Lea Michele: Laughter is the best medicine

Lea Michele says "laughter" has been the key to overcoming her heartache.

The former ‘Glee’ actress was dating her on-screen co-star Cory Monteith until his death in July 2013, when he took a toxic combination of heroin and alcohol in a Vancouver hotel room – but Lea has revealed how she subsequently kept her career and life on track.

She shared: "Laughter is incredibly great medicine.

"Laughter is a wonderful thing for whatever is going on in your life. It’s always going to be something that makes me feel good, no matter what’s going on in my life."

The 29-year-old brunette beauty also claimed having a strong support network has helped her to deal with her emotional turmoil.

Lea told ‘Today’: "I have great support from my family. My parents raised me with a really strong backbone and a really good head on my shoulders.

"My mom is my safety net in life, so I always know I can reach for the stars and push really hard. My mom and dad will always be there to catch me if I fall."

She admitted to being inspired by her own parents as she looks forward to having her own children.

Lea explained: "I attribute a lot of my confidence to my family. They are so wonderful and did such a great job in raising me.

"I’m just going to have them write it all down for me so I can copy what they did when I have kids."

The actress also claimed her "uniqueness" has been the key to her career success.

She said: "I try to be as loving of who I am for whatever uniqueness or quirks I have.

"My uniqueness is something that has helped me get to where I am today. I wouldn’t change for anything."