Scream Queens," the upcoming horror comedy serried from executive producer Ryan Murphy –- Michele's scoliosis-afflicted, makeover-needing coed Hester would do just about anything to trade places with Roberts' uber-popular and soul-crushingly ruthless sorority diva Chanel -– but the two have already become so tight they're finishing each other's sentences.

Clearly thrilled to headline the TV chiller-with-killer-punchlines after their respective stints in Murphy's "Glee" and "American Horror Story: Coven," the bond between the two actress comes through loud and clear as they chat with Moviefone about their new gig, the co-star/role model Jamie Lee Curtis and their wildly differing feelings about horror movies.

Moviefone: What's it been like to have Jamie Lee Curtis, one of the original scream queens of the horror genre, be the den mother of this group of actresses?

Lea Michele: Great!

Emma Roberts: I mean, we could do worse. She's amazing. She brought us, like, gifts. She brought us all these little parasols, and she brought me some books--

Michele: She's got books, juices, rings--

Roberts: She's dreamy!

Michele: But more than that, just feeling like there's such a supportive [attitude] -– she's like the main structure that just keeps everything together. And even like being in a place like Comic-Con, she stood in front of all the cameras, and she was like, "This is not a flattering photo for these women!" She's like our protector. And I really love that. I feel like being a part of a show and having someone that does that for us, it's unbelievable. And she's f--king Jamie Lee Curtis. So there's that.

In horror movies the survivors are not who you might traditionally be the last one standing -– it's frequently a girl, and often the shy unpopular one no one gave a second thought to before. Was that significant to you?

Roberts: I think we all kind of just went into it...I don't think we really knew people were going to solidly die each episode. We were kind of like, "Oh, every couple episodes, someone will die, and it's not going to be us." And then Ryan Murphy's like, "No. Someone's going to die every week, and none of you are safe." And we were kind of shocked. We were laughing about it. We were like, "What do you mean? We thought we're not going to die." So all of us are kind of as in the dark as you guys, too, because Ryan will not tell us.

Michele: Yeah, but it's so great too because Ryan's always so smart with adding all the important elements to a show: It's funny, it's scary, but it also has that kind of girl power thing about the show. When he pitched the show to me that had zero information, but then the more we talked, the certain things that he was saying about what was important about the show, it goes back to what you were saying: at the end, maybe it will be us girls who survive, or take this killer down. I love that, and I love that Ryan always keeps that in mind: that it will be a positive show.

Now that you're on the ride, what are you loving about this experience?

Michele: For me, personally, I've always loved the writing [of Murphy, Brad Falchuk and Ian Brennan], and I always loved being a part of something that's so fresh and new. And I had the same experience with "Glee." I'm so excited right now to be playing this character -– they're challenging me so much, and that's incredible. But I'm also so grateful to be working with such a strong group of actors who have such established careers and talents. That's just so great to work with other people that are so incredible.

Roberts: For me, I've known Ryan Murphy for a long time because he's friends with my aunt [Julia Roberts], and I've known him just through the business. But then I always wanted to be on a Ryan Murphy show. And I was like, "I want to be on 'American Horror Story' more than anything," and I didn't even like ask him about it. One day he called me, and I was like, "I didn't even ask you because I didn't think there would be a role for me." And he was like, "No, I have a role for you." So the fact that he has yet again called me with an amazing role, and also, to work with someone like him, who's a guy who can write for women so well, and makes us smart and articulate and funny.

I mean, the show is mostly young women. And Jamie Lee Curtis' role is amazing. And it's just really cool to be able to trust someone like him to make all of us girls look good and know that you're going to have a badass role. That's how I felt on "Coven." It was so fun on "Coven" because literally he just made us all like badass. And it was really awesome. I loved the experience.

Emma, your character has likely done something personally to this killer....

Roberts: I am the president of the sorority, and I'm sure there are plenty of people I have pissed off enough to go on a killing spree [laughs]. But you know what I love about the show is -– and I think we were all saying this yesterday -– is that you don't really know who's good and who's bad. And everybody is very layered. Like, everyone has kind of done something that is bad, and everyone has shades of good. But everyone has that darkness. Like there's always that little twinkle of darkness in everyone's eye. And that's why I genuinely don't know who the killer is. And I'm annoyed that they won't tell me.

Michele: I know.

Lea, how elaborate is the full body brace contraption you're wearing?

Michele: It's pretty intense, I will say! And at first, I was like "Oh, this is nothing." It's definitely very intense, especially late nights, and then you're just like, "Oh my God!" But now I know how to take it off within like two seconds.

How are you with actual horror films? Glued to the screen or watching through cracks between fingers covering your eyes?

Michele: Love.

Roberts: I'm like this [Covers eyes]. My friends won't even watch horror movies with me anymore. They won't even invite me to see them because they're like, "One of us is going to have to sleep over at Emma's house if we have to take her to watch the movie."

Michele: Totally.

Roberts: I'm like, "You guys..." They're like, "We're not seeing 'The Conjuring' because you will make us move in." It's like, "OK. True. True."

Michele: For me, it's like the opposite.

Roberts: The trailer scared me.

Michele: So scary! Then my girlfriends are like, "If we come over to your house, we're not watching a scary movie with you," because they don't want to. And they're like, "Oh, if we go on a weekend trip together, you can't make us watch." I literally search Apple trailers to see what new horror films are coming out and what can scare me, because it's very hard to scare me.

What are some films that scared you and favorite ones?

Roberts: I mean, "The Ring." I'm still traumatized. That was such a good scary movie. Because psychologically, I'm still traumatized from that movie which I think is what makes a good scary movie, right? So yeah, "Poltergeist" scarred me...

Michele: That got you?

Roberts: I'm a baby.

Michele: Oh my God.

Roberts: I was terrified, yeah. "Poltergeist" is PG? That is the craziest thing I've ever heard. "The Sixth Sense."

Michele: Really?

Roberts: Oh my God. I check under the bed every night.

Michele: You think that Mischa Barton's underneath it?

Roberts: No. And it takes me five minutes to get the courage up too.

Michele: I think the most recent movie that was super-scary was "The Conjuring." But in years past, obviously, "The Ring." But "The Strangers"--

Roberts: [Gasp] "The Strangers"! That was really scary.

Michele: When they were like, "Why?" And they were like, "Because you were home."

Roberts: Seriously, you're going to make me cry right now--

Michele: And they killed Ben from "Felicity."

Have either of you had a moment where you're like, "I think I'm living in a horror movie?"

Roberts: Like, every night when I'm alone in my house. Like, every time I turn off the lights at night to go to sleep. I'm like, "Are there ghosts in this room?" Like, every day.

Michele: Are you kidding me? When I go to my place in New Orleans, sometimes it's really scary. Sometimes I go home, and I get a vibe. And I'm like, "Please. I have a long day of work tomorrow. Can you relax because you're scaring me." And it stops. But you definitely have to talk to it, in New Orleans.