Lea Michele is an interesting figure in many ways. She caught the show bug early and soon appeared in Broadway musicals as a kid including Spring Awakening. This led to her star-making role as Rachel Berry on Glee. Michele’s fantastic voice and hot manner made this “nerdy” character a hit, earning her numerous awards from People’s Choice to a SAG and boosting her profile majorly. She’s often compared to the likes of Barbara Streisand in her voice and performance, and shows a good range of talent, playing the nutty Hester on Scream Queens. However, Michele has also gotten a bad reputation for being a real-life diva. Many co-stars trashed her on her arrogant behavior and carrying on with her attitude as well as an arrogant style on the red carpet.

However, Michele has shown some terrific talent with her singing, acting and comedic chops. She’s also enhanced her profile and become quite popular on Instagram with posts of her various modelling and acting jobs and a good sense of humor. Michele has also showcased a truly stunning beauty that most wouldn’t have expected of her, coming off amazingly sexy at times. From magazine covers to selfies, Michele has become an expert in showing off an amazing body in various ways to make herself even hotter than her characters. Here are 15 photos that show Michele is far hotter than Rachel ever was and why, attitude aside, she remains a sexy presence around the social media world.

15. Lady Luck

Taken during one of her usual vacations in Las Vegas, this terrific photo shows both the sexiness and the wicked side that makes Michele so popular. While it’s not as skin-baring as other pics, it showcases that sometimes it’s what’s not exposed that makes an outfit sexier. Her legs are on stunning display in a short dress, highlighted by her posed on a stool to show them off more. The look she throws at the camera is also great, a sly smile but also alluring and the mix of class and sass just makes it better. She knows full well the effect seeing her about to pull the lever on the slot machine has and the appeal a lady in a casino has. That goes double for one who looks this utterly stunning. Whoever got to hang with Michele this night was truly lucky as this pic shows how she loves to play the odds and it usually pays off.

14. Stunning Lookalikes

As soon as Michele hit the big time, comparisons were made to Tony Award winning star Idina Menzel (best known for Wicked and voicing Elsa in Frozen). The two share a stunning resemblance to the point that some who looked at a photo of Michele could mistake her for Menzel and vice versa. The Glee producers took notice and as soon as they cast Menzel in a guest role as choir director Shelby Cochrane, viewers expected the reveal that Shelby was Rachel’s birth mother. The two got along great in the parts and held a few sensational duets while playing up the obvious resemblance. This photo from an Emmy after-party highlights their amazingly similar looks while giving two very hot ladies some attention. It’s still remarkable how they truly look like mother and daughter in appearance and voice and how Menzel gives Michele so much credit for continuing a great legacy. They may not truly be related but this pic showcases how well Michele follows in her “mom’s” footsteps.

13. Comic Con

The San Diego Comic Con is one of the biggest events of the year with TV shows gathering along with movie panels to promote their stuff. Michele had a few appearances there with Glee that were mostly her just in okay outfits, nothing too exposing. In 2015, Michele attended to promote the first season of Scream Queens and went all out to show a hotter style. Clad in a tight white dress, Michele showed off an impressive cleavage and tighter curves than most were used to. Most were amazed to see just how great her chest was and she managed to outdo her co-stars in terms of pure sex appeal. The long legs were nicely displayed, the heels a great touch and Michele posed to flaunt every bit of it. It showed the truly hot side Michele has become comfortable with and how she's a lady worth screaming over.

12. Scorching Shoot

This pic is something else in many ways. A posed look, it showcases Michele almost literally steaming in her appearance. The bikini top with the one strap showing is good enough but then there’s how the striped wrap flows around her, highlighting her body far more than just showing off her flesh would. The crisscrossed tight leather about her thighs is a great showcase as well, flaunting her legs too. Her face is serene yet also seductive as hell and her body shines well as if heat is rising off it. Michele just gets totally into this shoot, showing off her truly hot side very well and showcasing how she’s far more than merely the sexy nerd. She’s a true leading lady and one who knows how to amp up her sexual presence better than most supermodels and this picture provides the way she can hold any viewer’s interest with more than her voice.

