Lea Michele, 36, shares she will always “cherish” the message she received from her idol Barbra Streisand, 80: “She was incredibly polite.”
Lea Michele received a letter from her idol, Barbra Streisand.
The actress said she appreciates the note as it came from the 80-year-old Oscar winner, who originated the role of Fanny Brice on Broadway in 1964 and starred in the 1968 film. Lea now has the role on Broadway.
And without revealing the contents of the letter, the actress confirmed to Town and Country magazine: “It was a beautiful handwritten note that I will treasure. She was incredibly polite.’
Sweet note: Lea Michele received a letter from her idol, Barbra Streisand. The actress said she will “cherish” the note as it came from the 80-year-old Oscar winner, who originated the role of Fanny Brice on Broadway in 1964 and starred in the 1968 film. Lea now has the role on Broadway
The 36-year-old actress was asked by Town & Country if she’d like Streisand to direct her.
She seemed surprised by the question as she said, ‘I hadn’t thought of that, but now you put it in the universe.’
Streisand has directed many projects including the Oscar-winning Yentl and the Oscar-nominated films The Prince of Tides and The Mirror Has Two Faces.
The magazine: And while she didn’t reveal the contents of the letter, the actress confirmed to Town and Country magazine, “It was a beautiful handwritten note that I will cherish. She was incredibly complimentary’
Lea said receiving the news from the star, who has not only won an Oscar but also an Emmy, multiple Grammys and a Tony Award, “was so surreal and such a wonderful moment. The fact that she acknowledged my accomplishment — I could cry,” she told the publication.
The role isn’t the only thing the two stars have in common, with Lea citing many similarities in her and Barbra’s upbringing.
“Growing up, people told me I should have my nose done because I wasn’t pretty enough for movies and TV,” she recalls.
Star: Barbra Streisand (pictured, 1968) was famous for creating and playing the role of Fanny on both stage (1964) and screen (1968), the latter of which earned her an Academy Award
Stage role: Lea took on the stage role, replacing Beanie Feldstein, who retired from the show
And Barbra faced similar scrutiny of her own looks and nose, previously sharing, “I wasn’t like those pretty girls with those nice little noses.”
It’s just one of the many similarities between the two stars, with Lea calling her “an icon for me in my life.”
It was also a casting match made in heaven, with Lea describing her relationship with co-star Ramin as “like playing tennis with someone just as good as you.”
Big role: Lea was on stage for the Broadway show in September
While her on-stage love interest reflected this view, she admitted it was a “perfect storm” when they first performed.
Lea’s professional life mirrors that of her previous role, Rachel Berry on Glee, who also played the role of Fanny on Funny Girl and shared the same admiration for Barbra.
And to show the support, Glee creator Ryan Murphy has watched the show three times since Lea joined the cast – with the star saying she’s “incredibly grateful” to him.
Brought to life: Lea’s professional life mirrors that of her previous role Rachel Berry on Glee, who also played the role of Fanny on Funny Girl and had the same admiration for Barbra (pictured in Glee)