Lea Michelle (Rachel Berry)

Lea was born in the Bronx on August 29, 1986. She was born to mother, Edith Sarfati, a nurse, and father, Marc Sarfati, a delicatessen owner. She grew up an only child in Tenafly, New Jersey. She attended Tenafly High School and Stagedoor Manor in the Catskills, a performing arts training center. She was then later accepted to the CAP21 program at the Tisch School of the Arts at New York University, but decided to continue working on stage instead. She made her Broadway debut in 1995 as a replacement cast member in Les Miserables as Young Cosette.
In May of 2009 after the finale of American Idol, Glee, a new comedy that features music on Fox, aired to much hype. Lea plays Rachel Berry on the show.
She has won a Screen Actors Guild Award for outstanding ensemble performance and the 2009 Satellite Award for best actress. She also received nominations for an Emmy Award, two nominations for a Golden Globe Award, and Teen Choice Award for her performance as Rachel Berry. She is also an active member of PETA and various gay rights groups.