Lea Michele - FOX summer Television Critics Association all-star party

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 hit musical Spring Awakening, earning a Drama Desk Award nomination for her performance. She has recently received widespread acclaim for her role as Rachel Berry, which has accumulated Emmy and Golden Globe nominations, in the Fox television series Glee.

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. [3] 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.

At age 14, 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.[4] 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.[5] 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.[6]

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.[7] 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 and nominated for a Teen Choice Award, a Golden Globe Award and a Emmy Award for her performance. She also received the 2009 Satellite Award, beating out several seasoned television actresses such as Edie Falco, Toni Collette and Tina Fey. 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. [8]

Michele was included in Time Magazine's 2010 list of the 100 Most Influential People In the World.[9] FHM named her #7 on 2010 Sexiest Women List, which was the highest ranking for a new entry on the list that year.[10] May 2010, AfterEllen.com named her #16 in Hot 100 of 2010, saying " Lea Michele is just a perfect storm of hotness"[11] In May 2010, Michele was chosen for Victoria’s Secret Sexy List 2010 for having the "Sexiest Smile"