Rachel Berry (Glee)
Encyclopedia
Rachel Berry is a fictional character
and de facto female lead from the Fox
musical
comedy-drama
series Glee
. The character is portrayed by actress Lea Michele
, and has appeared in Glee from its pilot episode
, first broadcast on May 19, 2009. Rachel was developed by Glee creators Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk
and Ian Brennan
. She is the glee club
star of the fictional William McKinley High School in Lima, Ohio
, where the show is set. Her storylines have seen her suffer peer alienation due to her Broadway ambitions, and develop romantic feelings for Jesse St. James (Jonathan Groff
), a member of rival glee club Vocal Adrenaline, but primarily quarterback
and glee club co-captain Finn Hudson
(Cory Monteith
).
Michele bases Rachel on herself when she was younger, and also draws inspiration for the character variously from films including Election
, and television portrayals such as the Gossip Girl
character Blair Waldorf
. Michele has said that she draws on a lot of vulnerability playing Rachel, much like Blair Waldorf. She says: "Rachel will never be popular because her looks aren't considered beautiful, and when I was in high school it was the same for me. I didn't get a nose job, and every single girl around me did. Therefore, I was out." Michele also commented that "Glee is so great because it shows you how that kind of stuff hurts, but it doesn't matter: You can still be who you want to be."
Rachel is strong and driven but somewhat neurotic, explaining that Glee follows Rachel's journey to become more of a team player as well as fulfill her own aspirations. Michele was nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series in the 2010 ceremony
; and for the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Television Series Musical or Comedy at the 2010 and 2011 Golden Globe Award
s for her performance in the role. Rachel has received mostly positive reviews from critics, with Maureen Ryan of The Chicago Tribune praising Michele for making the character "more than a humorless stereotype", but Raymund Flandez of The Wall Street Journal
described her as "insufferable". Several songs performed by Michele as Rachel have been released as singles, available for digital download
, and also feature on the show's soundtrack album
s.
same-sex couple, and is Jewish. Her fathers named her after Rachel Green
from Friends
. She joins the newly reconstituted glee club hoping that fame will increase her popularity and help her find a boyfriend. She is bullied by members of the school cheerleading and football teams, but is pleased when quarterback
Finn Hudson joins the club, developing a crush on him. The two share a kiss in the episode "Showmance", although he tells her to forget that it happened and continues dating his girlfriend, cheerleader Quinn Fabray
(Dianna Agron
). Rachel quits the glee club when she is not assigned a solo she wanted, and is awarded the lead role in the school musical, Cabaret
. However, she later quits the musical and rejoins the glee club when she realizes that she would rather be in a group in which she has friends. She has a brief relationship with another glee club member, Puck
(Mark Salling), who is also Jewish, and is a football player who used to bully her, but she breaks up with him due to her continuing feelings for Finn. She later discovers and reveals to Finn that Quinn's pregnancy was not caused by him, but that Puck is the father; furious, Finn attacks Puck, breaks up with Quinn, and drops out of New Directions. He returns the day of the group's first major competition, the Sectionals, to undo sabotage by cheerleading coach Sue Sylvester
(Jane Lynch
); the group makes up a completely new set list
, which Rachel opens with an impromptu solo of Don't Rain on My Parade
, and New Directions wins by unanimous decision.
For a short time Rachel believes that she is dating Finn, but he tells her that he needs to take time out for himself. He changes his mind soon after, but Rachel has already begun dating Jesse St. James (Jonathan Groff
), the lead singer of rival glee club Vocal Adrenaline. The rest of the glee club presses Rachel to break off with Jesse, but he transfers to William McKinley and joins New Directions, which defuses their concerns. She tells Jesse that her dream is to find her birth mother, and he offers to help her do so. However, he already knows who it is: Vocal Adrenaline coach Shelby Corcoran (Idina Menzel
) is Rachel's mother, and has asked Jesse to befriend Rachel so that she might reconnect with her daughter, who she is not allowed to contact directly until Rachel is eighteen. When Rachel discovers that Shelby is her mother, they both confess to not feeling an immediate attachment and eventually decide not to pursue a relationship. Jesse betrays Rachel and returns to Vocal Adrenaline, leaving her devastated. In the episode "Journey to Regionals", as he and Rachel are about to go onstage at Regionals, Finn tells her that he loves her; although they lose the competition to Vocal Adrenaline, they become a couple.
(Chord Overstreet
) wins instead. Rachel eventually discovers that Finn slept with cheerleader Santana Lopez
(Naya Rivera
) the previous year while Rachel was dating Jesse, and lied about it, though Rachel herself had lied and said she had slept with Jesse when she hadn't; hurt, she makes out with Puck to hurt Finn back; this betrayal causes Finn to break up with her. Rachel tries to win him back, but he instead rekindles his feelings for Quinn and starts dating her. Wounded by Quinn telling her that the two of them are back together, Rachel writes an original song for Regionals, “Get It Right
”, and when New Directions wins, is named the club’s competition MVP.
Just before junior prom, Jesse returns, having flunked out of UCLA, and Rachel invites him to the prom with her, Sam and Mercedes
(Amber Riley
). Jesse and Finn are kicked out of the prom when Finn picks a fight with Jesse over his attentions to Rachel on the dance floor, which effectively ends Finn and Quinn’s campaign for prom king and queen. Finn ultimately breaks up with Quinn when he realizes he has a deeper connection with Rachel, despite the fact that she and Jesse seem to be a couple again. At Nationals, as the New Directions are about to go on stage, Finn begs Rachel to get back together with him, but though she professes her love, she refuses, still torn between her love for New York and Broadway and her love for him. At the end of their duet—"Pretending", written by Finn—an enthusiastic audience falls silent when Rachel and Finn share an overlong, unscripted kiss; the glee club comes in twelfth. Back in Ohio, Finn reminds Rachel that she has a year until graduation and any move to New York; he kisses her, and their relationship resumes.
