Lea Michele Talks New Book, Embracing Her 'Unique Ethnic Look'

In a new interview with The Hollywood Reporter, SCREAM QUEENS star Lea Michelle talks about her latest book, "You First: Journaling Your Way to Your Best Life" which she hopes will serve as an inspiration to help her fans get through tough challenges they will face throughout their lives.

The GLEE star comments on the competitive nature of the entertainment industry and credits Ryan Murphy for helping her through tough times. "I think that this business is very tricky. And you definitely have extreme highs and lows. I think that people definitely want to build you up and they want to pull you down. But talent will always prevail, and so will your personal strength"

She continues, "I believe that's been my story in the industry, and I think it's been Ryan's as well. When you have a brain like Ryan, that he can just constantly come up with such inventive, incredible ideas. He will always be transforming despite whatever might come his way because with a force like that, you can't really be stopped by anyone."

Michele also gives credit to her own personal inspiration, Barbra Streisand, who helped her learn to embrace, rather than fight her unique ethnic look. "My mother's 100 percent Italian. My father's [Sephardic]. I have insanely curly natural hair. I have my dad's Jewish nose. I have a unique ethnic look that along the way people definitely told me would hold me back, and I chose to not listen to them and to know that my uniqueness would get me to all of the places that I wanted to be in my life."

She adds, "It was when I embraced those unique aspects of my physicality and my personality that I believe I became the most successful in my career."

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Michele debuted on Broadway in 1995 as a replacement for the role of Young Cosette in the original New York production of LES MISERABLES. Following her theatrical debut in LES MISERABLES, Michele was cast in the role of Tateh's daughter, the Little Girl, in the 1998 original Broadway cast of Ragtime and in 2004, Michele portrayed "Shprintze" and "Chava" in the Broadway revival of the musical Fiddler on the Roof.

Michele originated the role of Wendla in Steven Sater and Duncan Sheik's musical version of Spring Awakening on Broadway in 2006. Michele was nominated for a Drama Desk Award for her performance in Spring Awakening in the category of Outstanding Actress in a Musical.

In early 2009, Michele won the role of Rachel Berry on the FOX television SMASH hit, Glee (2009) and since the show's premiere on May 19, 2009, Michele has since received worldwide critical and public acclaim for her performance on the show.

Photo: Facebook/Lea Michele