Lea Michele Made Young 'True Grit' Star Cry With Brush Off

By John Mitchell Posted Jan 7th 2011 10:25PM

Little Hailee Steinfeld is earning some very adult accolades -- including a Best Supporting Actress SAG Award nomination -- for her turn in 'True Grit,' but the 14-year-old actress got the cold shoulder from a 'Glee' starlet who apparently just didn't have time for her.

"When I was auditioning for 'True Grit,' I was on the Paramount lot. I was wearing clothes from the 1800s that were big and uncomfortable. 'Glee' also films on the lot, and I love the show," Steinfeld told J-14 magazine. "I saw Lea Michele just walking to her trailer, and I was like, 'That's the girl from 'Glee.' I've got to go ask for her autograph!' So I walked up to her and asked for her autograph, but she walked by and a guy came and said, 'Sorry, now's not a good time!'"

The young actress, who stars alongside Matt Damon and Jeff Bridges in 'Grit,' was so heartbroken by the brush off that she left in tears. "I had to walk all the way back to the car wearing what I was wearing. I was practically crying on the way home," Steinfeld said. "I was so sad! But she's beautiful, and she has an amazing voice."

This isn't the first time accusations of diva-like behavior have been hurled at Michele. "She acts like she's the only star on the show, and it has become an uncomfortable situation when she gives attitude to the people around her," a source close to 'Glee' told the New York Daily News this summer. "Lea acts like she's better than the rest of the cast."

Michele also found herself in hot water earlier this year when reports surfaced that she snapped at famed photographer Patrick McMullan at the Time 100 gala when he dared to ask for her name. The actress got huffy and told McMullan she was "Sarah Palin" then "Taylor Swift," at which point the photog excused himself.

The actress backpedaled when the story hit the press, saying she "made a silly joke," but McMullan contended (via E! Online) that it was anything but and that the reports were true. "Everything that's in that story is true, Lea giving me the fake names, but not what I said," McMullan told E!'s Ted Casablanca. "I didn't say 'f**k you' to her, even though I wanted to say 'f**k you!' No, what I said was, 'Forget about it.' ... But you know what? Taylor Swift and Demi [Moore] and Ashton [Kutcher] were totally cool and nice at that event. They're classy."

More recently, Details writer Claire Hoffman included some choice observations about Michele's on-set behavior in her cover story on 'Glee' star Matthew Morrison.

Everyone's looking over their lines now, rehearsing dance steps -- except Lea Michele, who keeps staring at me as I observe Morrison. Every time I look up, I catch her looking my way. It seems she knows I'm a reporter and wants my attention.

When Morrison brings over a laptop to show me a movie treatment he's been working on, Michele crosses the set, stands next to me, and starts talking to the show's publicist. "I have a lot of interviews to do," she says. "There's that AIDS blast and..." She turns to look at me. "Oh, hi."

Within minutes the publicist asks me to leave the set. I'm a distraction.

For her part, Steinfeld likely isn't sweating Michele's rude behavior. Just a few weeks into its theatrical run, 'Grit' is already a huge hit with both critics and audiences. Having grossed more than $93 million in just two weeks, it is already the most successful film ever for the Coen brothers ('Fargo,' 'The Big Lebowski,' 'No Country for Old Men'), and is expected to continue to rack up box office dollars as awards season marches on. The young actress is already being hyped as a likely Oscar nominee for her turn as Mattie Ross in the adaptation of Charles Portis' popular novel.

And if Steinfeld still cares about getting Michele's autograph, she'll have another chance on Jan. 30, when both attend the SAG Awards (Michele is nominated along with the cast of 'Glee' for the Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series).

Tags: Glee, Hailee Steinfeld, Lea Michele

Comments

(62)

Friday 07 January

By Ted Bundy

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I bet she wouldn't have been such a snob if Hailee was a horse pulling a carriage...

