Career Timeline of Lea Michele: Major Achievements and Milestones
How Lea Michele built a successful career. Explore key moments that defined the journey.
Lea Michele is an American actress and singer, known for her Broadway beginnings in shows like Les Misérables and Spring Awakening. She gained widespread recognition for her portrayal of Rachel Berry in the television series Glee, earning Emmy and Golden Globe nominations. Her involvement in Glee also extended to music, contributing to numerous hit songs and a Grammy nomination.
23 hours ago : Lea Michele to depart 'Chess' on Broadway; Revival cast album single released.
Lea Michele is set to depart from 'Chess' on Broadway. A single from the Chess Broadway revival cast album has been released. The departure date is set.
December 2007: Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS
In December 2007, Lea Michele supported Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, performing Off-Broadway at Unsung: 'Tis The Season To Be Naughty.
2007: Gap Inc. marketing campaign
In 2007, Lea Michele and her Spring Awakening co-stars were featured in a Gap Inc. marketing campaign that included magazine advertisements and billboards in Times Square in Manhattan.
2007: Drama Desk Award Nomination
In 2007, prior to Glee, Lea Michele received a Drama Desk Award nomination for her role in a production of Spring Awakening.
2008: PETA Campaign Against Horse-Drawn Carriage Rides
In 2008, Lea Michele appeared in PETA's advertising campaign "Buck Cruelty! Say No to Horse-Drawn Carriage Rides" campaigning for animal rights.
2008: Started working with Cory Monteith
In 2008, Lea Michele began working with actor Cory Monteith when they were cast as love interests on Glee.
November 2009: Performed at Human Rights Campaign dinner
In November 2009, Lea Michele performed at the Human Rights Campaign dinner in support of gay rights.
April 2010: PETA Public Service Announcement
In April 2010, Lea Michele appeared in a PETA public service announcement, speaking out against fur clothing.
September 2010: Honored by PETA for animal rights work
In September 2010, Lea Michele was honored by PETA for her work with animals.
October 2010: Performed at benefit concert for The Painted Turtle
In October 2010, Lea Michele performed at a benefit concert for The Painted Turtle summer camp, playing the lead role of Janet Weiss in The Rocky Horror Picture Show.
2010: Dove spokesmodel
In 2010, Lea Michele became a spokesmodel for the beauty company Dove and performed the song "My Favorite Things" from The Sound of Music in Dove television commercials.
2010: Nominated for Primetime Emmy Award
In 2010, Lea Michele was nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series for her role as Rachel Berry in Glee.
February 2011: Performed at Grammy Award's MusiCares benefit
In February 2011, Lea Michele performed for the Grammy Award's MusiCares benefit in Los Angeles.
September 2011: HP TouchPad commercials
In September 2011, Lea Michele appeared in commercials for Hewlett-Packard's HP TouchPad.
2011: Nominated for Grammy Award
In 2011, Lea Michele was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals for the cast performance of "Don't Stop Believin'" as part of the Glee cast.
January 2012: Candie's spokesmodel
In January 2012, Candie's announced that Lea Michele would be the spokesmodel for their brand, succeeding Vanessa Hudgens.
April 2012: Performed at Taste for a Cure
In April 2012, Lea Michele performed for the Jonsson Cancer Center Foundation's 17th annual signature fundraiser, Taste for a Cure, at UCLA with Darren Criss.
July 2012: Hosted Valspar's Hands for Habitat charity auction launch
In July 2012, Lea Michele hosted the launch of Valspar's Hands for Habitat charity auction, donating a signed hand print to be auctioned for Habitat for Humanity's disaster response programs.
September 2012: L'Oréal Paris spokesperson
In September 2012, Lea Michele signed a deal to become a spokesperson for L'Oréal Paris and appeared in magazine ads and television commercials promoting their products.
October 2012: Performed at Big Brothers Big Sisters Gala
In October 2012, Lea Michele and Darren Criss performed together at the Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Los Angeles 2012 Stars Gala.
December 2012: Ambassador for L'Oréal's Women of Worth program
Since December 2012, Lea Michele has been an ambassador for L'Oréal's Women of Worth program, celebrating women who have positively impacted their communities.
June 2013: Co-hosted launch of Feed America for Target
In June 2013, Lea Michele co-hosted the launch of Feed America for Target, with proceeds from the lifestyle collection benefiting Feeding America.
August 2013: Valspar Hands for Habitat charity auction
In August 2013, Lea Michele again donated a hand print to the Valspar Hands for Habitat charity auction.
December 14, 2013: Hosted fundraiser for Chrysalis
On December 14, 2013, Lea Michele hosted the fundraiser "Lea Michele's Night of Shopping and Cocktails", presented by SodaStream, benefiting Chrysalis, a non-profit organization helping homeless people find work.
April 2014: Performed at Taste for a Cure event
In April 2014, Lea Michele and Darren Criss performed together at the 19th annual Taste for a Cure event for the Jonsson Cancer Center Foundation.
October 2014: Team up with Evian to promote breast exams
In October 2014, Lea Michele teamed up with Evian to encourage women to perform their own breast exams in an attempt to raise awareness of early cancer detection.
