Rachel Berry (Glee)
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Rachel Barbra Berry is a fictional character and one of the two main protagonists, alongside
Mr. Schue William Michael Schuester, often referred to as Mr. Schue, is a fictional teacher character and one of the two main protagonists from the Fox musical comedy-drama series ''Glee'', alongside his student Rachel Berry. He has appeared in ''Glee ...
in the
Fox Foxes are small to medium-sized, omnivorous mammals belonging to several genera of the family Canidae. They have a flattened skull, upright, triangular ears, a pointed, slightly upturned snout, and a long bushy tail (or ''brush''). Twelve sp ...
musical Musical is the adjective of music. Musical may also refer to: * Musical theatre, a performance art that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance * Musical film and television, a genre of film and television that incorporates into the narr ...
comedy-drama Comedy drama, also known by the portmanteau ''dramedy'', is a genre of dramatic works that combines elements of comedy and drama. The modern, scripted-television examples tend to have more humorous bits than simple comic relief seen in a typical ...
series ''
Glee Glee means delight, a form of happiness. Glee may also refer to: * Glee (music), a type of English choral music * ''Glee'' (TV series), an American musical comedy-drama TV series, and related media created by Ryan Murphy * ''Glee'' (Bran Van 30 ...
''. The character is portrayed by actress
Lea Michele Lea Michele Sarfati (; born August 29, 1986) is an American actress, singer, songwriter, and author. She began her career as a child actress on Broadway (theatre), Broadway, appearing in productions of ''Les Misérables (musical), Les Misérab ...
, and appears in ''Glee'' from its
pilot episode A television pilot (also known as a pilot or a pilot episode and sometimes marketed as a tele-movie), in United States television, is a standalone episode of a television series that is used to sell a show to a television network or other distri ...
, first broadcast on May 19, 2009. Rachel was developed by ''Glee'' creators Ryan Murphy,
Brad Falchuk Bradley Douglas Falchuk (born March 1, 1971) is an American television writer, director, and producer, best known for co-creating with Ryan Murphy the comedy-drama television series ''Glee'', the drama series ''Pose'', the horror comedy '' Screa ...
and Ian Brennan. She is the
glee club A glee club in the United States 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 by trios or quartets. In the late 19th century it w ...
star of the fictional William McKinley High School in
Lima, Ohio Lima ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Allen County, Ohio, United States. The municipality is located in northwest Ohio along Interstate 75 in Ohio, Interstate 75 approximately north of Dayton, Ohio, Dayton, southwest of Toledo, Ohio, T ...
, where the show is set. Her storylines have seen her suffer peer alienation due to her Broadway ambitions and over-eager personality, but she is very kind-hearted and willing to help even if people do not need it and develop romantic feelings for Jesse St. James (
Jonathan Groff Jonathan Drew Groff (born March 26, 1985) is an American actor and singer . He began his career on Broadway, rising to prominence for his portrayal of Melchior Gabor in the original production of '' Spring Awakening'' (2006-2008), for which h ...
), a member of rival glee club Vocal Adrenaline, but primarily for
quarterback The quarterback (commonly abbreviated "QB"), colloquially known as the "signal caller", is a position in gridiron football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive platoon and mostly line up directly behind the offensive line. In modern Ame ...
and glee club co-captain
Finn Hudson Finn Christopher Hudson is a fictional character from the Fox musical comedy-drama series ''Glee''. The character was portrayed by Cory Monteith and first appeared on television when ''Glee'' premiered its pilot episode on Fox on May 19, 2009. ...
(
Cory Monteith Cory Allan Michael Monteith (; May 11, 1982 July 13, 2013) was a Canadian actor and musician who played Finn Hudson on the Fox television series ''Glee''. As an actor based in British Columbia, Monteith had minor roles on television series before ...
), to whom she eventually becomes engaged. Michele based Rachel on herself when she was younger, and also drew inspiration for the character from films including ''
Election An election is a formal group decision-making process by which a population chooses an individual or multiple individuals to hold public office. Elections have been the usual mechanism by which modern representative democracy has opera ...