(Jayma Mays
) suggest they consider The New York Academy of the Dramatic Arts (NYADA), a highly desirable school. The two attend an Ohio "mixer" for potential applicants, only to discover that their competition is very much like them, and quite talented. Rachel proposes that McKinley do West Side Story
as the school musical, since she feels she'd be a shoo-in for the lead role, Maria, and she needs the experience for her NYADA application. However, Mercedes also auditions for Maria, and the directors, unable to decide between the two of them, schedule callbacks where they are to sing the same song. Rachel is appalled to realize that Mercedes has performed the song better than she did, but the directors decide to double-cast the role, giving Rachel and Mercedes each a week of the two-week run. Mercedes refuses to accept the double-casting, since she also believes she did better in the callbacks, and withdraws from the show, leaving Rachel with the role. She lost her virginity to Finn
after her opening night as Maria.
, and as a child has been played by Lauren Boles. In casting Glee, series creator Ryan Murphy sought out actors who could identify with the rush of starring in theatrical roles. Instead of using traditional network casting calls, he spent three months on Broadway, where he found Lea Michele
, who starred in Spring Awakening
. The role of Rachel was written specifically for Michele. In an interview with The Washington Post
, Michele commented on her casting, saying: "I was kind of just thrown into this—this is one of the first television jobs I've ever had. Of course being able to sing helps bring a sense of comfort. The character I'm playing is really outgoing—she performs in her everyday life as though she's performing in front of a huge audience."
In December 2010, Ryan Murphy announced that the cast of Glee would be replaced at the end of the third season
to coincide with their graduation. Murphy said: "Every year we're going to populate a new group. There's nothing more depressing than a high schooler with a bald spot." He also revealed that some of the original cast will leave as early as 2012: "I think you have to be true to the fact that here is a group of people who come and go in these teachers' lives." Murphy said in July 2011 that Michele would be one of the actors leaving at the end of the third season, and Michele commented on the matter, saying: "We always knew we'd graduate in real time. It's all part of the plan and it's all good! It's going to make Season 3 amazing! This is just the beginning!" However, Falchuk later stated that while Michele, along with Chris Colfer
and Cory Monteith
, will graduate at the end of the third season, "because they’re graduating doesn’t mean they’re leaving the show." Falchuk insisted "it was never our plan or our intention to let them go…. They are not done with the show after this season."
Sandra Gonzalez of Entertainment Weekly
commented on the original news that several characters would be leaving the cast when they graduate, saying: "Indeed, a rolling cast list has done some shows good in the past. I’ll admit that it took me some time to warm up to the “new kids” on Friday Night Lights
, which ends its run tomorrow on NBC
, but it was a well-done transition. What I loved most was that the new blood didn’t try to be the new versions of the old characters. They were new characters with completely different outlooks and goals. Glee could learn a lot from what Friday Night Lights accomplished: a seamless, realistic transition. The problem? “Seamless” and “realistic” have never been Glee‘s strong points, which is not to say they couldn’t be. But the question is: Is Glee looking to be the less-attractive comedy cousin of Friday Night Lights… or Saved By the Bell: The New Class?"
Glee costume designed Lou Eyrich described Rachel's costuming in an interview with Entertainment Weekly
saying: "Originally, the inspiration for her look was Tracy Flick
from "Election
" — very buttoned-down, preppy, obnoxious, squeaky clean, nerdy. But she’s got at least 12 costume changes each episode. That same look all the time just gets boring for the screen and for the actress to wear, so we spread it out a lot. We try to have her buttoned-up or wearing a nerdy sweater over a cute dress, like she doesn’t quite get it right. Or she takes that sweater and tucks it into the skirt and pairs it with knee highs and flats. She makes it her way, which is more quirky. The popular girls find a way to make it look cool, but Rachel makes it look nerdy. But it’s not old-school nerdy with thick glasses and pocket protectors. She thinks she’s taking a trend and making it cool, but she wears it wrong.
Michele bases Rachel on herself when she was younger, and also draws inspiration from the film Election
, and the Gossip Girl
character Blair Waldorf
. She has explained: "[Blair] is shady, but you still love her. She's still vulnerable. That's what I try to do with Rachel. Rachel will never be popular because her looks aren't considered beautiful, and when I was in high school it was the same for me. I didn't get a nose job, and every single girl around me did. Therefore, I was out. I was not cool. What's so great about Glee is that it shows you how that kind of stuff hurts, but it doesn't matter: You can still be who you want to be. And in four years, high school will be over and all of that crap won't matter anyway."
Several songs performed by Michele as Rachel have been released as singles, available for digital download
, also featuring on the soundtracks Glee: The Music, Volume 1
and Glee: The Music, Volume 2
. Rachel has received positive reviews from critics. The role saw Michele nominated for the Emmy for Best Leading Actress in a Comedy Series at the 2010 Primetime Emmy Award
, which were hosted on August 29; and for the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Television Series Musical or Comedy at the 2010 Golden Globe Award
s. Robert A. George of the New York Post
has deemed Rachel: "the only female [in Glee] who doesn’t come across as manipulative or vapidly helpless", while the Chicago Tribune
' s Maureen Ryan has opined: "Lea Michele not only has an amazing voice but manages to make her character, spoiled diva Rachel Berry, more than a humorless stereotype." The Los Angeles Times
' s Denise Martin commented on the episode "The Rhodes Not Taken
": "if there's any justice in the world, Lea Michele will win a Golden Globe and an Emmy for playing Rachel".
Following the episode "Hairography
" in which Rachel is badly made-over by Kurt, Mike Hale of the New York Times noted a popular theme amongst critics for negatively highlighting the way Glee treats its female characters. He wrote that while he understood this stance, he generally disagreed with it as the show treats male characters equally poorly, but opined: "it was a bit much when Finn looked at Rachel in her catsuit and frizzy hair and said she looked like a 'sad clown hooker.' Come on. She looked fantastic." Zap2it
's Korbi Ghosh has deemed Rachel's high point on the show romancing of Finn and Puck, commenting: "when we saw Rachel fall for them, she was actually relatable. Likable even. The type-A, uber-talented, self-involved know-it-all who's usually alienating her classmates let her guard down to expose a vulnerable side. And, as a bonus, we got some super solid musical performances from those awkward courtships."