April 2015: Started recording her second studio album
In April 2015, Lea Michele began recording for her second studio album, stating it would have a more theatrical sound compared to her debut.
September 2015: Collaboration with Pixelberry Studios
In September 2015, Pixelberry Studios announced their collaboration with Lea Michele, launching High School Story with Lea Michele, a celebrity takeover update of their popular app.
February 2016: Collaboration with Burt's Bees
In February 2016, it was announced that Lea Michele would collaborate with Burt's Bees in a campaign to raise awareness of the declining population of bees.
June 2016: Human Rights Campaign video tribute
In June 2016, Lea Michele and other celebrities participated in a Human Rights Campaign video to honor the victims of the 2016 Pulse nightclub shooting in Orlando, Florida, by sharing the stories of those who were killed.
January 2017: An Intimate Evening with Lea Michele Mini Tour
In January 2017, Lea Michele played three shows on a mini tour titled An Intimate Evening with Lea Michele, supporting her second studio album, Places.
March 3, 2017: Release of "Love Is Alive"
On March 3, 2017, Lea Michele released "Love Is Alive", the lead single from her second studio album, Places.
April 4, 2017: Appearance on Dimension 404
On April 4, 2017, Lea Michele appeared as Amanda in the first episode of Dimension 404, Hulu's science fiction anthology series.
April 2017: Barnes & Noble donation to Step Up
In April 2017, Barnes & Noble donated a portion of the proceeds from every purchase of Lea Michele's second album, Places, to the non-profit organization Step Up.
April 28, 2017: Release of "Places"
On April 28, 2017, Lea Michele released her second studio album, Places, which debuted at No. 28 on the Billboard 200 chart.
May 2017: UK and North America Tour
In April and May 2017, Lea Michele's tour, An Intimate Evening with Lea Michele, continued with additional shows in the UK and North America.
October 8, 2017: Performance at Elsie Fest
On October 8, 2017, Lea Michele performed as a headlining act at the third annual Elsie Fest held in Central Park.
November 2017: Partnership with eBay to benefit Feeding America
In November 2017, Lea Michele collaborated with eBay to design a pin to raise funds for Feeding America and offered a visit to the set of one of her 2018 projects as an auction item.
April 2018: Announcement of LM/DC Tour
In April 2018, it was announced that Lea Michele and Darren Criss would co-headline a tour (the LM/DC Tour).
June 2018: LM/DC Tour
In May and June 2018, Lea Michele and Darren Criss went on tour in several North American cities (the LM/DC Tour).
December 2018: LM/DC Tour: UK and Ireland
From October to December 2018, Lea Michele and Darren Criss' LM/DC Tour had stops in the United Kingdom and Ireland.
February 2019: Commercial for Zola
In February 2019, Lea Michele appeared in a commercial for Zola, a wedding website.
May 2019: Hosting "Well, Well, Well with Lea Michele"
In May 2019, it was announced that Lea Michele would host a health and wellness digital series for the Ellen DeGeneres Network, titled Well, Well, Well with Lea Michele.
October 25, 2019: Release of "Christmas in the City" album
On October 25, 2019, Lea Michele's third studio album, Christmas in the City, was released.
November 24, 2019: Visit to Children's Healthcare of Atlanta
On November 24, 2019, Lea Michele visited sick children at the Children's Healthcare of Atlanta hospital.
December 19, 2019: Live performances at Adler Hall
From December 19, 2019, Lea Michele performed live in a series of shows at Adler Hall on the Upper West Side of Manhattan.
November 5, 2021: Release of "Forever: A Lullaby Album"
On November 5, 2021, Lea Michele released her cover album, Forever: A Lullaby Album.
July 11, 2022: Announcement of return to Broadway
On July 11, 2022, it was announced that Lea Michele would return to Broadway in the stage musical production of Funny Girl.
September 6, 2022: Debut in Funny Girl
On September 6, 2022, Lea Michele replaced Beanie Feldstein in the leading role of Fanny Brice in Funny Girl on Broadway.
September 20, 2022: Return to Funny Girl after COVID-19
On September 20, 2022, Lea Michele returned to the stage in Funny Girl after recovering from COVID-19.
2022: Returns to Broadway in Funny Girl
In 2022, Lea Michele returned to Broadway playing Fanny Brice in a revival of Funny Girl, to widespread critical acclaim.
September 3, 2023: Final Performance of Funny Girl
On September 3, 2023, Funny Girl had its final performance on Broadway.
October 2023: "No Hostage Left Behind" letter
In October 2023, Lea Michele signed the "No Hostage Left Behind" open letter, urging President Joe Biden to secure the release of hostages taken by Hamas during the October 7 attacks.
May 2025: Cast as Florence Vassy in Chess
In May 2025 Lea Michele was cast as Florence Vassy in the 2025 Broadway revival of Chess.
October 15, 2025: Starts in Chess at the Imperial Theatre
Lea Michele is set to start in the 2025 Broadway revival of Chess on October 15, 2025 at the Imperial Theatre.
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