EXCLUSIVE: Lea Michele on Glee, Rachel Berry, and why she thought she'd never make it on TV

Gleeks, get excited! She’s Hollywood’s golden girl, and Marie Claire's hottest new cover star. All hail Lea Michele.

She’s Hollywood’s golden girl and the hottest new talent around. All hail our November cover star, Lea Michele. We caught up with the all-singing, all-dancing Glee superstar, for a chat about finding fame, her good girl image, and why she thought she’d never make it on TV.

SEE LEA’S STUNNING MARIE CLAIRE SHOOT HERE!

'I was told by agents and casting directors I wasn’t right for TV,' the gorgeous Glee girl says of her early days in the industry. 'I didn’t feel that but I was told it and you believe it. I was always working on Broadway and auditioning for TV – things like Law & Order – but there was never anything'.

We find that rather hard to believe! But lovely Lea maintains that landing a part in Glee restored her confidence ('Glee has made me feel beautiful. Now when people say that I don’t feel like they’re lying,') and, in real life, puts herself on a par with her charismatic teen alter ego, Rachel Berry.

'The minute I read it, I wanted to play Rachel because I felt like I understood her, and that she was part of me,’ she says. ‘What I love about our show is that it opens your eyes to a lot of things without being preachy.'

But Lea’s no Hollywood diva, and on the hard work that comes with a hit show, she’s refreshingly honest.

'The Glee schedule is relentless – 14 to 16 hours, Monday through to Friday. My family’s in New York as well as my boyfriend [theatre actor Theo Stockman]. Whenever I get a minute I go home to recharge.'

No wild night’s out on the town, for this girl, then? 'These days I have one glass of wine and I’m completely gone. I’ve never been a “Lets go out and have a cosmopolitan” kind of girl. I don’t even think I’ve ever tasted a cosmopolitan before. I much prefer a glass of wine and a bath at home at night to relax.'

And her secret vice? Tattoos. She has nine, each chronicling a significant milestone in her life. 'They’re all tiny. I mean, you saw me in the shoot today, I was practically nude. Did you see any? No. I’m telling you, I have nine. All so, so, so little.'

Read the full interview with Lea Michele in Marie Claire’s November issue, on newsstands now.

SEE LEA’S STUNNING MC SHOOT PICS HERE!

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