Lea Michele Sarfati was born in the Bronx, New York to Edith Thomasina Porcelli, a nurse, and Mark David Sarfati, a delicatessen owner-turned-real estate agent. Her mother, Edith, was of Italian descent, tracing her roots back to Rome and Naples, while her father, Mark, was of Sephardi Jewish ancestry, with ties to Turkey and Greece. Lea was raised in the Catholic faith in Tenafly, New Jersey, and graduated from Tenafly High School.
At the tender age of eight, Lea discovered her passion for performing and attended an open casting call for a musical with a friend. Without hesitation, she decided to audition and was subsequently offered a role. Just two weeks later, she found herself starring on Broadway. Lea made her Broadway debut in 1995 as a replacement for the role of Young Cosette in the iconic musical "Les Misérables". She went on to appear in the original Broadway cast of "Ragtime" in 1998, playing the role of Tateh's daughter, the Little Girl, and later took on the roles of Shprintze and understudied Chava in the 2004 Broadway revival of "Fiddler on the Roof".
At the age of 14, Lea was given the opportunity to play the lead role of Wendla Bergmann in Steven Sater and Duncan Sheik's musical adaptation of "Spring Awakening". She starred in early workshops, off-Broadway productions, and ultimately originated the role in the Broadway production at the age of 20. Around the same time, she was offered the role of Éponine Thénardier in the Broadway revival of "Les Misérables", but chose to remain with "Spring Awakening", which debuted on Broadway in December 2006. Her performance earned her a nomination for a Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actress in a Musical.
After two years of starring in "Spring Awakening", Lea left the show alongside co-star Jonathan Groff to pursue other opportunities. In late 2008, she landed the role of Rachel Berry on the comedy-drama series Glee, which premiered on May 19, 2009. Her performance received widespread critical acclaim, earning her numerous award nominations, including a Satellite Award, three People's Choice Awards, and a Screen Actors Guild Award. Additionally, Lea received Golden Globe and Emmy Award nominations for her outstanding work on the show.