Conversely, Ghosh assessed her low point as being her romancing of Will, writing: "Sure, Schue's got it going on, what with the rapping, the break dancing, the boy band'ing and the lindy hopping too. But Rachel's eye-on-the-prize, I'll-get-what-I-want attitude coupled with her inappropriate crush on the teacher just made her creepier than usual. Infiltrating his home, cooking and cleaning for him right under his crazy wife's nose. Come on, Berry, you're better than that..." Raymund Flandez for The Wall Street Journal
commented on the episode "Preggers
": "Rachel has become insufferable. The disagreements with Mr. Schue about her own development as a bonafide triple-threat have branded her as an overbearing prima donna to the rest of Glee." Eric Goldman for IGN
agreed: "It's hard not to be annoyed by Rachel". James Poniewozik of Time
has suggested that Rachel's negative character traits may actually be an asset, commenting on her performance of "Don't Rain on My Parade
" in the episode "Sectionals
": "The number reminded me how much I like what the show's done with Rachel: she's a lead character, yet the show allows her to be annoying—but at the same time, her dedication makes her likeable. And as we see here, as much of a pill as she can be, her ability to whip out a performance she's been working on since age four is an asset."
, she won the award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Musical or Comedy Television Series. Michele was part of the Glee cast ensemble given the Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series award at the 16th Screen Actors Guild Awards
. In 2010, Michele won the NewNowNext Awards
for Brink of Fame: Actor. The role has also garnered Michele numerous award nominations. In 2009, she was nominated for a Teen Choice Award in the category "Choice TV Breakout Star". That same year, Michele was nominated for a Golden Globe in the category Best Actress- Television Series Musical or Comedy, and an Emmy Award
for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series. She received another Teen Choice Award nomination in 2010 for "Choice TV Actress: Comedy". Michele was included in Time
magazine's 2010 list of the 100 Most Influential People In the World
. Her cover of The All-American Rejects
' "Gives You Hell
" reached the top 40 on the US Billboard 200. Michele is featured as lead singer in 14 of the top 20 selling Glee Cast songs as of 2010.
Michele was nominated for two Grammy Award
s in 2011. The first for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals ("Don't Stop Believin), the second for Best Compilation Soundtrack Album for a Motion Picture, Television, or Other Visual Media (Glee: The Music, Volume 1). Michele said of the first Grammy nomination: "I like that it's for 'Don't Stop Believin', which is for the whole cast, so that we all get to go. That's just awesome." She was nominated again for "Best Actress- Television Series Musical or Comedy" at the 2011 Golden Globe Awards. The cast of Glee was also nominated for the Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series award at the 2011 Screen Actors Guild Awards.
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
and de facto female lead from the Fox
Fox Broadcasting Company
Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...
musical
Musical film
The musical film is a film genre in which songs sung by the characters are interwoven into the narrative, sometimes accompanied by dancing. The songs usually advance the plot or develop the film's characters, though in some cases they serve merely as breaks in the storyline, often as elaborate...
comedy-drama
Comedy-drama
Comedy-drama is a genre of theatre, film and television programs which combines humorous and serious content.-Theatre:Traditional western theatre, beginning with the ancient Greeks, was divided into comedy and tragedy...
series Glee
Glee (TV series)
Glee is an American musical comedy-drama television series that airs on Fox in the United States, and on GlobalTV in Canada. It focuses on the high school glee club New Directions competing on the show choir competition circuit, while its members deal with relationships, sexuality and social issues...
. The character is portrayed by actress Lea Michele
Lea Michele
Lea Michele Sarfati , known professionally as Lea Michele, is an American actress and singer. Michele began working professionally as a child actress on Broadway in productions such as Ragtime and Les Misérables. She originated the role of Wendla in the musical Spring Awakening and currently plays...
, and has appeared in Glee from its pilot episode
Pilot (Glee)
"Pilot" is the pilot episode of the television series Glee, which premiered on the Fox network on May 19, 2009. An extended director's cut version aired on September 2, 2009. The show focuses on a high school show choir, also known as a glee club, set within the fictional William McKinley High...
, first broadcast on May 19, 2009. Rachel was developed by Glee creators Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk
Brad Falchuk
Brad Falchuk is a television writer, director and producer. He is best known for his work on the television series Nip/Tuck, Glee, and American Horror Story.-Early life:...
and Ian Brennan
Ian Brennan (writer)
Ian Brennan is a television writer, actor and producer. He is best known for his work on the television show Glee.-Early life:Brennan is the son of John and Charman Brennan. His sister, Sarah Brennan, is one of the founders of in Chicago...
. She is the glee club
Glee club
A glee club is a musical group or choir group, historically of male voices but also of female or mixed voices, which traditionally specializes in the singing of short songs—glees—by trios or quartets. In the late 19th Century it was very popular in most schools and was made a tradition...
star of the fictional William McKinley High School in Lima, Ohio
Lima, Ohio
Lima is a city in and the county seat of Allen County, Ohio, United States. The municipality is located in northwestern Ohio along Interstate 75 approximately north of Dayton and south-southwest of Toledo....
, where the show is set. Her storylines have seen her suffer peer alienation due to her Broadway ambitions, and develop romantic feelings for Jesse St. James (Jonathan Groff
Jonathan Groff
Jonathan Drew Groff is an American singer-songwriter, stage, television and film actor. He originated the role of Melchior Gabor in the stage musical Spring Awakening and appeared as Jesse St...
), a member of rival glee club Vocal Adrenaline, but primarily quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
and glee club co-captain Finn Hudson
Finn Hudson
Finn Hudson is a fictional character from the Fox musical comedy-drama series Glee. The character is portrayed by actor Cory Monteith, and has appeared in Glee from its pilot episode, first broadcast on May 19, 2009. Finn was developed by Glee creators Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk and Ian Brennan...
(Cory Monteith
Cory Monteith
Cory Allan Monteith is a Canadian actor and musician, best known for his role of Finn Hudson on the Fox television series Glee.-Early life:...
).
Michele bases Rachel on herself when she was younger, and also draws inspiration for the character variously from films including Election
Election (1999 film)
Election is a 1999 American comedy film adapted from a 1998 novel of the same title by Tom Perrotta. The plot revolves around a three-way election race in high school, and satirizes both suburban high school life and politics...
