Zits, Fettuccine & Jonathan Groff: Six Things We Learned From Lea Michele’s Book Brunette Ambition

Lea Michele isn’t only a Glee star and Broadway babe—on May 20, she officially becomes a published author. Her new book, Brunette Ambition, is part how-to guide, part photo scrapbook and part memoir, so you can now eat, sleep and condition your hair just like the Spring Awakening alum. Although we don’t envision ourselves making her recipe for shaved radicchio, parmesan and truffle whole-wheat pizza with a sunny-side-up egg and quinoa pasta anytime soon, we did learn a few important lessons from Michele’s book. Check out our cheat sheet!

1. Bad skin made her ‘nearly suicidal’
Michele may have been a Broadway star during her teen years, but she still got zits like the rest of us. “I’ve been on Accutane twice,” she admits. “In fact, you know those kids who become nearly suicidal about their acne? I’ve walked that fine line.” The star got so desperate, she once used black eyeliner to turn 16 pimples into beauty marks a la Sex and the City.

2. She almost peed on the president
Yep, right before singing for President Obama, Michele got tickle-attacked by her bestie Jonathan Groff, causing her to pee her pants. “I assure you, I showered,” Michele writes. “But 30 short minutes later, I was in front of the president.” In a word, ew.

3. Jonathan Groff had skin cancer
Speaking of BFFs, Michele writes heaps about her Glee and Spring Awakening co-star—but the most surprising tidbit she reveals is that he was diagnosed with skin cancer. “His doctor told him that if it had gone unchecked, he could have been dead within a few months,” she writes. “The cancer was removed and he’s OK now, but he made me promise to have my moles checked.” Hear that, guys? Call your dermatologist.

4. Her toughest Glee scene involved pasta
Nope, it wasn’t belting “Don’t Rain on My Parade.” It wasn’t pouring her heart out while singing Rihanna’s “Take a Bow.” It wasn’t even the tearful tribute to her late boyfriend Cory Monteith. Her toughest Glee scene involved shoving her face into a lunch tray full of fettuccine Alfredo. “I know it’s theoretically not hard, but it really was the most disgusting thing in the entire world,” she explains.

5. Idina Menzel didn’t make the cut
Michele lists her top five favorite Glee guest stars of all time: Kristin Chenoweth, Gwyneth Paltrow, Kate Hudson, Sarah Jessica Parker and Jonathan Groff. Wait, Lea, aren’t you forgetting someone? You know, your on-screen birth mother?!

6. Cory Monteith helped edit the book
Michele says some very sweet things about her late boyfriend, Glee star Cory Monteith, in the pages of Brunette Ambition. “To Cory, I'm so happy to know that you got to read this book," she writes in the acknowledgements. "Thank you for all your notes. I promise I made every single one. I love you.”