She signed every sheet with a gold star. Now she’s the first name reported back for the reboot.
Character: Rachel Berry · Played by: Lea Michele · On the show: Seasons 1–6 · Yearbook superlative: Most Likely to Win a Tony
At McKinley High
Rachel Berry walked into McKinley High already knowing she would be a star, and spent six seasons making sure everyone else knew it too. Driven, dramatic and fiercely talented, she was the voice New Directions was built around, and the reason half the club found her exhausting.
Her arc took her from the bottom of the school’s social ladder to NYADA in New York, a Broadway lead in a revival of Funny Girl, and back to Lima to rebuild the glee club in the final season.
Signature moments
- “Don’t Stop Believin’” with Finn, the song that launched the show and the club
- “Don’t Rain on My Parade” at Sectionals, Rachel’s signature showstopper
- Landing the role of Fanny Brice on Broadway, her lifelong dream
After the choir room: Lea Michele
Lea Michele was a Broadway kid long before Glee. She made her stage debut as a child in Les Misérables, went on to Ragtime, and originated the role of Wendla in Spring Awakening in 2006.
Glee earned her Golden Globe and Emmy nominations. She went on to star in Ryan Murphy’s Scream Queens, released solo albums starting with Louder in 2014, and in 2022 played Fanny Brice in Funny Girl on Broadway, turning Rachel’s dream into her own reality.
Reboot status
⭐ Gold star: reported in or in talks.
Variety reports, citing multiple sources, that Lea Michele is returning as Rachel. “She’s in,” one source said. Disney hasn’t officially announced casting yet.
Tomorrow’s character sheet: Kurt Hummel (Chris Colfer).
See the whole cast in the Gleeboot Yearbook, check the sign-up sheet, or get every character sheet by email.
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