'', and television portrayals such as the ''
Gossip Girl ''Gossip Girl'' is an American teen drama television series based on the novel series of the same name written by Cecily von Ziegesar. The series, developed for television by Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage, ran on The CW network for six sea ...
'' character
Blair Waldorf Blair Cornelia Waldorf (married name Bass) is one of the main characters of ''Gossip Girl'', introduced in the original series of novels and also appearing as the lead in the television adaptation; she also appears in the comic adaptation. Descri ...
. "Rachel will never be popular because her looks aren't considered beautiful," said Michele, "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. 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." Rachel is a "strong, driven girl" but somewhat neurotic, and ''Glee'' follows Rachel's journey to become more of a team player as well as fulfil her own aspirations. Michele was nominated for the
Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series This is a list of winners and nominees of the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series. Beginning with the 18th Primetime Emmy Awards, leading actresses in comedy have competed alone. However, these comedic performance ...
in
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, and for the
Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Television Series Musical or Comedy The Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Television Series Musical or Comedy is a Golden Globe Award presented annually by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA). It is given in honor of an actress who has delivered an outstanding perf ...
in
2010 File:2010 Events Collage New.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2010 Chile earthquake was one of the strongest recorded in history; The Eruption of Eyjafjallajökull in Iceland disrupts air travel in Europe; A scene from the opening ceremony of ...
and
2011 File:2011 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: a protester partaking in Occupy Wall Street heralds the beginning of the Occupy movement; protests against Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi, who was killed that October; a young man celebrate ...
for her performance in the role. Rachel received mostly positive reviews from critics:
Maureen Ryan Maureen "Mo" Ryan (born in 1966) is an American film and television critic, writer and reporter. From 2000 to 2018, she was a TV critic at the ''Huffington Post'' and the ''Chicago Tribune''. From 2015 to 2018, Ryan was the chief TV critic for ''V ...
of ''
The Chicago Tribune The ''Chicago Tribune'' is a daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, United States, owned by Tribune Publishing. Founded in 1847, and formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" (a slogan for which WGN radio and television ar ...
'' praised Michele for making the character "more than a humorless stereotype", though ''
The Wall Street Journal ''The Wall Street Journal'' is an American business-focused, international daily newspaper based in New York City, with international editions also available in Chinese and Japanese. The ''Journal'', along with its Asian editions, is published ...
''‘s Raymund Flandez has described Rachel as "insufferable". Several songs performed by Michele as Rachel were released as singles, available for digital download, and featured on the show's
soundtrack album A soundtrack album is any album that incorporates music directly recorded from the soundtrack of a particular feature film or television show. The first such album to be commercially released was Walt Disney's ''Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs'' ...
s. Rachel is the most frequently seen character on the series, with “Dynamic Duets”, "The Role You Were Born To Play" and "Shooting Star" (all in season 4) being the only episodes where she does not appear.


Storylines


Season 1

Rachel is
Jewish Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...
. Her fathers named her after
Rachel Green Rachel Karen Green is a fictional character, one of the six main characters who appeared in the American sitcom ''Friends''. Portrayed by Jennifer Aniston, the character was created by David Crane and Marta Kauffman, and appeared in all of t ...
from ''
Friends ''Friends'' is an American television sitcom created by David Crane and Marta Kauffman, which aired on NBC from September 22, 1994, to May 6, 2004, lasting ten seasons. With an ensemble cast starring Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa ...
'', and her middle name is in honor of
Barbra Streisand Barbara Joan "Barbra" Streisand (; born April 24, 1942) is an American singer, actress and director. With a career spanning over six decades, she has achieved success in multiple fields of entertainment, and is among the few performers List ...
. 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 self centered
quarterback The quarterback (commonly abbreviated "QB"), colloquially known as the "signal caller", is a position in gridiron football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive platoon and mostly line up directly behind the offensive line. In modern Ame ...
Finn Hudson Finn Christopher Hudson is a fictional character from the Fox musical comedy-drama series ''Glee''. The character was portrayed by Cory Monteith and first appeared on television when ''Glee'' premiered its pilot episode on Fox on May 19, 2009. ...
joins the club, developing a crush on him. The two share a kiss in the episode "
Showmance A showmance (sometimes show-mance), also known as show romance, is a romance that develops between two individuals in theater, or on films and television series and between reality show contestants or participants for the running period of the sho ...
