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Born
Lea Michele Sarfati was born in 1986 (current age 38 years), The Bronx, New York, NY -
Childhood
Michele grew up in New York City and Tenafly, New Jersey. Her mother is Italian American while her father is Spanish. She attended Rockland County Day School for elementary school in New York and then Tenafly High School. Michele started her career on Broadway as a child actress, at the age of eight years old. -
Childhood acting roles
Broadway debut in Les Misérables (1995–1996) played Young Cosette, Ragtime (1997–1999) played the role of the Little Girl, Fiddler on the Roof (2004–2005) played the role of Shprintze. -
Lea Michele in a musical
At the age of 14, Lea was casted in the role of Wendla Bergmann in the musical version of "Spring Awakening," created by Steven Sater and Duncan Sheik. -
Education
In the summers of 2000, 2001, and 2002, Michele attended Stagedoor Manor, a performing arts training center in the Catskills. She was later accepted to New York University's Tisch School of the Arts, but opted instead to continue working professionally on the stage -
broadway
Lea Michele chose to remain with "Spring Awakening", instead of doing the role of Éponine Thénardier in the Broadway revival of Les Misérables. Spirit Awakening debuted on Broadway in December 2006. -
First Award Nomination
Nominated for a Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actress in a Musical -
Debut
She also debuted her solo cabaret Once Upon a Dream at Feinstein's at the Loews Regency. -
Left Spirit Awakening
After two years of starring in "Spring Awakening", Lea left the show with co-star Jonathan Groff, to pursue other opportunities. -
Lea Michele on Glee
In late 2008, Lea won the role of Rachel Berry on the comedy-drama series Glee (2009), -
Concert production
In January 2008, Michele starred in a concert production of the musical Alive in the World as Phoebe, aiding the Twin Towers Orphan Fund. -
Awards and nominations
Michele is best known for her role as Rachel Berry on the hit Fox series Glee. She received critical acclaim for her performance, earning a Primetime Emmy nomination, two Golden Globe nominations, and a Screen Actors Guild Award -
Accomplishments
She received the 2009 Satellite Award for Best Actress in a Series - Comedy or Musical, and later won three People's Choice Awards and a Screen Actors Guild Award. -
Film debut
Michele made her feature film debut in New Year's Eve (2011). She also starred as Hester Ulrich on the Fox series Scream Queens -
Sponsorship
In September 2012, it was revealed that Michele had signed an estimated $1 million deal to be a spokesperson for L'Oréal Paris. She has appeared in magazine spreads and television commercials promoting their products -
Music debut
In 2012, she was signed to Columbia Records, and released her debut single the following year, "Cannonball", debut studio album, Louder (2014), Three years later, she released her second studio album, Places (2017). -
Lea Michele book
Michele is a New York Times best-selling author who released Brunette Ambition in 2014 and You First: Journal Your Way to Your Best Life in 2015 -
Lea Michele's partner
Michele and businessman Zandy Reich were married on March 9, 2019, in Napa, California. They have two children: a son born in August 2020 and a daughter born in August 2024. -
Broadway return
In 2022, she returned to Broadway as Fanny Brice in the revival of Funny Girl. -
Most influential person
Michele was named one of the 100 most influential people in the world by Time magazine in 2023.