Lea Michele: Closet Feminist?

Her Glee character is sort of the worst. Pushy, narcissistic, and the essence of annoying, she is the leading lady we love to hate. This isn't to say Glee's Rachel Berry doesn't have redeeming qualities: She does love her friends (although sometimes it doesn't feel like it), she never gives up, and she's a successful female in the hard-to-break-into field of Broadway actor. And while Lea Michele hasn't spoken much about the power of strong leading ladies, it seems her partnership with L'Oreal has prompted her to do so. Lea Michele is a feminist, at least according to this interview she did for Huffington Post's "Making it Work" series. The 27-year-old actress said:

I think it’s so important that women really focus on encouraging and empowering other women. That’s definitely something that people struggle with in [the entertainment] business and in this industry, and that the media especially likes to bring attention to in a negative way. It’s so important that we empower one another because it’s hard enough being a woman! We could use all the support that we can get from each other... I feel proud to be a woman because I wouldn’t want to be anything else! The level of strength that a woman has inside of her is just unbelievable.

Lea Michele and her Glee character have often be referenced as one in the same. On the show, we saw Michele's character go through a transformation when she reached college: Shedding her small town sensibilities for the sex appeal of New York City. But the inclusiveness of her character did not mature, as she vilified her roommate/BFF for landing the part as her understudy on Broadway. The actress is notoriously hot and cold with fans, but perhaps her "girl power" attitude is maturing with age. In her debut album, Lea Michele sings about her heartbreak from the tragic loss of her co-star and boyfriend Cory Monteith, allowing herself to be vulnerable on a level we have yet to see with her acting. In the interview she talks about the importance of being oneself, as Michele is growing into her female empowering shoes.

If I’ve learned anything over the past five or so years of moving to Los Angeles and getting [cast in "Glee"] is that being yourself is the most important thing. I always thought that I needed to fit into a mold and be a certain type of person in order to become successful or to make it in this world, but it was really just being me that introduced me to the people that have opened so many doors for my life and for my career. I don’t want to have friends that I can’t be myself around and I wouldn’t want to be at a job that I couldn’t be myself.

We can't mask how pleased we are that the Glee actress is finally using her celebrity prowess for the benefit of other women. Even though the L'Oreal partership certainly helped aid in her answers, any recognition for the importance of female empowerment is appreciated. Keep it up, Lea! We're rooting for you!