Saturday 08 January

By ggxx8

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Everyone's looking over their lines now, rehearsing dance steps -- except Lea Michele, who keeps staring at me as I observe Morrison. Every time I look up, I catch her looking my way. It seems she knows I'm a reporter and wants my attention.I love this , So does My boyfriend .he is almost 11year older than me .i met him via age'lessmate.c'om a nice place for seeking age le ss love.which gives you a chance to make your life better and open opportunities for you to meet the attractive young girls and treat you like a king. Maybe you wanna check it out or tell your friends..

By Debbie K

Hopefully this isn't a case of life imitating art. Lea Michele is marvelously talented, but so is everyone on "Glee". Her character is obviously self-absorbed, egotistical, and obnoxious. Lea needs to make sure she doesn't turn into a real life Rachel Berry.

By Sarah

Lea has been Rachel Berry since before Rachel Berry existed.

By OfAlaska

Don't sweat it Hailee. Your performance in True Grit was Oscar caliber, you're fourteen, smart, pretty, tall and talented, and the world now knows your name. Lea will be forgotten in five years or standing on a street corner tricking for crack, and you'll be all of nineteen and making great movies.

By Jock

Tricking for crack???? HA! I wouldn't give her a freakin candy bar for her services!

By lking4trbl

While I love Glee, it's the cast that makes the show; not Michele individually. Hailee was wonderful in True Grit. I'm sorry her introduction to the realities of Hollywood "starlets" was painful and hope she develops the thick skin needed to survive longer in the glitter and glam world. She has real potential.

By Heywood Jablome

Lea who?

You know Lea...that over rated twat from that....oh what's the name of that show anyhow???

By joe

Six months from now the entire situation will be a reversed...

By Sandy

It is a shame that Lea M. couldn't be a better "mature" role model for her admirers. My mother used to say beauty is only skin deep - true beauty is pure of heart and radiates love and unselfishness.
Hailee has that and should use this unfortunate experience as an example of how NOT to be in life and her career. I was taught to do unto others as you would have them do unto you. My mother also said to be careful of how you treat others on your way up because if you are not careful you could meet them on your way down. It is always wise to never mistreat anyone. Forgive, turn the other cheek and move on up (to the East side) LOL.
Have a "Happy New Blessed Year" one and ALL!

By dsweetpea75

don't worry hailee. stay humble and true.people like this "diva" never last long.

By Scarlet

Hailee who? remember Kim Darby? Lea knows a winner!

By ivan lichtedus

hey, kid: six months from now no one will remember this michele person's name and her autograph won't be worth the paper its written on...get over it.

By Amy

Her character on Glee is self absorbed-sounds like she isn't just playing her character-she is the character. My favorite on the show is Matthew Morrison-he makes the show.

By GiGi Snyder

Don't worry Hailee, you are a movie star, she's just on TV. Hope you will always remember how she treated you when you are famous and not treat others that way. If it weren't for the fans they would all be nobodys. I'm sure Lea will be a nobody soon if she continues to treat the press and photograghers that way. She will be known to producers as someone unprofessional and too demanding. No-one will want to work with her.

By fin

Hmmm, maybe Rachel needs to graduate early????

By nancy

Yeah, after all she is a self proclaimed overachiever, so early graduation sounds like a great way to get rid of her!

By MES

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I know I'm supposed to say poor Hailee at least your a movie star, but I find articles like these to just be obnoxious. Maybe Lea is a huge diva, but shouldn't the writer at least ask her to respond? How long has the writer been waiting to write his "Glee start is a diva" article? Hailee's audtion wasn't recent, neither were any of the supporting examples of diva behavior. I'm just skepticle of one-sided accounts like these.
Either way, attitude can make or break a career. I hope young actors know that, can't have a bad day in a world with Twitter and endless entertainment "news" sites.

By Pelon

Michele is seriously taking the diva Rachel character on 'Glee' too much to heart. very happy the producers/writers FINALLY realized what a talented cast they had and quit focusing so much on Finn and Rachel. now if only Michele will only grow up and realize that no matter how talented one may be, most tv 'stars' soon fade from memory once the show ends it's run. be careful Miss Lea - think Joyce DeWitt, Lara Flynn Boyle, Melissa Gilbert, et all.

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