, and television portrayals such as the Gossip Girl
Gossip Girl
Gossip Girl is an American young adult novel series written by Cecily von Ziegesar and published by Little, Brown and Company, a subsidiary of the Hachette Group. The series revolves around the lives and romances of the privileged teenagers at the Constance Billard School for Girls, an elite...
character Blair Waldorf
Blair Waldorf
Blair Cornelia Waldorf is the main character of Gossip Girl, introduced in the original series of novels and also appearing in their television and manga adaptations. Described as "a girl of extremes" by creator Cecily von Ziegesar, she is a comical overachiever who possesses both snobbish and...
. Michele has said that she draws on a lot of vulnerability playing Rachel, much like Blair Waldorf. She says: "Rachel will never be popular because her looks aren't considered beautiful, and when I was in high school it was the same for me. I didn't get a nose job, and every single girl around me did. Therefore, I was out." Michele also commented that "Glee is so great because it shows you how that kind of stuff hurts, but it doesn't matter: You can still be who you want to be."
Rachel is strong and driven but somewhat neurotic, explaining that Glee follows Rachel's journey to become more of a team player as well as fulfill her own aspirations. Michele was nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series in the 2010 ceremony
62nd Primetime Emmy Awards
The 62nd Annual Primetime Emmy Awards, presented by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, took place on August 29, 2010, at the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles, California beginning at 5:00 p.m. PDT...
; and for the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Television Series Musical or Comedy at the 2010 and 2011 Golden Globe Award
Golden Globe Award
The Golden Globe Award is an accolade bestowed by the 93 members of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association recognizing excellence in film and television, both domestic and foreign...
s for her performance in the role. Rachel has received mostly positive reviews from critics, with Maureen Ryan of The Chicago Tribune praising Michele for making the character "more than a humorless stereotype", but Raymund Flandez of The Wall Street Journal
The Wall Street Journal
The Wall Street Journal is an American English-language international daily newspaper. It is published in New York City by Dow Jones & Company, a division of News Corporation, along with the Asian and European editions of the Journal....
described her as "insufferable". Several songs performed by Michele as Rachel have been released as singles, available for digital download
Music download
A music download is the transferral of music from an Internet-facing computer or website to a user's local computer. This term encompasses both legal downloads and downloads of copyright material without permission or payment...
, and also feature on the show's soundtrack album
Soundtrack album
A soundtrack album is any album that incorporates music directly recorded from the soundtrack of a particular feature film or television program. In some cases, not all the tracks from the movie are included in the album; however there are rare cases of songs in the trailers that do not appear in...
s.
Season 1
Rachel is the daughter of an interracialInterracial
Interracial is an adjective related to a supposed racial group. It can have different connotations in different contexts:* Interracial marriage is marriage between two people of different races....
same-sex couple, and is Jewish. Her fathers named her after Rachel Green
Rachel Green
Rachel Karen Green is a fictional character on the popular U.S. television sitcom Friends, portrayed by Jennifer Aniston. Aniston received an Emmy Award, a Screen Actors Guild Award, and a Golden Globe for her performances.-Background:...
from Friends
Friends
Friends is an American sitcom created by David Crane and Marta Kauffman, which aired on NBC from September 22, 1994 to May 6, 2004. The series revolves around a group of friends in Manhattan. The series was produced by Bright/Kauffman/Crane Productions, in association with Warner Bros. Television...
. She joins the newly reconstituted glee club hoping that fame will increase her popularity and help her find a boyfriend. She is bullied by members of the school cheerleading and football teams, but is pleased when quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
Finn Hudson joins the club, developing a crush on him. The two share a kiss in the episode "Showmance", although he tells her to forget that it happened and continues dating his girlfriend, cheerleader Quinn Fabray
Quinn Fabray
Quinn Fabray is a fictional character from the Fox musical comedy-drama series Glee. The character is portrayed by actress Dianna Agron, and has appeared in Glee since its pilot episode, first broadcast on May 19, 2009. She is a former cheerleader at the fictional William McKinley High School in...
(Dianna Agron
Dianna Agron
Dianna Agron is an American actress, best known for her portrayal of Quinn Fabray on the television series Glee.-Early life:Dianna Agron was born in Savannah, Georgia, and raised in San Antonio, Texas and San Francisco, California. She is the daughter of Mary and Ronald S. Agron, a general...
). Rachel quits the glee club when she is not assigned a solo she wanted, and is awarded the lead role in the school musical, Cabaret
Cabaret (musical)
Cabaret is a musical based on a book written by Christopher Isherwood, music by John Kander and lyrics by Fred Ebb. The 1966 Broadway production became a hit and spawned a 1972 film as well as numerous subsequent productions....
. However, she later quits the musical and rejoins the glee club when she realizes that she would rather be in a group in which she has friends. She has a brief relationship with another glee club member, Puck
Puck (Glee)
Noah "Puck" Puckerman is a fictional character from the Fox musical comedy-drama series Glee. The character is portrayed by actor Mark Salling, and has appeared in Glee from its pilot episode, first broadcast on May 19, 2009. Puck was developed by Glee creators Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk and Ian...
(Mark Salling), who is also Jewish, and is a football player who used to bully her, but she breaks up with him due to her continuing feelings for Finn. She later discovers and reveals to Finn that Quinn's pregnancy was not caused by him, but that Puck is the father; furious, Finn attacks Puck, breaks up with Quinn, and drops out of New Directions. He returns the day of the group's first major competition, the Sectionals, to undo sabotage by cheerleading coach Sue Sylvester
Sue Sylvester
Susan "Sue" Sylvester is a fictional character of the Fox musical comedy-drama series, Glee. The character is portrayed by actress Jane Lynch, and has appeared in Glee from its pilot episode, first broadcast on May 19, 2009. Sue was developed by Glee creators Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk, and Ian...
(Jane Lynch
Jane Lynch
Jane Marie Lynch is an American comedian, actress and singer. She gained fame in Christopher Guest's improv mockumentary pictures such as Best in Show and is currently best known for playing the role of Sue Sylvester in the television series Glee...