11. NYC Lounging

Sometimes, just being yourself is enough to show off nicely. Here, we see Michele during one of her days off, hanging in bed and reading a magazine. The fact she's in a sexy white one-piece makes it all the better. She looks so nice and cool as she reads, showing off those amazing legs and even without her killer smile, she sells her heat very nicely. The "missing NYC" caption helps it out as Michele (who grew up there) has a love for the city where she spent so much time on Broadway before hitting it big. The way it’s tilted adds another dimension to things, a bit off-kilter yet keeping the focus right on Michele and her fantastic body, especially those legs. She mostly stays in California these days yet this picture shows that no matter what coast she's on, Michele shines very nicely in any setting.

10. NYC Series

Michele enjoyed doing a series called "NYC Bed" which is rather self-explanatory. Each one showcased her amazing hot body in a variety of bed outfits, each of which showcased her fine body. This one is nice with the sheets just slid off enough to show her underwear and long legs, the dark top showing off and her lush hair a little tousled but it looks great. Her expression is also good, staring off as if welcoming a lover to her room, a sultry mix of seductress and innocent, and somehow she pulls both off nicely. The hint of her tattoo on her left hip is another nice touch to tease the viewer and showcase her wicked side. It's another of the amazingly hot looks for Michele and the entire series was a good one to highlight a lady who manages to make just lounging in bed look spectacular.

9. Yellow Treat

For a woman who kept to some dry and conservative outfits on Glee, Michele sure possesses a stunning swimsuit body. She has shown that in some promotional shoots but her Instagram page is where she really goes all out. The paparazzi don’t need to bother following Michele at the beach as the actress is more than willing to share photos of herself on her own. She loves the beach, showing off so much in various outfits there and a bikini just looks amazing on her. Most any style works but this one-piece is one of the best out there. The yellow clings to her well, the stretching allows her body to be shown off nicely and it highlights her toned rear end. "Sun Day" is fun day for Michele in a bikini and this is a great one to showcase one of the hottest women to hit a beach.

8. A Great View

Michele loves to keep herself in shape as seen by these great photos. It's usually at the gym, showing off in pilates (including a series with her Scream Queens co-star Emma Roberts) but she makes jogging and hiking a special thing as well. This pic showcases Michele overlooking L.A. and the view is great in many ways. The tight pink suit showcases her amazingly toned rear end, the ponytail making her look alluring, the sunglasses reflecting her own inner heat, it's all just a perfect package. The nice trim to the yoga pants is also good, showing off ankle and the hints of the sexy appeal Michele carries through her life. Michele truly loves to show her workouts off nicely and this is one of the best even without flaunting too much skin. The topper is her comment in it as her line of "can't get over this view" is more right than she knows.

7. Halloween Treat

Michele has enjoyed Halloween a lot, including a “White Swan” outfit that packed on the heat and a couple of Glee episodes of costumes. But nothing matched her amazing outfit in 2011 that put the Red Riding Hood sexiness to the extreme. The ultra-tight bustier seems to cling to her skin, showcasing her fantastic legs and boosting up her underrated chest. Michele clearly enjoys it, posing with the short red cape and a wicked smirk while holding her skirt, knowing the impact the photo has. Her shorter haircut works as well, framing her gorgeous face and the shot down her chest got major attention as well. It was a buzz when posted and Michele followed at her party to show her sexiness far greater than folks gave her credit for. Michele showcased here how wicked and sexy she could get and sold well the fact that she can make Red Riding Hood someone truly the better to look at.

