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Rachel Berry
character in the television series Glee / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Rachel Berry is a fictional character from the FOX musical comedy-drama series Glee. The character is played by actress Lea Michele. The character first appeared in Glee from its pilot episode. It was first broadcast on May 19, 2009. Rachel was created by Glee creators Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk and Ian Brennan. She is the glee club captain of the fictional William McKinley High School in Lima, Ohio, where the show is set. Her storylines have seen her suffer feeling alone because of her ambition to win. She has also developed romantic feelings for Jesse St. James (Jonathan Groff), a member of the rival (enemy) glee club Vocal Adrenaline. She also had many dates with quarterback and glee club co-captain Finn Hudson (Cory Monteith). The two eventually become engaged.
Rachel Berry | |
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Glee character | |
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First appearance | "Pilot" |
Created by | Ryan Murphy Brad Falchuk Ian Brennan |
Portrayed by | Lea Michele |
Information | |
Occupation | High school student |
Family | Hiram and LeRoy Berry (fathers) Shelby Corcoran (biological mother) |
Significant other(s) | Finn Hudson (ex-fiancé) Jesse St. James Brody (boyfriend) |
Religion | Judaism |
Michele has stated that she was just like Rachel when she was younger. She had inspiration to play the role as Rachel. These include the movie Election and other television roles such as the Gossip Girl character Blair Waldorf. Michele has said that she feels "vulnerable" while playing Rachel. She stated, "Rachel will never be popular because her looks aren't (are not) 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 added, "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."[1]
Rachel is a "strong, driven girl" but somewhat nervous about herself. Glee follows Rachel's journey to become more of a team player. She does this to fulfill her own dreams.[2] Michele was nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for "Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series" in 2010. She was also nominated for a Golden Globe Award for "Best Actress - Television Series Musical or Comedy" in 2010 and 2011. Rachel has received mostly positive reviews from critics. Maureen Ryan of The Chicago Tribune thanked Michele for making the character "more than a humorless (not funny) stereotype". However, The Wall Street Journal's Raymund Flandez has described Rachel as "insufferable" (annoying).[3][4] Several songs performed by Michele as Rachel have been released as digital download singles. They have also been included on the series' soundtrack albums.