Don’t rain on Lea Michele‘s parade on this all week. The actress addressed her past controversy in a new interview with The New York Times in front of her debut as Fanny Brice in funny girl on Broadway on September 6, saying it boiled down to his working style being too intense for some of his colleagues.
“I have an advantage over me,” she said in the interview, responding to claims by Joy co-stars in 2020 that she was exclusive and demeaning. “I work really hard. I leave no room for mistakes. This level of perfectionism, or this pressure of perfectionism, left me with a lot of blind spots.
Michele is reprising the role of the actress Feldstein Beanie, which left production two months earlier than planned. Rumors swirled that Feldstein was leaving partly because of Michele, however, in the article, funny girl director Michael Mayer claimed he was “not sure” why Feldstein had decided to leave earlier than planned.
“I didn’t tell him about it,” Mayer told the Time. “I think it was difficult for her once she knew she was going and someone else was taking over.”
Leaving Early Too: Michele’s Elder Joy co-star Jane Lynch. The Time noted that Lynch “ended her run as Brice’s mother sooner than expected, ensuring the former Joy the co-stars would never perform together on stage.
Elsewhere in the post, Michele also responded to the crazy online rumor that she is illiterate. “I went to Joy each day; I knew my lines every day,” she said. “And then there’s a rumor online that I can’t read or write? It’s sad. It really is. I often think that if I were a man, a lot of things wouldn’t be the case.
But in the spirit of blocking out the noise and letting the past in the past, Michele said she is focused on being as considerate as possible of her co-stars on stage and her team behind the scenes as she joined the production of funny girl. “Everyone here has been through a lot, and I just have to come in and be prepared and do a good job and respect that it’s their space,” Michele noted.
As the Time points out, even if Michele finally realizes her dream of playing Fanny Brice on Broadway, the actress will not be eligible for a Tony for the performance. This potential honor belongs to Feldstein.
“You might think that’s the biggest piece of bull I’m going to tell you all day,” Michele said of not winning any awards for the role. “But I really don’t care at this point. It’s just about being able to play that role.
Michele Joy Rachel Barry’s character dreamed of playing Fanny on the show, originally played by Barbra Streisand. (Michele also performed “Don’t rain on my paradeat the 2010 Tony Awards.) Michele’s role in the Broadway show marks her first since leaving spring awakening In 2008.
In July, Michele reacted to the news on her Instagram, sharing her excitement about being cast in the role. “A dream come true is an understatement,” she wrote. “I am incredibly honored to join this incredible cast and production and return to the stage playing Fanny Brice on Broadway. See you September 6th.
Feldstein announced her departure from the role on June 10, saying playing Fanny Brice was a “dream of my life.” But after production decided to “take the show in a different direction,” she decided to walk away.
“I will never forget this experience and from the bottom of my heart I want to thank everyone who came to the August Wilson for the love and support you showed me and our amazing cast and team,” Feldstein wrote. “The people I had the great joy of bringing funny girl to life with every night, on and off stage, are all remarkably talented and exceptional human beings.