Lea Michele- diva reputation?

[Harpz2006]

I keep seeing reports like this http://www.nydailynews.com/gossip/2010/06/09/2010-06-09_diva_alert_glee_star_lea_michele_acts_like_shes_the_only_star_on_the_show.html
that Lea Michele is difficult to work with on Glee, and an old family friend who happens to be a cousin of hers remarked to us that Lea had held this reputation since her teens on Broadway. Is this kind of common knowledge in the industry? She is certainly talented, but I'm surprised she could be so successful if she truly has this attitude.

[Brick]

Well, don't be. That said, who knows how much truth there is to this or any rumour about a person achieving some success.

[Kad]

I've actually heard this about her before she achieved such success from Glee. A lot.

[AudreyTwoTwo]

Yes, I've also heard she's a bit of a diva. I also thought she was because she reminded me of someone I know who is VERY diva-ish, just from interviews and such.
My friend interviewed some cast members from Spring Awakening, and she was the only one who didn't want to do it (she got a bad taste in her mouth because of Lea not participating).

[CapnHook]

I cannot comment on her specifically, but in response to this comment:

"...I'm surprised she could be so successful if she truly has this attitude."

I've worked with several successful people, including non-celebrities and celebrities ranging from A-list to D-list. Success has zero to do with 'attitude,' unfortunately. I've seen SO many tantrums within my relatively short amount of time working in the industry. It's just personality. It's who people are. And you deal with people as they are. When their reputations build, sometimes their careers fade away, but you would be surprised at what people can get away with!!

I am STUNNED at how many times people are allowed to mess up and continue to work year after year after year.

[inlovewithjerryherman]

A-MEN, capn.

I personally don't feel it's necessary to be unpleasant in order to be creative, or incredible.

At the same time, I think that a lot of people get the reputation of being "a diva" merely because they don't like working with idiots, or people that subjugate a performer's or artist's creative vision in order to make things "easier".

but a lot of the time, people are just difficult because they're insecure and need attention and although they may be talented, I'd rather not work with them.

[kidbroadway2]

Can someone give more specific examples of this?

[dramamama611]

Basically, you have a choice: Believe what you read from an unnamed sourcer or don't. Either way, it doesn't affect you personally. Reports like this have been around since she was in Spring Awakening. (From other cast members, from fans) Doesn't make it true. (Doesn't prove it's NOT, either.)

I know my answer is not concrete....but unless you talk to directly to someone ON the show that actually verifies those claims: why believe in crap?

[muscle23ftl]

She was very nice to me when I met her after Fiddler and SA.

[CurtainPullDowner]

Why is that in a newspaper?

Leave Lea Alone!

[newintown]

It's no secret that she used to cruise the Christopher Street Pier, and would pick up young transient homosexuals, take them home, slaughter them, and bathe in their blood.

She's a 2000 year old succubus (some claim that she's Mary Magdelene), and often has difficulty hiding her tail.

[tourboi]

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Thank you, newintown.

[newintown]

You're very welcome, tourboi.

[AC126748]

She was very nice to me when I met her after Fiddler and SA.

Many people are incredibly kind to their fans but still assholes to work with...

[allofmylife]

This is an ages-old reality of theater. With great talent often comes great ***hole-ness. Casts and crews have been dealing with this since the ancient Greeks.

My favorite story of diva-ness is the one about Tamara Geva, star of "On Your Toes" in 1936. She refused to go on the road to tour the show after the Broadway run (all shows back then toured with the original casts mostly intac) but when she heard that her replacement was swell, she showed up on opening night on the road, fully dressed and made up, ready to make her entrance. She had to be held back from walking out on stage by the cast.

Now THAT'S a diva.

[mywonderwa11]

A few years ago Matt Doyle had a good friend who loved Spring Awakening. For his friend's birthday, Matt blindfolded him and took him to the Eugene O'Neill theatre and had the entire cast of Spring Awakening sing "Happy Birthday" to him. Well, the entire cast except for Lea Michele. She didn't participate because she wasn't getting paid.

[Famebroadway2]

I went out a few friends from the cast to a bar after a performance. Lea came along but, was not 21 yet. I watched her throw a fit as the bartender refused to serve her. "Do you know who i am?" was one of the things she was saying.
I knew from that moment the little girl from Ragtime (as I used to call her) was growing up to be quite a DIVA.

[Borstalboy]

She's a skanky slutty bitch who smells like liverwurst and hates black people and kicks children!!

[newintown]

Don't forget the tail, Borstal. Never forget the tail.

[Kad]

She was apparently offended when she was offered to take over Rizzo in the Grease revival- because she only originates roles. And Rizzo is a supporting character.

[Bettyboy72]

I don't listen to gossip like that b/c it doesn't matter to average people in their everyday lives.

Also, lets not forget that she is and was involved with two high profile projects (SA and GLEE) that attract ALOT and I mean ALOT of annoying teenagers. I would be very cool and boundaried as well. The SA fans were a nightmare, so it would be best to keep a distance and not participate in all sorts of tomfoolery. i'm sure GLEEKs are equally as hideous in person.

Oh, and mywonderwall,if I was a working actor, I don't know that I'd necessary hang around to sing a friend of a friend "Happy Birthday." I mean, as an actor, you're always being asked for "favors" and you just can't do them all. If that makes her a bitch for having some healthy boundaries, oh well, so be it.

I'll continue to judge Lea by her work and not her rumors.

[Lohania]

If she has as much talent as her performance on the last Tony's indicated, she really should be much, much more humble and lose the diva act (if she has one). What talent? She can't really sing that well, her voice has very little power, and she's just a very awkward performer. I don't get where people think she has much talent. But I guess that's a subject for another thread, lol.

[Musiquer]

I've heard from people who have worked with her that she is pretty unpleasant, for example,a fight choreographer who worked with her in Spring Awakening said that the day he had to demonstrate a slap on her was his favorite day, and one of the choreographers on Glee referred to her as a "C U Next Tuesday" . . .those reactions plus the photographer incident and the way she comes across in interviews definitely make it seem like she is full of herself and has a bad attitude.

[Tori_Ann]

Keeping in mind the dependability of fan girls, there's also this...

Backstage at Glee Finale

[rjm516]

I don't really care how she is in real life; I'm not friends with her and I don't aspire to be, so I can continue to enjoy her work. Many, many celebrities are just as unlikeable as regular people. You just don't know about everyone. Shouldn't affect our perception of them as performers. But what bothers me about Lea is that she claimed she was vegan when she still ate fish and cheese sometimes (and admitted to doing so). I know most of you will now make fun of veganism, but I don't care. I DO care when people sully what the word actually means and contribute to the mass confusion most people have about what it actually means.