Lea Michele feels as if she's lived two lives.
The 27-year-old star began her career aged eight when she was cast in a Broadway production of Les Misérables. Her stardom was then cemented when she won the role of Rachel Berry in TV show Glee. However, her life hasn't been without its hardships as she lost her boyfriend, and Glee co-star, Cory Monteith when he died of a drug and alcohol overdose last year.
"I feel as though I've had two different ones - one in New York, working on Broadway, then this life in LA," Lea explained to British magazine Hello! "I just want to show and tell about that journey and how I went from one world to another."
Lea released her solo album Louder in February, and it includes several songs which are inspired by Cory including If You Say So. The star is proud of the release and it was important to her that it showed everything she's been through over the last year.
"It's been a very special time in my life. It has some hard stuff in there, but also some very happy moments," she said. "When I heard the album was No. 1, was like, 'What? Are you kidding me?' I couldn't believe it. I am so proud of this record."
While Lea didn't refer to Cory directly during the interview, she hinted about how his death affected her. She has now found love again with Matthew Paetz and has learned just what she is capable of.
"I'm learning about a strength in me that I never really knew I had. I'm also learning that a lot of work is really good and I am a workaholic," she explained. "I have a date planner that I write in with a pencil and I could sit there all day and pack my days. But actually, it's not good to do that because you can burn yourself out. Finding a good balance of work and fun and family is best."
