The 2010 TIME 100

When I met Lea Michele this spring, I asked her what she wanted the world to know about her that it might not know already. Professional reporter that I am, I forgot to ask her how it feels to know that, as Rachel Berry on the hit TV show Glee, she is inspiring young people to get involved in musical programs in schools and encouraging communities to fund them — in short, how it feels to be a role model.

Her lovely brown eyes sparkled with excitement. "Tell them I love doing what I am doing," she said. "This is all I have ever wanted to do since I was 8 years old!"

Lea, 24, is wise, savvy and beautiful, an extremely gifted singer-actress-dancer-comedian with perfect pitch (I love that!). She is well prepared for superstardom in a role that is tailor-made for her on a creative, original show.

It must be so exciting to be Lea. To be in a wonderfully entertaining musical, playing a character whom millions of people around the world adore and whom young girls emulate — tell me about it!

Newton-John, a singer and actress, is a breast-cancer survivor and the creator of the Liv Aid breast-self-exam device

TIME 100 Social-Networking Index: 151,916