Lea Michele

Lea Michele Sarfati (born August 29, 1986), known professionally as Lea Michele, is an American actress and singer. Michele began working professionally as a child actor on Broadway in productions such as Les Misérables. She appeared in several more musicals before being selected for the lead role in the musical Spring Awakening, earning a Drama Desk Award nomination for her performance. Her role as Rachel Berry in the Fox television series Glee has resulted in Emmy and Golden Globe nominations.

Early life
Lea was born in The Bronx, New York, the daughter of Edith Sarfati, a nurse, and Marc Sarfati, a delicatessen owner. Michele's mother is Italian American and Catholic, while her father is of Spanish-Sephardic Jewish ancestry. Michele grew up in Tenafly, New Jersey, where she attended Tenafly High School. She attended Stagedoor Manor in the Catskills, a performing arts training center. She was then later accepted to the Tisch School of the Arts at New York University, but opted to continue working on stage.

Career
At eight years old Lea Michele went with a friend to an open call for a musical. Michele decided on a whim she wanted to try out. She was offered the part and in two weeks from her very first audition she was starring on Broadway. Michele debuted on Broadway in 1995 as a replacement in the role of Young Cosette in the original New York production of Les Misérables. This was followed by her performance of the role of Tateh's daughter, the Little Girl, in the 1998 original Broadway cast of Ragtime. In 2004, Michele played "Shprintze" and "Chava" in the Broadway revival of the musical Fiddler on the Roof.

She played the role of Wendla in Steven Sater and Duncan Sheik's musical version of Spring Awakening, starring in early workshops to Off-Broadway and finally originating the role in the Broadway production at the age of 20. Around the same time that the show was set to go to Broadway, she was offered the role of Eponine in the Broadway revival of Les Misérables. She chose to remain with Spring Awakening, which debuted on Broadway in December 2006. Michele was nominated for a Drama Desk Award for her performance in Spring Awakening in the category of Outstanding Actress in a Musical.

On May 18, 2008, Michele left Spring Awakening with co-star Jonathan Groff. She performed in a reading of Sheik and Sater's new musical, Nero, in July 2008 at Vassar College. On August 8 through 10, 2008, Michele portrayed Eponine in the Hollywood Bowl's Les Misérables concert.

Michele is on the original Broadway cast recordings of Ragtime and Spring Awakening, as well as the 2003 Broadway revival cast recording of Fiddler on the Roof.

Michele currently stars in the Fox television series Glee (2009–present), where she plays the star singer of a high school glee club, Rachel Berry. The pilot aired on May 19, 2009. She has won a Screen Actors Guild Award for outstanding ensemble performance and the 2009 Satellite Award for best actress. She also received nominations for an Emmy Award, Golden Globe Award, and Teen Choice Award for her performance in the role. Her cover of The All-American Rejects' "Gives You Hell" reached number 1 on the Irish charts and the top 40 on the US Billboard 200.

Michele was included in Time Magazine's 2010 list of the 100 Most Influential People In the World. FHM named her #7 on 2010 Sexiest Women List, which was the highest ranking for a new entry on the list that year. May 2010, AfterEllen.com named her #16 in Hot 100 of 2010, saying " Lea Michele is just a perfect storm of hotness" In May 2010, Michele was chosen for Victoria’s Secret Sexy List 2010 for having the "Sexiest Smile".

Advocacy
Michele is active in participating in charities for gay rights and animal rights. In April 2010 Michele appeared in a PSA for PETA speaking out against fur. In 2008, Michele was a part of the PETA ad campaign titled, "Buck Cruelty! Say No to Horse-Drawn Carriage Rides," In September 2010 Michele was honored by PETA for her work for animals. In support of gay rights, Michele performed at the Human Rights Campaign Dinner in November 2009. Also in November 2009, Michele and Jonathan Groff performed for True Colors Cabaret, a fundraiser in support of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender equality. In 2008, Michele performed at a benefit concert called "Alive in the World" to aid the Twin Tower Orphan Fund. Michele has also been active with Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS.

Credits
Broadway
 * Les Misérables as Young Cosette (1995–96)
 * Ragtime as the Little Girl (1998–99)
 * Fiddler on the Roof as Shprintze (2004–06)
 * Spring Awakening as Wendla (2006–08)

Readings/Workshops
 * Burt Bacharach and Steven Satar collaboration ( Nov. 2009)
 * Nero as Octavia (July 2008)
 * Samson and Delilah as Delilah
 * King as Anisette
 * Wuthering Heights as Lucy
 * Hot and Sweet as Naleen (Sept. 2006)
 * Spring Awakening as Wendla – Roundabout Theatre Company (2000 and June 2001)

Concerts/Events
 * "Spring Awakening" as Wendla – Lincoln Center (February 2005)
 * Alive in the World – Benefit Concert – as Phoebe, (Jan. 2008)
 * Unsung 2007: 'Tis The Season To Be Naughty - Lucille Lortel Theater, NY (Dec 2007)
 * Feinstein's (Feb 2008 and April 2008)
 * Flopz n' cutz Concert with Landon Beard, Joe's Pub (April 2008)
 * Les Misérables Concert as Eponine at the Hollywood Bowl (Aug. 2008)
 * Upright Cabaret (August 2008)
 * Broadway Chance Style: Up Close & Personal (Sept 2008)
 * Spring Awakening Holiday Benefit Concert – Joe's Pub (December 2008)
 * True Colors Benefit with Jonathan Groff (November 2009)
 * Glee Live! In Concert! as Rachel Berry, Phoenix, LA, Chicago, NY. (May 2010)
 * Glee TV Academy Event at the Music Box LA, (July 27, 2010)

Other Projects
 * Ragtime as Little Girl, Toronto Centre for the Arts, Toronto, Canada (1997)
 * The Diary of Anne Frank as Anne Frank, Washington D.C. (2006)
 * Spring Awakening as Wendla, Atlantic Theatre Company, off Broadway (May–August 2006)
 * Dove commercials as spokesperson (2010)

Film and television
 * Buster and Chanucey's Silent Night as Various Characters (1998)
 * Third Watch as Sammi (2000) 1 episode
 * Around the Block – pilot – as herself (2008)
 * Glee as Rachel Berry (2009–present)
 * The Simpsons as voice of Sarah (2010 episode: "Elementary School Musical")
 * Dorothy of Oz as voice of Dorothy Gale (2012)

Discography

 * Ragtime: Original Cast Recording (1998)
 * Fiddler on the Roof: Revival Cast Recording (2004)
 * Spring Awakening: Original Cast Recording  Grammy Award winner – Best Cast Recording (2006)
 * Glee: The Music, Volume 1 (2009)
 * Glee: The Music, Volume 2 (2009)
 * Glee: The Music, The Power of Madonna (2010)
 * Glee: The Music, Volume 3 Showstoppers (2010)
 * Glee: The Music, Journey to Regionals (2010)