Lea Michele admits to 'blind spots' when addressing toxic work allegations ahead of Funny Girl

Former Glee star Lea Michele again addressed allegations that she has created toxic work environments in the past as she prepares to star in Broadway's Funny Girl.

While she wouldn't get into the specifics of the allegations made against her, she told The New York Times in a new in-depth profile that her work ethic has posed some problems.

"I have an edge to me," Michele said. "I work really hard. I leave no room for mistakes. That level of perfectionism, or that pressure of perfectionism, left me with a lot of blind spots."

The actress went on to explain that she understands "the importance and value now of being a leader" as the principal star of a project. "It means not only going and doing a good job when the camera's rolling, but also when it's not. And that wasn't always the most important thing for me," she said.

Michele's casting as Fanny Brice, a part originated by Barbra Streisand, after the abrupt departure of former Funny Girl star Beanie Feldstein has been the talk of the town in the theater world. Those conversations included criticism of Feldstein's performance and resurfaced accusations made by some of Michele's Glee costars.

In response to Michele's Funny Girl casting, Samantha Ware, who played Jane Hayward on the Fox musical comedy, tweeted in July, "Yes, Broadway upholds whiteness." Ware had previously claimed that Michele perpetrated "traumatic micro-aggressions" against her on the set of Glee, including threatening to have her fired.

At the time, Michele had issued an apology. "While I don't remember ever making this specific statement, and I have never judged others by their background or color of their skin, that's not really the point," she said. "What matters is that I clearly acted in ways which hurt other people. Whether it was my privileged position and perspective that caused me to be perceived as insensitive or inappropriate at times or whether it was just my immaturity and me just being unnecessarily difficult, I apologize for my behavior and for any pain which I have caused. We all can grow and change, and I have definitely used these past several months to reflect on my own shortcomings."

The fact that Michele's former Glee cast mate Jane Lynch, who also starred in Funny Girl during Feldstein's run, decided to leave the production earlier than expected — ensuring the two would never share the stage — fueled the drama. However, Lynch said publicly, "I adore her. She's just going to take this show and make it her own. I'm so glad she's getting the opportunity in real life to do the show and not just on Glee."

Michele told The New York Times, "Everyone here has been through a lot, and I just have to come in and be prepared and do a good job and be respectful of the fact that this is their space."

Read more of the new interview with Michele here.

Sign up for Entertainment Weekly's free daily newsletter to get breaking TV news, exclusive first looks, recaps, reviews, interviews with your favorite stars, and more.

Related content:

• See Lea Michele take on her 'role of a lifetime' in first Funny Girl footage
• Jane Lynch bows out of Funny Girl 3 weeks early
• Beanie Feldstein to miss Funny Girl performances through the weekend due to tonsillitis