a busy workload, working on her second album, starring on Ryan Murphy’s new Fox horror comedy, and writing a new book. But that hasn’t stopped the Glee alum from taking time for her own personal growth.
“Everybody thinks you’re a star with roses being dropped at your feet. You have to take some f—king punches,” she said. “Now I have my groove … I am much more aware. I also don’t care as much. I am very content with me.”
After the 2013 death of her then-boyfriend and Glee costar Cory Monteith, Michele spent a lot of time focusing on herself.
“Getting to the other side takes a lot of work,’ she said of her grief and heartbreak. “All you can do is get to the other side. It’s a struggle. When you do, there is happiness there. It’s important to me to keep private some of that process with how I got here. But I am here, I am good, and I am very grateful for that.”
And Michele has no problem owning her newfound confidence. When asked what her favorite body part was, the fitness lover, who regularly posts pics on Instagram of her intense Pilates workouts, replied, “I love my butt. It is a showstopper.”