); the group makes up a completely new set list
Set list
A set list, or setlist, is a document that lists the songs that a band or musical artist intends to play, or has played, during a specific concert performance...
, which Rachel opens with an impromptu solo of Don't Rain on My Parade
Don't Rain on My Parade
"Don't Rain On My Parade" is a popular song from the 1964 musical Funny Girl. It was also featured in the 1968 movie version of the musical. The song was written by Bob Merrill and Jule Styne. Both the movie and stage versions feature Barbra Streisand performing the song. It has since become one of...
, and New Directions wins by unanimous decision.
For a short time Rachel believes that she is dating Finn, but he tells her that he needs to take time out for himself. He changes his mind soon after, but Rachel has already begun dating Jesse St. James (Jonathan Groff
Jonathan Groff
Jonathan Drew Groff is an American singer-songwriter, stage, television and film actor. He originated the role of Melchior Gabor in the stage musical Spring Awakening and appeared as Jesse St...
), the lead singer of rival glee club Vocal Adrenaline. The rest of the glee club presses Rachel to break off with Jesse, but he transfers to William McKinley and joins New Directions, which defuses their concerns. She tells Jesse that her dream is to find her birth mother, and he offers to help her do so. However, he already knows who it is: Vocal Adrenaline coach Shelby Corcoran (Idina Menzel
Idina Menzel
Idina Kim Menzel is an American actress, singer and songwriter. She is widely known for originating the roles of Maureen in Rent and Elphaba in Wicked.-Early life:...
) is Rachel's mother, and has asked Jesse to befriend Rachel so that she might reconnect with her daughter, who she is not allowed to contact directly until Rachel is eighteen. When Rachel discovers that Shelby is her mother, they both confess to not feeling an immediate attachment and eventually decide not to pursue a relationship. Jesse betrays Rachel and returns to Vocal Adrenaline, leaving her devastated. In the episode "Journey to Regionals", as he and Rachel are about to go onstage at Regionals, Finn tells her that he loves her; although they lose the competition to Vocal Adrenaline, they become a couple.
Season 2
When the glee club needs to recruit new members to get back up to the minimum twelve required for competitions, Rachel initially encourages transfer student Sunshine Corazon (Charice) to try out, but when she realizes just how good Sunshine is, she sabotages the audition, directing her to an inactive crack house instead of the true location; Sunshine ends up transferring to Carmel High and show choir rivals Vocal Adrenaline. Though this and Finn’s temporary ouster from the football team test their relationship, it remains quite strong through the beginning of season two; the two work together to throw the glee club’s duets competition so newcomer Sam EvansSam Evans
Sam Evans is a recurring fictional character from the Fox musical comedy-drama series Glee. The character is portrayed by actor Chord Overstreet, and appeared on Glee starting with the second season premiere episode entitled "Audition", first broadcast on September 21, 2010, and ending with that...
(Chord Overstreet
Chord Overstreet
Chord Overstreet is an American actor, singer and musician, best known for his role as Sam Evans on the television series Glee.-Early life:...
) wins instead. Rachel eventually discovers that Finn slept with cheerleader Santana Lopez
Santana Lopez
Santana Lopez is a fictional character from the Fox musical comedy-drama series Glee. The character is portrayed by actress Naya Rivera, and has appeared in Glee from its pilot episode, first broadcast on May 19, 2009. Santana was developed by Glee creators Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk and Ian Brennan...
(Naya Rivera
Naya Rivera
Naya Marie Rivera is an American actress and singer known for her role in the musical comedy television series Glee, as cheerleader Santana Lopez.-Early life:...
) the previous year while Rachel was dating Jesse, and lied about it, though Rachel herself had lied and said she had slept with Jesse when she hadn't; hurt, she makes out with Puck to hurt Finn back; this betrayal causes Finn to break up with her. Rachel tries to win him back, but he instead rekindles his feelings for Quinn and starts dating her. Wounded by Quinn telling her that the two of them are back together, Rachel writes an original song for Regionals, “Get It Right
Get It Right
Get It Right is a 1983 Aretha Franklin album. It was produced by Luther Vandross. The album's title song became a #1 hit on Billboards R&B singles chart but stalled at a dismal #61 on the Billboard Hot 100. The album sold approximately 200,000 US copies...
”, and when New Directions wins, is named the club’s competition MVP.
Just before junior prom, Jesse returns, having flunked out of UCLA, and Rachel invites him to the prom with her, Sam and Mercedes
Mercedes Jones
Mercedes Jones is a fictional character from the Fox popular musical comedy-drama series Glee. The character is portrayed by actress Amber Riley, and has appeared in Glee from its pilot episode, first broadcast on May 19, 2009. Mercedes was developed by Glee creators Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk and...
(Amber Riley
Amber Riley
Amber Patrice Riley is an American actress and singer best known for her role on the series Glee as Mercedes Jones.-Early life and career:...
). Jesse and Finn are kicked out of the prom when Finn picks a fight with Jesse over his attentions to Rachel on the dance floor, which effectively ends Finn and Quinn’s campaign for prom king and queen. Finn ultimately breaks up with Quinn when he realizes he has a deeper connection with Rachel, despite the fact that she and Jesse seem to be a couple again. At Nationals, as the New Directions are about to go on stage, Finn begs Rachel to get back together with him, but though she professes her love, she refuses, still torn between her love for New York and Broadway and her love for him. At the end of their duet—"Pretending", written by Finn—an enthusiastic audience falls silent when Rachel and Finn share an overlong, unscripted kiss; the glee club comes in twelfth. Back in Ohio, Finn reminds Rachel that she has a year until graduation and any move to New York; he kisses her, and their relationship resumes.
Season 3
Rachel, along with Kurt, plans to attend a performing arts school in New York City after graduation. School counselor Emma PillsburyEmma Pillsbury
Emma Pillsbury is a fictional character from the Fox musical comedy-drama series Glee. Portrayed by actress Jayma Mays, Emma has appeared in Glee from its pilot episode, first broadcast on May 19, 2009. Emma was developed by Glee creators Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk and Ian Brennan...
