History of Lea Michele in Timeline

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Lea Michele

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.

22 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: Saw the movie adaptation of Funny Girl

In 2007, Lea Michele first saw the movie adaptation of Funny Girl, which contributed to her character's obsession with the musical being written into Glee.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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January 2012: Candie's spokesmodel

In January 2012, Candie's announced that Lea Michele would be the spokesmodel for their brand, succeeding Vanessa Hudgens.

February 2012: Began dating Cory Monteith

In February 2012, the media reported that Lea Michele and Cory Monteith, her Glee co-star, had begun dating.

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.

July 2013: Cory Monteith's death

In July 2013, Lea Michele's boyfriend and Glee co-star Cory Monteith passed away. They had been together since February 2012.

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.

2013: Reported vocal range

As of 2013, Lea Michele's voice reportedly spans approximately 3 octaves.

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.

2014: Michele speaks about Alanis Morissette's influence

In a 2014 interview, Lea Michele said that Alanis Morissette's album Jagged Little Pill was the first album she purchased, and that she still owns it.

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.

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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.

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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.

2017: Rumors of illiteracy begin

Since 2017, Lea Michele has been the subject of rumors, conspiracy theories, and jokes that she is illiterate.

March 2018: Illiteracy rumor becomes Internet meme

In March 2018, the rumor that Lea Michele is illiterate became a popular Internet meme.

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.

December 2018: Partnership with Old Navy and Lyft

In December 2018, Lea Michele, Old Navy and Lyft partnered to announce free car sharing to stores for the holidays.

February 2019: Commercial for Zola

In February 2019, Lea Michele appeared in a commercial for Zola, a wedding website.

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March 9, 2019: Marriage to Zandy Reich

On March 9, 2019, Lea Michele married businessman Zandy Reich in Napa, California.

April 2019: Performance at "A Grand Night" fundraising gala

In April 2019, Lea Michele performed at the "A Grand Night" fundraising gala held at the Mark Taper Forum in Los Angeles.

May 1, 2019: Participation in Reach Higher's 2019 College Signing Day

On May 1, 2019, Lea Michele joined Michelle Obama at Reach Higher's 2019 College Signing Day event.

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.

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September 2019: Revealed PCOS diagnosis

In September 2019, Lea Michele shared that she had been diagnosed with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS).

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.

June 2, 2020: HelloFresh partnership terminated

On June 2, 2020, HelloFresh announced they had ended their partnership with Lea Michele due to a controversy surrounding accusations of bullying against her.

June 2020: Accusations of Bullying

In June 2020, actress Samantha Marie Ware accused Lea Michele of bullying her and causing "traumatic microaggressions" while they worked together on the sixth season of Glee.

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August 2020: Birth of first child

In August 2020, Lea Michele and Zandy Reich welcomed their first child, a son.

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.

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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.

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September 11, 2022: COVID-19 diagnosis

On September 11, 2022, four days into her run as Fanny Brice, Lea Michele announced that she had tested positive for COVID-19 and would be in isolation for at least 10 days.

September 2022: Michele addresses illiteracy rumors

In September 2022, Lea Michele addressed the rumors that she is illiterate in an interview with The New York Times.

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.

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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.

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September 3, 2023: Final Performance of Funny Girl

On September 3, 2023, Funny Girl had its final performance on Broadway.

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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.

August 2024: Birth of second child

In August 2024, Lea Michele and Zandy Reich welcomed their second child, a daughter.

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.

2025: Addressing illiteracy rumors on a podcast

In 2025, Lea Michele addressed the illiteracy rumor again on Jake Shane's podcast, reading aloud Shane's notecards to prove she could read.