Ever since “Glee” has been the must see show of the year, Lea Michele Sarfati has become an actress on rise. The petite actress- only 5’2” has made her presence know. It has been a hectic week for Lea Michele. The “Glee” star rocked the red carpet on Sunday at the Emmy Awards, where she was nominated for Outstanding Actress in a comedy.
Born in the Bronx and raised in New Jersey, Michele, now 24 after celebrating her birthday this week, made it to Broadway at age eight staring in Les Miserables.
“I didn’t know I could sing until I auditioned for ‘Les Miserable,’” she reveals. “My friend was auditioning, and I wanted to audition too. My mother was like, ‘You can’t sing.’ I’d never tried! After the [Les Mis] audition, I said, ‘Mom, I think they really like me.’ I was a ballsy little kid. I felt no fear at all.”
She then starred in the Tony-winning Spring Awakening at age 21. Then it was off the musical TV, starring as the annoying headstrong but endearing teen on Glee, Rachel Berry.
Now that she is starring on “Glee” Michele doesn’t get the chance to visit her family. So being so close with her cast makes her feel like she has a family in L.A., where “Glee” is being filmed.
“I don’t have family in L.A.” the 24-year-old actress told Glamour magazine for their October issue. “They are my family, honestly…I love my cast.”
Michele adds that Amber Riley, who plays Mercedes Jones on the Fox series, was the cast mate who surprised her the most.
“We’re both big personalities, and you definitely would think we’d bump heads. But she has taught me more about myself than anyone,” the “Glee” star said. “She inspires me, she protects me, she makes me laugh, she tells me not to take myself so seriously. She’s my Mama Amber.”
Besides her cast and family, Michele has another special person in her life. Her Broadway boyfriend, Theo Stockman.
“He lets me be who I am,” she said, even when that means staying in on date night, which for Michele ideally includes a “Scary movie, pizza, being at home [and] maybe having a great bottle of wine.”
Despite her small size, the petite actress with a huge, amazing voice has made it clear that she loves food. Growing up in a big Italian/Jewish family, meal time was important to Lea.
“I love being healthy,” she notes. “I get a lot of sleep. [But] I’m a girl who eats. And I feel beautiful no matter how I look. I have my family to thank for that. I’ll have a big Italian dinner, and I don’t give a crap because it makes me happy.”
