Lea Michele was told to get a nose job as she ‘wasn’t pretty enough’ for TV

3 Min Read
Lea Michele God's Love We Deliver 16th Annual Golden Heart Awards
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - OCTOBER 17:Lea Michele attends God's Love We Deliver 16th Annual Golden Heart Awards at The Glasshouse on October 17, 2022 in New York City. (Photo by Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images)
ย 
Published by
BANG Showbiz English
ย 
ย 

Lea Michele was told to get a nose job because she โ€œwasnโ€™t pretty enoughโ€ to be on TV.

The 36-year-old โ€˜Gleeโ€™ star has opened up about her past insecurities in a new interview celebrating her role as Fanny Brice in Broadway show โ€˜Funny Girlโ€™ and Lea revealed she was thrilled to get a letter from her idol Barbra Streisand โ€“ who played the same part on stage in the 1968 film โ€“ as the actress said she shared Barbaraโ€™s worries about her looks.

She told Town and Country magazine: โ€œGrowing up, people would tell me to get nose jobs, that I wasnโ€™t pretty enough for film and television.โ€

Lea went on to say of Barbaraโ€™s note to her: โ€œIt was so surreal and such a wonderful moment. The fact that she acknowledged my performance โ€“ I could cry โ€ฆ t was a beautiful, hand-written note that I will cherish. She was incredibly complimentary.

โ€œIt exists. It happened, and now I feel like so many dreams can come true.โ€

Barbara has previously spoke about her own struggles with her appearance and admitted she considered having surgery on her nose in the early days of her career but she couldnโ€™t afford it.

In a 1977 interview with Playboy magazine, Barbara said: โ€œWhen I was young, everyone would say, โ€œYou gonna have your nose done?โ€ It was like a fad, all the Jewish girls having their noses done every week at Erasmus Hall High School, taking perfectly good noses and whittling them down to nothing. The first thing someone would have done would be to cut my bump off. But I love my bump, I wouldnโ€™t cut my bump off.โ€

She went on to explain her nose actually helped her sing and changing her face would have been a disaster. Barbara added: โ€œMy deviated septum [makes my voice special]. If I ever had my nose fixed, it would ruin my career.โ€


  • Travis Kelce described himself as โ€œa guy that canโ€™t really read that wellโ€ [Celebitchy]
  • Andrew Scott is serving it in a cropped, sleeveless top. [Go Fug Yourself]
  • Nip/Tuck and Fantastic Four star Julian McMahon has passed away at 56. [Boy Culture]
  • The cable company founded by Dr. Evil, er, Dr. Phil, has filed for bankruptcy. [Pajiba]
  • Frankie Grande is set to perform at the 2025 Attitude PRIDE Awards Europe. [Kenneth in the 212]