Lea Michele by James White for Women's Health June 2010

Lea Michele Sarfati (born August 29, 1986), known professionally as Lea Michele, is an American singer, actress, and author, best known for her performance as Rachel Berry on the Fox television series Glee (2009–15). Michele's portrayal of Rachel received critical praise, earning her two Golden Globe Award nominations for Best Actress in a Television Series – Musical or Comedy in 2010 and 2011, and a Primetime Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series in 2010. She has also received a Satellite Award, a Screen Actors Guild Award, and three consecutive People's Choice Awards for her performance.

Michele began working professionally as a child actress on Broadway in productions such as Les Misérables, Ragtime, and Fiddler on the Roof. In 2006, she originated the lead role of Wendla Bergmann in the Broadway musical Spring Awakening, for which she received a Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actress in a Musical nomination. In 2008, the Spring Awakening soundtrack, on which she was a featured solo artist, won the Grammy Award for Best Musical Show Album. Michele made her film debut in 2011 when she starred in the romantic comedy New Year's Eve, directed by Garry Marshall. In 2014, she voiced Dorothy Gale in the animated film Legends of Oz: Dorothy's Return.

Michele announced that with her label Columbia Records she would start her career as a solo recording artist in 2012. Her first single, "Cannonball", was released on December 10, 2013. Her debut album, Louder, was released on March 4, 2014. The album debuted at number 4 on the US Billboard 200 and sold over 62,000 copies in its first week of U.S. release. In 2013, Michele signed a deal to write her first book, titled Brunette Ambition. It was released worldwide on May 20, 2014 and made its debut on The New York Times Best Seller list at number 3, and on the U.S. Nonfiction Best Sellers list at number 9.