How can you not adore Lea Michele? As the leading lady of Fox’s musical gem, the Broadway vet has turned teen diva Rachel Berry into the girl most likely to steal your heart and the show. Off-screen, she’s just as awesome, but unlike her alter ego, Michele is happy to share the spotlight. In this exclusive Q&A, she sings the praises of her equally talented costars and Glee creator Ryan Murphy, and reveals the one song that got away. For more with Lea—including a tidbit about her big number in December’s mid-season finale— check out TV Guide Magazine’s Oct. 26th issue.

How did this all start for you?
I met Ryan in 2007. I was doing “Spring Awakening” and my costar Jonathan Groff just happened to be out of the show for the month of November…he was filming the pilot for [Murphy’s unsold series] Pretty-Handsome. Then the Broadway stagehands went on strike, so I didn’t have a show for the month either, so I said to Jonathan ‘instead of sitting on my hands in New York, why don’t I come visit you in California?’ And that’s when I first met Ryan. I went out to dinner with him one night and just fell in love with him. You have to know him…when you sit down with him, you realize that he is one of the most loyal, caring, smart people you will ever meet. A year later I read for Glee and when I got the part, I said ‘do you remember me?’ And he told me that he had written it with me in mind.

Had you been a Nip/Tuck fan?
I was a “Running with Scissors” fan. And every year for Christmas, I would buy my mom the Nip/Tuck DVDs. She loved it.

But you started your career doing Broadway at 8 years old. How was that growing up in theatre?
When I first got to high school, I told my parents that I wanted to stop auditioning, which I did. The only things I did in high school were the workshops for “Spring Awakening.” Workshops are easy, they’re not eight shows a week. Then in my senior year, they did the revival of “Fiddler on the Roof” and my agent said they were interested in me for that. And I was cast, so my senior year I did miss out on some stuff.

You did go to your prom, though, right?
[Laughs] I did. And it was so lame. So lame! I enjoyed the normal teenager experiences, but every time I went to them it confirmed to me that I was really happy with the decisions I was making in my life. We had this rooftop prom at this gorgeous place and nobody was on the dance floor! They were all on the roof smoking cigarettes and the boys were smoking cigars trying to be all cool.

Sounds ugh.
[Laughs] I did have a normal high school experience. [But] after I graduated, I said ‘thank you very much and goodbye,’ and I moved to New York.

Did this begin the inevitable “struggling actress-slash-waitress” phase?
Worse than that, I had to work for my father for a while! In between jobs and stuff like that. And the worst was in high school, I worked at a dress shop in my neighborhood and that was just brutal! They took it all out on me, the wealthy girls from my hometown. [Laughs]

Was this when you became friends with Jenna [Ushkowitz, who plays Tina]?
No, I’ve known Jenna since I was 8 years old. She was my other life. She was one of the theatre girls and they were always there, at the auditions and at jobs I would get. We even did a bunch of jingles together and then she did “Spring Awakening.”

How awesome is this, then?
The fact that we’re on Glee together? Every other day we look at each other and go ‘oh my god…what were we doing a year ago?’ I have a picture on my dresser of us from May of 2008, when I left “Spring Awakening” and little did I know that within three months we’d be working on a television show together. I look at it all the time and it reminds me that you have no idea what is around the corner.

What’s in store for Rachel in the coming weeks?
Well, I have seen almost all of the [first] 13 and I am so happy. I think I know where she is going…I initially looked at this and thought ‘Wow, she’s falling in love for the first time.’ And that’s definitely part of the story, but what I have learned is just how much this is Rachel’s journey to becoming a team player and learning who she is within this group. You look at Rachel and realize that she is not someone who needs help speaking her mind [Laughs]. This Glee club allows all of the kids to use their voice and let the voice inside of them come out.

And what voices they are, huh?
I have wonderful scenes and storylines with Chris Colfer. I beg them to write stuff between me and Kurt because I think he is so talented. When you are acting opposite someone who is really good, it’s like you’re eating the best meal or playing an incredible tennis match. I love working with him. And Amber Riley, I have gotten to sing some incredible songs with her. She gives me the chills. I praise the ground she walks on, she is so gifted. We did “Halo” together, and we actually did a Barbra Streisand-Celine Dion song that they didn’t end up using on the show.

Do you have a dream duet you’d love to tackle?
I’m always afraid to answer these questions because it may never come true. But I absolutely love Celine Dion, Barbra Streisand, Alanis Morissette. These are my idols.

With all the downloads you guys have been selling, what’s on your iPod?
A lot of everything. I really love classic rock. Queen, the Who, Journey, all of that. Joni Mitchell. Then the next track will come on and it will be “Don’t Rain on my Parade.” I’m a mess! [Laughs].

You must have been all about covering “Somebody to Love” then.
I loved doing “Somebody to Love”! Getting to record that song was incredible.

Would you consider doing more theatre…if you ever get some free time, that is?
I hope so! I love doing it. Having worked on a show like “Spring Awakening,” I want to make sure that the next thing I do on Broadway is as good and as challenging. When that comes along, I am there!