Who is Lea Michele Sarfati? The Acting world knows her as Lea Michele. 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 herself a Drama Desk Award nomination for her performance. She has recently received widespread acclaim, and several award nominations, for her performance as Rachel Berry in the Fox television series Glee, which premiered in May 2009.Michele was Born August 29, 1986 Lea Michele Sarfati in The Bronx, New York, the daughter of Edith, a nurse, and Marc Sarfati, a deli owner.[1] Michele's mother is Italian American and Catholic, while her father is of Spanish-Sephardic Jewish ancestry.[2] Michele grew up in Tenafly, New Jersey, where she attended Tenafly High School. Michele was accepted to the Tisch School of the Arts at New York University, but opted to continue working on stage.
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.
Since the age of 14, she played the role of Wendla in Steven Sater and Duncan Sheik's musical version of Spring Awakening from early workshops to Off-Broadway and finally originating the role in the Broadway production at the age of 20.[3] 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.[4] 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.[5]
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.[6] On August 8, 9 and 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, where she plays the star singer of a high school glee club, Rachel Berry. The pilot aired on May 19, 2009. She has been nominated for a Screen Actors Guild Award, a Teen Choice Award and a Golden Globe 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.
She is set to play Dorothy in the CGI 2011 animated film Dorothy of Oz. Kristin Chenoweth and Kelsey Grammer are also set to appear in the film.[7]
Broadway
- Les Misérables as Young Cosette (1995)
- Ragtime as the Little Girl (1998–2000)
- Fiddler on the Roof as Shprintze (2004–2006)
- Spring Awakening as Wendla (2006–2008)
Readings
- Nero (2008)
- Spring Awakening as Wendla (2000)
Regional Theatre
- The Diary of Anne Frank as Anne Frank (2004)
Concerts
- Les Miserables Concert as Eponine at the Hollywood Bowl (2008)
Film and television
- Buster and Chanucey's Silent Night as Various Characters (1998)
- Third Watch as Sammi (2000) 1 episode
- Glee as Rachel Berry (2009–present)
- Dorothy of Oz as Dorothy Gale (2011)
Awards and nominations
| Year | Award | Category | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | Drama Desk Award | Outstanding Actress in a Musical–Spring Awakening | Nominated |
| Broadway.com Audience Award | Favorite Leading Actress in a Broadway Musical–Spring Awakening | Nominated | |
| Favorite Female Breakthrough Performance–Spring Awakening | Nominated | ||
| Favorite Onstage Pair (with Jonathan Groff)–Spring Awakening | Nominated | ||
| 2009 | Teen Choice Awards | Choice TV Breakout Star: Female–Glee | Nominated |
| Satellite Award | Best Actress in a Series, Comedy or Musical–Glee | Won | |
| 2010 | Golden Globe Award | Best Actress in a TV Series–Comedy or Musical–Glee | Nominated |
| Screen Actors Guild Award | Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series–Glee | Won |
To see more of Who Is click here