Lea Michele opens up about embracing her unique look: 'Beauty has changed'

She's a star of stage and screen, a singer with a brand-new album at the top of the iTunes chart and in the middle of a successful tour — but there's something else Lea Michele is getting noticed for these days: Her revealing photos on Instagram.

When Michele sat down with TODAY's Savannah Guthrie and Hoda Kotb on Friday, she explained the purpose behind her "Bed Series" pics.

"Just trying to get a boyfriend, you know?" she quipped. "Just trying real hard! A girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do."

Actually, there's something else going on with those sexy shots — and it's not about seeking a man's embrace. It's about embracing herself.

"Listen, my whole life ... everyone always told me I wasn't pretty enough, needed to get a nose job," she recalled. "I wasn't pretty enough to be the pretty girl but a little too pretty to play the awkward friend."

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But both her confidence and her career — not to mention those photos — prove otherwise. According to the former "Glee" star, that's a sign of the times.

"I just really feel that Hollywood has changed, beauty has changed," she said. "And I'm embracing, always, my uniqueness ... with naked bed pictures!"