(Jayma Mays
Jayma Mays
Jayma Suzette Mays is an American television and film actress, and singer. Mays' most prominent roles include that of Emma Pillsbury on the American television series Glee, recurring appearances on Ugly Betty and on Heroes as characters named Charlie.- Life and career :Mays was born Jamia Suzette...
) suggest they consider The New York Academy of the Dramatic Arts (NYADA), a highly desirable school. The two attend an Ohio "mixer" for potential applicants, only to discover that their competition is very much like them, and quite talented. Rachel proposes that McKinley do West Side Story
West Side Story
West Side Story is an American musical with a script by Arthur Laurents, music by Leonard Bernstein, lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, and choreographed by Jerome Robbins...
as the school musical, since she feels she'd be a shoo-in for the lead role, Maria, and she needs the experience for her NYADA application. However, Mercedes also auditions for Maria, and the directors, unable to decide between the two of them, schedule callbacks where they are to sing the same song. Rachel is appalled to realize that Mercedes has performed the song better than she did, but the directors decide to double-cast the role, giving Rachel and Mercedes each a week of the two-week run. Mercedes refuses to accept the double-casting, since she also believes she did better in the callbacks, and withdraws from the show, leaving Rachel with the role. She lost her virginity to Finn
Finn Hudson
Finn Hudson is a fictional character from the Fox musical comedy-drama series Glee. The character is portrayed by actor Cory Monteith, and has appeared in Glee from its pilot episode, first broadcast on May 19, 2009. Finn was developed by Glee creators Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk and Ian Brennan...
after her opening night as Maria.
Casting and creation
Rachel is regularly portrayed by Lea MicheleLea Michele
Lea Michele Sarfati , known professionally as Lea Michele, is an American actress and singer. Michele began working professionally as a child actress on Broadway in productions such as Ragtime and Les Misérables. She originated the role of Wendla in the musical Spring Awakening and currently plays...
, and as a child has been played by Lauren Boles. In casting Glee, series creator Ryan Murphy sought out actors who could identify with the rush of starring in theatrical roles. Instead of using traditional network casting calls, he spent three months on Broadway, where he found Lea Michele
Lea Michele
Lea Michele Sarfati , known professionally as Lea Michele, is an American actress and singer. Michele began working professionally as a child actress on Broadway in productions such as Ragtime and Les Misérables. She originated the role of Wendla in the musical Spring Awakening and currently plays...
, who starred in Spring Awakening
Spring Awakening
Spring Awakening is a rock musical adaptation of the controversial 1892 German play of the same title by Frank Wedekind. It features music by Duncan Sheik and a book and lyrics by Steven Sater. Set in late-19th century Germany, it concerns teenagers who are discovering the inner and outer tumult of...
. The role of Rachel was written specifically for Michele. In an interview with The Washington Post
The Washington Post
The Washington Post is Washington, D.C.'s largest newspaper and its oldest still-existing paper, founded in 1877. Located in the capital of the United States, The Post has a particular emphasis on national politics. D.C., Maryland, and Virginia editions are printed for daily circulation...
, Michele commented on her casting, saying: "I was kind of just thrown into this—this is one of the first television jobs I've ever had. Of course being able to sing helps bring a sense of comfort. The character I'm playing is really outgoing—she performs in her everyday life as though she's performing in front of a huge audience."
In December 2010, Ryan Murphy announced that the cast of Glee would be replaced at the end of the third season
Glee (season 3)
A third season of the Fox musical comedy-drama television series Glee was commissioned on May 23, 2010 while the first season aired. It premiered on September 20, 2011, and is being produced by 20th Century Fox Television and Ryan Murphy Television, with executive producers Dante Di Loreto and...
to coincide with their graduation. Murphy said: "Every year we're going to populate a new group. There's nothing more depressing than a high schooler with a bald spot." He also revealed that some of the original cast will leave as early as 2012: "I think you have to be true to the fact that here is a group of people who come and go in these teachers' lives." Murphy said in July 2011 that Michele would be one of the actors leaving at the end of the third season, and Michele commented on the matter, saying: "We always knew we'd graduate in real time. It's all part of the plan and it's all good! It's going to make Season 3 amazing! This is just the beginning!" However, Falchuk later stated that while Michele, along with Chris Colfer
Chris Colfer
Christopher Paul "Chris" Colfer is an American actor and singer known for his portrayal of Kurt Hummel on the television series Glee, for which he won a 2011 Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actor and was also nominated twice for an Emmy...
and Cory Monteith
Cory Monteith
Cory Allan Monteith is a Canadian actor and musician, best known for his role of Finn Hudson on the Fox television series Glee.-Early life:...
, will graduate at the end of the third season, "because they’re graduating doesn’t mean they’re leaving the show." Falchuk insisted "it was never our plan or our intention to let them go…. They are not done with the show after this season."
Sandra Gonzalez of Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
commented on the original news that several characters would be leaving the cast when they graduate, saying: "Indeed, a rolling cast list has done some shows good in the past. I’ll admit that it took me some time to warm up to the “new kids” on Friday Night Lights
Friday Night Lights (TV series)
Friday Night Lights is an American sports drama television series adapted by Peter Berg, Brian Grazer and David Nevins from a book and film of the same name. The series details events surrounding a high school football team based in fictional Dillon, Texas, with particular focus given to team...
, which ends its run tomorrow on NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
, but it was a well-done transition. What I loved most was that the new blood didn’t try to be the new versions of the old characters. They were new characters with completely different outlooks and goals. Glee could learn a lot from what Friday Night Lights accomplished: a seamless, realistic transition. The problem? “Seamless” and “realistic” have never been Glee‘s strong points, which is not to say they couldn’t be. But the question is: Is Glee looking to be the less-attractive comedy cousin of Friday Night Lights… or Saved By the Bell: The New Class?"
