Lea Michele Quotes

I was 17 when I auditioned for 'Miss Saigon.' I really grew up doing that show. I pretty much knew, almost a year into 'Miss Saigon,' that I was going to be a performer, that I was going to be singing and acting.

I started theater when I was three, and I started doing professional acting when I was nine.

First play I ever did was 'Footloose.' I played the part of Willard when I was 16. I think I wore my drama teacher's jeans and her belt - that's how small I was. I know a lot of Willard's back story from the musical that's not explored in the film. Like he's got this whole relationship with his mama, and he sings this song 'Mama Says.'

When I was 13 years old, a professional theater company in my town needed a kid actor. I auditioned, and I got the part, so for just a few weeks I became a member of the company and I met some professional actors.

I don't even know how many times I auditioned for Danny Zuko in 'Grease.'

I just love performing so much, and I threw myself into every musical theater production that was going in my home town and at school. And then, I went to the National Youth Music Theatre, which was really a galvanizing experience for me when I was 17.

My first audition ever was for 'Bye Bye Birdie' in fifth grade.

When I was on Broadway, my most recent Broadway show was 'Spring Awakening,' and every night I did a topless scene.

My first acting job happened by accident when I was really young. I was in fifth grade and my teacher saw an ad in the paper and took me to the audition after school and I got the part.

As an actor, you get hired to repeat yourself. It wears you out.

Backstage life is terrific training for an actor, seeing shows from the wings.

I haven't really had that many opportunities to play 'lead' so I guess I jumped at the chance. I have also never done any 'sci-fi' projects and thought it might be fun.

I had never done any serious acting before, but I decided that it was a chance that I should take.

I got started as an actress doing musical theater, and I always loved 'Grease' and 'West Side Story,' and all those kind of movies.

I was an actor for over a year before I ever saw a play.

At a very early age I knew I wanted to be an actor and then more specifically that I wanted to be on Broadway and be in musicals.

My very first audition was for 'Hot Girl #1' in some movie.

I've been working as an actor since I was 9 years old.

For my first acting job I played the role of Ensign Pulver in 'Mr. Roberts' at the Manitoba Theatre Centre.

I had no idea what it took to be an actor. Then all of a sudden I found myself cast in a TV drama. The director was very harsh with me. One time, he told me this would be my first and last acting job. I seriously thought that acting was not the right career for me.

There is probably some great acting that goes on in movies from people who have never been on a stage, but if you are in for the long haul, you'd be missing an enormous part of what being an actor is if you're not part of theater.

My first big role was when I was 17 and I got the part playing Maria in 'West Side Story' in my school production.

I never wanted to go longer than five years off the stage. Not necessarily musicals, but just doing a play or something.

I really was a terrible actor. I did it for years in my twenties because it was like being at university again.

I am a lucky regional theater actor who happened to get a good role.