Lea Michele Says Rumor She Can’t Read Is Sexist

In the same interview, Michele also swore that she doesn’t care that she won’t be eligible to win a Tony for her role in Funny Girl because the awards only allow the actors who originate the role in a production to be eligible.

“I really don’t care about that at this point,” Michele said. “It’s just about being able to play this part.”

Michele’s casting in the role of Fanny Brice came after Feldstein received generally poor reviews for her performance and decided to drop out early as the show’s ticket sales slumped.

Director Michael Mayer told the Times that Michele had been at the top of the list of actors that producers wanted to star in the Funny Girl revival, but they suspected she wasn’t ready to return to the stage after the birth of her son in 2020.

Michele said that around November 2021 she told Mayer that if Feldstein ever decided to end her run she would be “honored” to step in.