Lea Michele: Photos From Her ‘Glee’ Era to Now

Contents

Lea Michele In 2006 Lea Michele In 2007 Lea Michele At A FOX Party Lea Michele & The Cast Of ‘Glee’ Lea Michele At The 2010 Golden Globes Lea Michele At The 2011 SAG Awards Lea Michele In 2012 Lea Michele & Corey Monteith In 2013 Lea Michele In 2014 Lea Michele In 2015 Lea Michele At Elton John’s 2016 Oscar Party Lea Michele At The 2017 Grammys Lea Michele In 2018 Lea Michele At The Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree Lighting Lea Michele & Her Husband Walk Their Son Lea Michele In 2021 Lea Michele At The 2022 Tony Awards Lea Michele at the 2023 Tony Awards “Chess” Broadway Opening Night

See Lea Michele’s journey in photos, from her early Broadway days to her breakout on ‘Glee’ and beyond.

Born for the stage! Lea Michele, born on August 29, 1986, has spent nearly her entire life in the spotlight, earning major acclaim both on Broadway and on-screen. She began her career as a child performer on Broadway, appearing in Les Misérables (1995–1996), Ragtime (1997–1999), Fiddler on the Roof (2004–2005), and the original production of Spring Awakening (2006–2008), where she became a breakout star.

Lea shot to global fame with the debut of Glee (2009–2015), where her powerhouse voice and emotional performances as Rachel Berry turned her into a household name. She later took on new TV roles in Ryan Murphy’s campy horror-comedy Scream Queens (2015–2016) and the ABC sitcom The Mayor (2017). She also made her feature-film debut in the ensemble romantic comedy New Year’s Eve in 2011.

Beyond acting, Lea has released three studio albums, authored two books, and continued to expand her creative repertoire. In 2022, she made a much-discussed Broadway return when she stepped into the iconic role of Fanny Brice in Funny Girl, leading the production from September 2022 to September 2023 and earning widespread praise for her performance. Most recently, Lea is back on Broadway once again — starring in a new revival of Chess, the classic Cold War musical set for the 2025–2026 season.

Already Leah Michele has had quite the career. See photos from her early days to now in our gallery here!

1 of 19