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Lea Michele

Lea Michele

Actor · b. 1986 · The Bronx, New York, USA

Lea Michele Sarfati (born August 29, 1986) is an American actress, singer, and songwriter. Recognized for her powerful soprano voice, emotional performances, and extensive Broadway background, she has built a career spanning theater, television, film, and music. Michele has received numerous accolades, including a Screen Actors Guild Award, along with nominations for a Primetime Emmy Award, two Golden Globe Awards, and multiple Grammy Awards. In 2010 and 2023, she was named one of Time magazine’s 100 most influential people in the world. Born and raised in New York City, Michele is of Italian and Sephardic Jewish descent. She began performing professionally as a child actress on Broadway, appearing in productions of Les Misérables, Ragtime, Fiddler on the Roof, and later originating the role of Wendla Bergmann in Spring Awakening alongside Jonathan Groff. Michele rose to international prominence for her portrayal of ambitious high school performer Rachel Berry on the Fox musical comedy-drama Glee (2009–2015). Her performance became one of the defining portrayals of musical television in the 2010s and earned widespread critical acclaim, including a Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series, as well as nominations for a Primetime Emmy Award and two Golden Globe Awards for Best Actress in a Comedy Series. Through the show’s music releases, Michele also received multiple Grammy Award nominations and contributed to numerous Billboard-charting singles and albums, helping reintroduce musical television to mainstream global audiences. Following the success of Glee, Michele expanded into film and music. She made her feature film debut in New Year's Eve and signed with Columbia Records in 2012. Her debut single, Cannonball, was released in 2013, followed by her first studio album Louder (2014), which debuted at number four on the Billboard 200. She later released the albums Places (2017), Christmas in the City (2019), and Forever (2021). Her music combines Broadway theatricality with contemporary pop influences and is often noted for its vocal intensity and emotional delivery. Outside of performance, Michele has authored two books: Brunette Ambition (2014) and You First: Journal Your Way to Your Best Life (2015). In 2022, Michele returned to Broadway as Fanny Brice in the revival of Funny Girl, delivering a critically acclaimed performance that revitalized the production and became one of the most commercially successful Broadway runs of the decade. Her renditions of songs such as “Don’t Rain on My Parade” and “My Man” received widespread praise from critics and audiences alike. In 2025, she stars as Florence Vassy in the Broadway revival of Chess opposite Aaron Tveit and Nicholas Christopher. Widely regarded as one of the leading Broadway performers of her generation, Michele continues to maintain a prominent presence across theater, music, and screen.

Series23

  • TV6.1
  • TV4.9
  • TV5.8
  • TV8.0

    The Simpsons

    1989 · 11K votes

  • TV5.1
  • TV6.3

    The Kelly Clarkson Show

    2019 · 72 votes

  • TV6.4

    The Daily Show

    1996 · 660 votes

  • TV7.2

    Conan

    2010 · 265 votes

  • TV5.6

    LIVE with Kelly and Mark

    1988 · 51 votes

  • TV5.8

    The Drew Barrymore Show

    2020 · 17 votes

  • TV8.4

    Sons of Anarchy

    2008 · 3.4K votes

  • TV6.8

    Glee

    2009 · 975 votes

  • TV5.6

    The Ellen DeGeneres Show

    2003 · 179 votes

  • TV7.9

    Third Watch

    1999 · 238 votes

  • TV4.5

    Chelsea Lately

    2007 · 22 votes

  • TV3.4
  • TV5.9

    The Cleveland Show

    2009 · 477 votes

  • TV5.1

    Chelsea

    2016 · 80 votes

  • TV5.2

    The Dr. Oz Show

    2009 · 14 votes

  • TV6.1
  • TV9.2

    People's Choice Awards

    1975 · 6 votes

  • TV7.8

    Scream Queens

    2015 · 1.8K votes

  • TV6.9

Movies13

  • Movie5.9

    New Year's Eve

    2011 · 2.2K votes

  • Movie6.3
  • Movie7.3

    Glee: The Concert Movie

    2011 · 279 votes

  • Movie7.2
  • Movie5.9
  • Movie7.2
  • Movie5.6
  • Movie6.7
  • Movie7.1
  • Movie
  • Movie10.0
  • Movie8.1

    Glee Encore

    2011 · 17 votes

  • Movie