Share

Lea Michele biography

1 photo

Quick Facts

  • NAME: Lea Michele
  • OCCUPATION: Theater Actress, Television Actress, Singer
  • BIRTH DATE: August 29, 1986 (Age: 26)
  • PLACE OF BIRTH: Bronx, New York
  • Full Name: Lea Michele Sarfati
  • ZODIAC SIGN: Virgo

Best Known For

Actress Lea Michele landed the role of Rachel Berry, an ambitious teenager who dreams of stardom, on the TV show Glee.

Quiz

Think you know about Biography?

Answer questions and see how you rank against other players.

Play Now

Before her last audition, Michele got into a car accident. She left the damaged car at the scene and got to the meeting with shards of glass still in her hair.

Glee

The creators and producers of the show, including Ryan Murphy, were impressed by Michele. Murphy told USA Today that the part was written especially for her. "I really believe in Lea's talent because her talent was once in a lifetime," he said. The role of an ambitious teenager who dreams of stardom appears to be a good fit for the actress. "Rachel is me when I was that age. She knows what she loves and who she is. She doesn't get caught up in what other people think is important," Michele told New York magazine. Her portrayal of Rachel earned Michele her first Emmy Award nomination in 2010.

Rachel is just one of the misfits that join their high school's beleaguered glee club. Ushkowitz appears as Tina, a punk teen. As Finn Hudson, Cory Monteith is a jock torn between music and sports. Matthew Morrison plays Will Schuester, the teacher that runs the club and tries to keep the club going. And Jane Lynch appears as Schuester's nemesis, a cheerleading coach who wants to bring down the club. Michele's close friend, Jonathan Groff, later signed on as the leader of a rival glee club.

In addition to its interesting characters, Glee features outstanding musical numbers. Michele earned accolades for her take on "Don't Rain on My Parade," originally sung by Barbra Streisand in the musical Funny Girl. The cast's rendition of Journey's "Don't Stop Believin'" became the top downloaded song on iTunes the day after it was featured in an episode. The show's music has proved to be so popular that several soundtracks have already been released, and Michele and several other cast members played numerous concerts throughout the country in 2010.

Besides working on Glee, Michele will be voicing the character of Dorothy in an animated film based on The Wizard of Oz.

© 2013 A+E Networks. All rights reserved.

ADVERTISEMENT
585260 585260
profile id: 585260
profile name: Lea Michele
profile occupation:
related profile id: 585260
related profile name: Lea Michele
related profile occupation:
related profile img: /imported/images/Biography/Images/Profiles/M/Lea-Michele-585260-1-402.jpg
related profile URL: /people/lea-michele-585260
profile
pop
Your Connections

Sign in with Facebook to see how you and your friends are connected to famous icons.

specific profile connection
See More Bio Connections
Your Friends' Connections
specific friend connection
Profile Connections
    Show More Connections
    Included In These Groups

    See all related groups

    ADVERTISEMENT

    Celebrity Connections

    Show More Connections
    Fact Check: We strive for accuracy and fairness. If you see something that doesn't look right, contact us!