6. Topless Beach Shoot

In 2016, Michele went all out for a great shoot for Women's Health that included her by the beach and totally nude. While she was naturally covered up, it was still a stunning look and this was a great example of her sexiness on display. It’s noted by many how the “behind the scenes” photos can be steamier than the final product and here’s a fine example. This pic from the shoot actually comes off hotter than the shoot itself. The way she's posed helps it stand out, obviously covering her chest but also hints she might be flaunting more and thus makes it seem even more wicked. The flowing of her dress, the framing of the waves, the beach, it's just a perfect package and showcases how Michele on a beach is always a sight worth singing over. That guy taking that photo is one lucky man to get a full view of Michele in her beachside glory.

5. Bloody Red Carpet

Michele started to stretch more as an actress when she reunited with Glee co-creator Ryan Murphy for Scream Queens, a send-up of slasher movies. She played Hester, a neck-brace wearing nutcase who turns out to be tightly tied to the wild murder plot going on. It was a departure for Michele but she did great showing a geeky girl who got both glam and insane if need be. For a red carpet premiere of the show, Michele went all out, clad in a stunning black outfit with lots of cleavage and a cut-out, topped with a great slit up the leg. Michele is criticized at times for her red carpet posing but this looked great, flaunting her body off and showcasing how steamy she can get. Her performance on the show is much different from Rachel to show her range and this outfit also shows Michele’s range when it comes to some very hot looks.

4. Bikini Shot

Michele has come to use her Instagram page a lot for some hot selfies, enjoying showing off. That includes her bikini body as Michele fills a bikini out quite nicely. She’s shown off in them a lot but this pic seems to stand out well. The way it’s posed with her framed by palm trees, the sun beating down, the mix of black top and red thong, it just looks amazing. The way Michele turns her head away as if taunting the viewer is even better and makes herself look far more alluring. It’s a great shot that showcases just how massively sexy Michele can be when she tries and enjoys flaunting it in other areas. Her vacations are always notable and this is one of the best yet to show how Michele’s body is as rocking as any songs she sings.

3. A Seasonal Stay

Like many celebrities, Michele can't resist doing vacation selfies. And that's a good thing for her fans as Michele usually picks some of the best looks imaginable to show off on her Instagram page. This one from the Four Seasons resort is just perfect in its setting, an utterly perfect sunny day and yet Michele is able to find a quiet spot on her own to make it look like she’s the only one there and thus stand out more. The orange bikini is stunning, enhancing her chest with hair flowing down one side and the yoga pose makes it all the better. The sunglasses frame the world around her while the pool reflects off her as well and the palm trees in the background are a good touch. Any selfie Michele takes is something and this is one of the best of the bunch to show that her on vacation is a true treat.

2. Lady In Red

Michele can be criticized for her attitude but in this pic from a 2015 holiday party, that same sass makes her look stunningly hot. The red dress is glorious, dipping at the chest to showcase her cleavage and nicely pooling about her curves. It’s got just the right design with her crossed legs on full display and the black jacket draped over her shoulders adds a touch of sexiness as well. Topping it off is her wine glass, clearly having a good time but also looking classy doing it and showing the promise of cutting loose later on. Topping it off is the look of wonder on her face as if giving someone a sexy look-over and more hints of a fun night lying ahead. This was a holiday party well worth checking out for Michele and shows off how her in something red is a sight that's truly scorching.

1. Beach Beauty

Sadly, the hottest recent pic by Michele is one that can't be posted here: Her New Years' Day 2017 selfie with her totally nude outside. But this one manages to capture well the fact that in an outdoor setting, Michele shines wonderfully. In this case, you have her in a white sweater, an always offbeat choice for a beach setting but it works here especially with hints of the white thong showing. Her stunning legs are on good display to flaunt her body off and the way the sun shines on her is astounding. Topping it off is her tousled hair as if finishing a run yet looks utterly breathtaking. The beach is a lovely spot with the waves behind her and her beautiful face shows off her lovely charm. Overall, this is a pic that captures Michele wonderfully and why she is a fantastic sexy starlet no matter the setting or outfit.

Sources: Instagram