Characterization
She took the role because of Rachel's characterization, explaining: "Not only is she a singer, but she has so much heart – I think it's what we need on TV. A show that is filled with heart and love that is funny. It sends an amazing message to kids about the arts and being who you are." Michele described the first thirteen episodes of the series as "Rachel's journey of finding herself within the Glee club", explaining that "She's learning how to be a team player and work within this group. She's a very strong, driven girl, who's sometimes a little misunderstood."Glee costume designed Lou Eyrich described Rachel's costuming in an interview with Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
saying: "Originally, the inspiration for her look was Tracy Flick
Tracy Flick
Tracy Enid Flick is a fictional character, originating in the 1998 novel Election by Tom Perrotta and portrayed by Reese Witherspoon in the 1999 film adaptation of the same title. Tracy is a smart, ambitious high school student, whose quest to win a school election is nearly derailed by her own...
from "Election
Election (1999 film)
Election is a 1999 American comedy film adapted from a 1998 novel of the same title by Tom Perrotta. The plot revolves around a three-way election race in high school, and satirizes both suburban high school life and politics...
" — very buttoned-down, preppy, obnoxious, squeaky clean, nerdy. But she’s got at least 12 costume changes each episode. That same look all the time just gets boring for the screen and for the actress to wear, so we spread it out a lot. We try to have her buttoned-up or wearing a nerdy sweater over a cute dress, like she doesn’t quite get it right. Or she takes that sweater and tucks it into the skirt and pairs it with knee highs and flats. She makes it her way, which is more quirky. The popular girls find a way to make it look cool, but Rachel makes it look nerdy. But it’s not old-school nerdy with thick glasses and pocket protectors. She thinks she’s taking a trend and making it cool, but she wears it wrong.
Michele bases Rachel on herself when she was younger, and also draws inspiration from the film Election
Election (1999 film)
Election is a 1999 American comedy film adapted from a 1998 novel of the same title by Tom Perrotta. The plot revolves around a three-way election race in high school, and satirizes both suburban high school life and politics...
, and the Gossip Girl
Gossip Girl
Gossip Girl is an American young adult novel series written by Cecily von Ziegesar and published by Little, Brown and Company, a subsidiary of the Hachette Group. The series revolves around the lives and romances of the privileged teenagers at the Constance Billard School for Girls, an elite...
character Blair Waldorf
Blair Waldorf
Blair Cornelia Waldorf is the main character of Gossip Girl, introduced in the original series of novels and also appearing in their television and manga adaptations. Described as "a girl of extremes" by creator Cecily von Ziegesar, she is a comical overachiever who possesses both snobbish and...
. She has explained: "[Blair] is shady, but you still love her. She's still vulnerable. That's what I try to do with Rachel. Rachel will never be popular because her looks aren't considered beautiful, and when I was in high school it was the same for me. I didn't get a nose job, and every single girl around me did. Therefore, I was out. I was not cool. What's so great about Glee is that it shows you how that kind of stuff hurts, but it doesn't matter: You can still be who you want to be. And in four years, high school will be over and all of that crap won't matter anyway."
Critical response
Music download
A music download is the transferral of music from an Internet-facing computer or website to a user's local computer. This term encompasses both legal downloads and downloads of copyright material without permission or payment...
, also featuring on the soundtracks Glee: The Music, Volume 1
Glee: The Music, Volume 1
Glee: The Music, Volume 1 is the debut soundtrack album by the cast of the musical television series Glee, which airs on Fox in the United States. It features cover versions from the first nine episodes of the first season and was released on November 2, 2009 by Columbia Records and 20th...
and Glee: The Music, Volume 2
Glee: The Music, Volume 2
Glee: The Music, Volume 2 is the second soundtrack album by the cast of the American musical television series Glee, featuring songs from episodes nine to thirteen of the show's first season. It was first released on December 4, 2009 in Australia by Columbia Records...
. Rachel has received positive reviews from critics. The role saw Michele nominated for the Emmy for Best Leading Actress in a Comedy Series at the 2010 Primetime Emmy Award
62nd Primetime Emmy Awards
The 62nd Annual Primetime Emmy Awards, presented by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, took place on August 29, 2010, at the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles, California beginning at 5:00 p.m. PDT...
, which were hosted on August 29; and for the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Television Series Musical or Comedy at the 2010 Golden Globe Award
Golden Globe Award
The Golden Globe Award is an accolade bestowed by the 93 members of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association recognizing excellence in film and television, both domestic and foreign...
s. Robert A. George of the New York Post
New York Post
The New York Post is the 13th-oldest newspaper published in the United States and is generally acknowledged as the oldest to have been published continuously as a daily, although – as is the case with most other papers – its publication has been periodically interrupted by labor actions...
has deemed Rachel: "the only female [in Glee] who doesn’t come across as manipulative or vapidly helpless", while the Chicago Tribune
Chicago Tribune
The Chicago Tribune is a major daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, and the flagship publication of the Tribune Company. Formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" , it remains the most read daily newspaper of the Chicago metropolitan area and the Great Lakes region and is...
Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
The Rhodes Not Taken
"The Rhodes Not Taken" is the fifth episode of the American television series Glee. It premiered on the Fox network on September 30, 2009 and was written by series co-creator Ian Brennan and directed by John Scott...
": "if there's any justice in the world, Lea Michele will win a Golden Globe and an Emmy for playing Rachel".
Following the episode "Hairography
Hairography
"Hairography" is the eleventh episode of the American television series Glee. The episode premiered on the Fox network on November 25, 2009. It was written by series creator Ian Brennan and directed by Bill D'Elia. The episode introduces New Directions' rival glee clubs, the Jane Addams Girls Choir...
" in which Rachel is badly made-over by Kurt, Mike Hale of the New York Times noted a popular theme amongst critics for negatively highlighting the way Glee treats its female characters. He wrote that while he understood this stance, he generally disagreed with it as the show treats male characters equally poorly, but opined: "it was a bit much when Finn looked at Rachel in her catsuit and frizzy hair and said she looked like a 'sad clown hooker.' Come on. She looked fantastic." Zap2it
Zap2it
Zap2it is an American website and affiliate network that provides news, photos and video, local TV listings and movie showtimes. The site is produced by Tribune Media Services , part of the publishing division of the Chicago-based Tribune Company...
