- Rented a car to get to her audition for Glee (2009), and ended up in a crash minutes before. She ditched the car on the side of the road and ran to her audition with shards of glass in her hair.
- Was in a relationship with co-star Cory Monteith from November 2011 until his death on July 13, 2013.
- Glee (2009) creator Ryan Murphy wrote the part of Rachel Berry with her in mind.
- Cory Monteith set up her Twitter account and gave her the handle "@msleamichele". He also set "Rachel Berry" as her password, but she later changed it.
- Worked with Glee (2009) co-stars Jenna Ushkowitz and Jonathan Groff in the musical "Spring Awakening". Michele and Groff were the leads, while Ushkowitz joined the cast in 2008 as an understudy. Skylar Astin and Phoebe Strole, who were also members of the original cast, made guest appearances in the fifth season of Glee (2009).
- Best friends with actor Jonathan Groff.
- Nearly hit Jon Bon Jovi with her car.
- During her acceptance speech at the 2013 Teen Choice Awards, she dedicated her award to late boyfriend Cory Monteith, who died on July 13, 2013.
- Has a wide vocal range. Her range is Eb3 to D6. In an interview, Michele revealed she is classified as a belter and soprano. She belted an A5 during the "Halo/Walking on Sunshine" musical number on Glee (2009).
- As of 2012, she has 14 tattoos.
- Originated the role of Wendla Bergmann in the Broadway musical "Spring Awakening".
- Wrote two books titled "Brunette Ambition" and "You First".
- Was roommates with Glee (2009) co-star Dianna Agron during the first season of the series.
- Has said that if she weren't an actress, she would be a lawyer.
- Natalie Imbruglia, who made the song "Torn" famous, stated that she loved Lea's cover of the song and thinks she'll be successful in which ever career she chooses.
- Was in an on- and off-screen relationship with her Glee (2009) co-star Cory Monteith until his death on July 13, 2013.
- Is active in charities for gay rights and animal rights.
- In October 2010, she performed at a benefit concert for the Painted Turtle, a camp for children with chronic illnesses. The concert celebrated the 35th anniversary of "The Rocky Horror Picture Show" and she played the role of Janet Weiss.
- Named in People's "Best Dressed List" of 2010.
- Landed a $1 million deal to spokesmodel for L'Oreal Paris USA in 2012.
- When she was not working on Broadway during high school, she worked in a Bat Mitzvah dress shop. Her duties were cleaning and vacuuming.
- Demonstrates her personalized workout on the iTunes app "Nike Training Club".
- On March 25, 2011, in Los Angeles, she got into a car accident while driving home from work. Her car was hit by another car when she was driving, but she managed to walk away without any injuries.
- Was diagnosed with polycystic ovary syndrome not long before her 30th birthday.
- Was accepted to the Tisch School of the Arts at New York University, but opted to continue working on stage.
- Ex-boyfriends include Matthew Morrison, Landon Beard, John Lloyd Young and Robert Buckley. She is still friends with the former, who went on to star with her in Glee (2009).
- Uses her first and middle names as her stage name because she was teased about the pronunciation of her surname.
- Her father is from a Sephardi Jewish family (from Turkey and Thessaloniki, Greece). Her mother's family is Italian (from Rome and Naples). Lea was raised in her mother's Catholic faith.
- Credits her "Ragtime" co-star Audra McDonald with educating her on singing and performing.
- Was home-schooled for one year while she lived in Toronto, where she was performing in the original cast of "Ragtime". When the show was brought to Broadway, she was again home-schooled.
- Her favorite film is Almost Famous (2000).
- Was included in Time's "100 Most Influential People in the World" list in 2010.
- Loves record players.
- Her favorite novel is "Girl with a Pearl Earring" by Tracy Chevalier.
- The first album she ever bought was Alanis Morissette's "Jagged Little Pill", and still owns the exact copy.
- Ryan Murphy wrote the role of Hester Ulrich in Scream Queens (2015) for her. Murphy wanted to continue working with Michele, and decided to create a character who was very different from Rachel Berry in Glee (2009).
- (April 27, 2020) Expecting her first child with husband Zandy Reich.
- Was ranked #7 on FHM's "100 Sexiest Women in the World" in 2010.
- The first concert she attended was Madonna's.
- On April 28, 2018, she became engaged to Zandy Reich, the president of clothing company AYR. Reich proposed to Michele with a 4-carat radiant cut diamond ring he personally designed with Leor Yerushalmi and The Jewelers of Las Vegas. They got married on March 9, 2019 in Northern California.
- Owns a $2.9 million home in Brentwood, California.
- In her audition for the role of Young Cosette in "Les Misérables", she sang "Angel of Music" from "The Phantom of the Opera".
- Enjoys baking in her spare time.
- In high school, she played on the volleyball team, was a member of the debate team, and sang in the school choir.
- Won the Best Nonscripted Host or Star Award for Around the Block (2008) at the 2009 New York Television Festival.
- In January 2012, Michele became the new spokesmodel for Candie's.
- Was in a relationship with actor Theo Stockman from November 2009 to September 2011.
- Announced as the new face of the Candie's fashion brand. (January 2012)
- In April 2010, she appeared in a PSA for PETA speaking out against fur, and in September 2010, she was honored by PETA for her work for animals.
- Has a son: Ever Leo Reich (b. August 20, 2020) with husband, Zandy Reich.
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