Quotes

What a world we live in. I want to be incredibly close to the heart of it all. To live honestly, truthfully and to be completely present is the ultimate enterprise. And right now, I couldn't possibly ask for anything more. I am a very lucky girl.

Having a dance background, I became used to rejection at an early age. Dance is very competitive, especially for a sensitive person like me. But I realized it's better not to take it so seriously. If you beat yourself up, it's hard to keep going.

[on Glee (2009) compared to other high school television shows] I think that it shows that regardless of who you are and what group you belong to, there are so many emotions behind each person in high school. Sometimes with teens, writers or directors change them and make them be simple individuals--you're either the jock or the popular kid or the nerd. Everybody has those shades to them. This show, it really expands upon vulnerability and excitement and anger--all the experiences that you probably actually go through in high school.

Every day is an opportunity to fall or hurt yourself.

I definitely wasn't cool in high school. I really wasn't. I did belong to many of the clubs and was in leadership on yearbook and did the musical theater route, so I had friends in all areas. But I certainly did not know what to wear, did not know how to do my hair, all those things.

[Apologizing for the controversial photos taken of her and Glee (2009) co-stars Cory Monteith and Lea Michele, for GQ Magazine] In the land of Madonna, [Britney Spears, [Miley Cyrus],, Gossip Girl (2007) and other public figures and shows that have pushed the envelope and challenged the levels of comfort in their viewers and fans . . . we are not the first. Now, in perpetuating the type of images that evoke these kind of emotions, I am sorry . . . if you are hurt or these photos make you uncomfortable, it was never our intention. And if your eight-year-old has a copy of our GQ cover in hand, again I am sorry. But I would have to ask, how on earth did it get there? . . . I understand that in today's world of advanced technology, the Internet, our kids can be subject to very adult material at the click of a button. But there are parental locks, and ways to get around this.

I think that as an artist, the more that you can do to diversify, and kind of challenge yourself, the more you grow.

[on having a nose job]: I had convinced my mom to let me go to my first party. I was able to be there for an hour with two of my friends . . . [but] it accidentally turned into an argument and instead of the girl punching the guy, she wound up to the side and punched me . . . [there was] blood everywhere. The first time I didn't go to the doctor because I didn't want to tell my mom what had happened and she would never let me out of the house. I found out about it a year ago because things were getting worse and everything was getting really nasally and I went to a doctor. He said, "When did you break your nose? You have a horrible deviated septum." And the second time, I couldn't get it fixed because we were in the middle of doing this concert tour and we were filming. We had a day off and I met up with some of my friends and we were dancing. And again, there was another collision of sorts--I must be turning too quickly, people don't see me coming or something--but it's fixed now!

I started ballet when I was three, and the movies that my mom would show me were all musicals. And that was something that was so prevalent in that era of film was musicals. So I thought maybe I could do it. I just moved to this new school, I was like, "Nobody really knows me; this might be fun to get involved in," and so I auditioned and I got it, and that's the first time I sang and I was so nervous and it worked out. And then in middle school there was a few summer theater camps that I did, but it wasn't really until senior year of high school that I got into the acting class full time and loved it and knew I wanted to move to L.A. and took it one step at a time and took acting classes every day and auditions and smaller roles.

[on I Am Number Four (2011)] I heard about this project well before I was able to read the script, and I thought it sounded so interesting. I then read it and fell in love with it. I love the whole The Outsiders (1983), The Breakfast Club (1985), feel of the film.

When we first started doing Glee (2009), journalists would ask me who my dream guest star was. I would say Christopher Walken, and you could see their faces fall: "Just say Justin Timberlake!"

I don't party a lot. I've smoked cigarettes, but I'm not a smoker.