's Korbi Ghosh has deemed Rachel's high point on the show romancing of Finn and Puck, commenting: "when we saw Rachel fall for them, she was actually relatable. Likable even. The type-A, uber-talented, self-involved know-it-all who's usually alienating her classmates let her guard down to expose a vulnerable side. And, as a bonus, we got some super solid musical performances from those awkward courtships."
Conversely, Ghosh assessed her low point as being her romancing of Will, writing: "Sure, Schue's got it going on, what with the rapping, the break dancing, the boy band'ing and the lindy hopping too. But Rachel's eye-on-the-prize, I'll-get-what-I-want attitude coupled with her inappropriate crush on the teacher just made her creepier than usual. Infiltrating his home, cooking and cleaning for him right under his crazy wife's nose. Come on, Berry, you're better than that..." Raymund Flandez for The Wall Street Journal
The Wall Street Journal
The Wall Street Journal is an American English-language international daily newspaper. It is published in New York City by Dow Jones & Company, a division of News Corporation, along with the Asian and European editions of the Journal....
commented on the episode "Preggers
Preggers (Glee)
"Preggers" is the fourth episode of the American television series Glee. The episode premiered on the Fox network on September 23, 2009, and was written and directed by executive producer Brad Falchuk. "Preggers" sees glee club member Kurt join the football team and admit his homosexuality to his...
": "Rachel has become insufferable. The disagreements with Mr. Schue about her own development as a bonafide triple-threat have branded her as an overbearing prima donna to the rest of Glee." Eric Goldman for IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
agreed: "It's hard not to be annoyed by Rachel". James Poniewozik of Time
Time (magazine)
Time is an American news magazine. A European edition is published from London. Time Europe covers the Middle East, Africa and, since 2003, Latin America. An Asian edition is based in Hong Kong...
has suggested that Rachel's negative character traits may actually be an asset, commenting on her performance of "Don't Rain on My Parade
Don't Rain on My Parade
"Don't Rain On My Parade" is a popular song from the 1964 musical Funny Girl. It was also featured in the 1968 movie version of the musical. The song was written by Bob Merrill and Jule Styne. Both the movie and stage versions feature Barbra Streisand performing the song. It has since become one of...
" in the episode "Sectionals
Sectionals
"Sectionals" is the 13th episode of the American television series Glee. It premiered on the Fox network on December 9, 2009. The episode was written and directed by series co-creator Brad Falchuk, and serves as the mid-season finale for the show's first season. "Sectionals" sees the glee club win...
": "The number reminded me how much I like what the show's done with Rachel: she's a lead character, yet the show allows her to be annoying—but at the same time, her dedication makes her likeable. And as we see here, as much of a pill as she can be, her ability to whip out a performance she's been working on since age four is an asset."
Accolades
Michele has won a number of awards for her portrayal of Rachel. At the 2009 Satellite AwardsSatellite Awards 2009
The 2009 Satellite Awards, honoring the year's outstanding performers, films, television shows, DVDs, and interactive media, were presented by the International Press Academy at the InterContinental Hotel in Los Angeles on Sunday, December 20, 2009...
, she won the award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Musical or Comedy Television Series. Michele was part of the Glee cast ensemble given the Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series award at the 16th Screen Actors Guild Awards
16th Screen Actors Guild Awards
----Best Cast - Motion Picture: Inglourious Basterds----Best Cast - Drama Series: Mad Men Best Cast - Comedy Series: Glee ...
. In 2010, Michele won the NewNowNext Awards
NewNowNext Awards
The first NewNowNext-Awards were held in 2008 by the gay and lesbian-themed network Logo.- 2008 :The nominees were announced by Cazwell and Amanda Lepore. Hosts were Candis Cayne and Colman Domingo...
for Brink of Fame: Actor. The role has also garnered Michele numerous award nominations. In 2009, she was nominated for a Teen Choice Award in the category "Choice TV Breakout Star". That same year, Michele was nominated for a Golden Globe in the category Best Actress- Television Series Musical or Comedy, and an Emmy Award
Emmy Award
An Emmy Award, often referred to simply as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards and the Grammy Awards .A majority of Emmys are presented in various...
for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series. She received another Teen Choice Award nomination in 2010 for "Choice TV Actress: Comedy". Michele was included in Time
Time (magazine)
Time is an American news magazine. A European edition is published from London. Time Europe covers the Middle East, Africa and, since 2003, Latin America. An Asian edition is based in Hong Kong...
magazine's 2010 list of the 100 Most Influential People In the World
Time 100
Time 100 is an annual list of the 100 most influential people in the world, as assembled by Time. First published in 1999 as a result of a debate among several academics, the list has become an annual event.-History and format:...
. Her cover of The All-American Rejects
The All-American Rejects
The All-American Rejects are an American rock band formed in Stillwater, Oklahoma in 1999. The band consists of lead vocalist and bass guitarist Tyson Ritter, lead guitarist, Nick Wheeler, rhythm guitarist, Mike Kennerty, and drummer Chris Gaylor....
' "Gives You Hell
Gives You Hell
7" Vinyl Picture Disc*Side A: "Gives You Hell" *Side B: "On the Floor" -Music video:The main music video for the single, was directed by Marc Webb. Lead vocalist Tyson Ritter plays the dual roles of a traditional family man and his rowdy next-door neighbor who fronts a noisy garage band, which...
" reached the top 40 on the US Billboard 200. Michele is featured as lead singer in 14 of the top 20 selling Glee Cast songs as of 2010.
Michele was nominated for two Grammy Award
Grammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
s in 2011. The first for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals ("Don't Stop Believin), the second for Best Compilation Soundtrack Album for a Motion Picture, Television, or Other Visual Media (Glee: The Music, Volume 1). Michele said of the first Grammy nomination: "I like that it's for 'Don't Stop Believin', which is for the whole cast, so that we all get to go. That's just awesome." She was nominated again for "Best Actress- Television Series Musical or Comedy" at the 2011 Golden Globe Awards. The cast of Glee was also nominated for the Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series award at the 2011 Screen Actors Guild Awards.
External links
- Rachel Berry at Fox.comFox Broadcasting CompanyFox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...