", although he tells her to forget that it happened and continues dating his girlfriend, cheerleader
Quinn Fabray Quinn Fabray is a fictional character from the TV series ''Glee''. The character is portrayed by actress Dianna Agron, and has appeared in ''Glee'' from its pilot episode, first broadcast on May 19, 2009. She is the cheerleading captain at the ...
(
Dianna Agron Dianna Elise Agron ( ; born April 30, 1986) is an American actress and singer. After primarily dancing and starring in small musical theater productions in her youth, Agron made her screen debut in 2006, and in 2007, she played recurring charac ...
). Rachel quits the glee club when she is not assigned a solo she wanted thanks to the rigged assignment planned by fired director Sandy Ryerson, and is awarded the lead role in the school musical, ''
Cabaret Cabaret is a form of theatrical entertainment featuring music, song, dance, recitation, or drama. The performance venue might be a pub, a casino, a hotel, a restaurant, or a nightclub with a stage for performances. The audience, often dining or d ...
''. 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 Mark Wayne Salling (; August 17, 1982 – January 30, 2018) was an American actor and musician known for his role as Noah "Puck" Puckerman on the television series ''Glee''. Salling studied at the Los Angeles College of Music before work ...
), 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 Susan "Sue" Rodham Sylvester is a fictional character of the Fox musical comedy-drama series, ''Glee''. The character is portrayed by actress Jane Lynch, and appears in ''Glee'' from its pilot episode, first broadcast on May 19, 2009, through th ...
(
Jane Lynch Jane Marie Lynch (born July 14, 1960) is an American actress, comedian and author. She is known for starring as Sue Sylvester in the musical comedy series ''Glee'' (2009–2015), which earned her a Primetime Emmy Award. Lynch also gained recogni ...
); the group makes up a completely new
set list A set list, or setlist, is typically a handwritten or printed document created as an ordered list of songs, jokes, stories and other elements an artist intends to present during a specific performance. A setlist can be made of nearly any materi ...
, which Rachel opens with a solo of "
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 ...
", 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 Drew Groff (born March 26, 1985) is an American actor and singer . He began his career on Broadway, rising to prominence for his portrayal of Melchior Gabor in the original production of '' Spring Awakening'' (2006-2008), for which h ...
), 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 surrogate, and he offers to help her do so. However, he already knows who it is: Vocal Adrenaline coach
Shelby Corcoran Shelby Corcoran is a recurring fictional character from the Fox musical comedy-drama series ''Glee''. Portrayed by actress Idina Menzel, Shelby was introduced in the fourteenth episode of the show as the coach of Vocal Adrenaline, a rival show ...
(
Idina Menzel Idina Kim Menzel ( ; ; born May 30, 1971) is an American actress and singer. Particularly known for her work in musicals on the Broadway stage and having achieved mainstream success across stage, film and music, Menzel has garnered the honorif ...
), who has asked Jesse to befriend Rachel so that she might reconnect with her daughter, whom 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 "Journey to Regionals" is the twenty-second episode and first season finale of the American television series ''Glee''. The episode was written and directed by series creator Brad Falchuk, and premiered on the Fox network on June 8, 2010. In "Jou ...
", 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 '' Glee'' is a musical comedy-drama television series that aired on Fox in the United States for six seasons from 2009 to 2015. It focuses on the high school glee club New Directions competing in the show choir competition circuit, while its mem ...
(
Jake Zyrus Jake Zyrus (formerly known under the mononym Charice; born 10 May 1992) is a Filipino singer and television personality. In 2007, after some appearances on Philippine television, Zyrus sang on ''The Ellen DeGeneres Show'', and the followin ...
) 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 joining 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 Evans Sam Evans is a 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 bro ...
(
Chord Overstreet Chord Paul Overstreet (born February 17, 1989) is an American actor and musician. He is best known for his role as Sam Evans on the Fox television series ''Glee'' (2009–2015). He has starred in the Apple TV+ comedy series ''Acapulco'' since 20 ...
) wins instead. Rachel eventually discovers that Finn slept with cheerleader
Santana Lopez Santana Lopez is a fictional character from the Fox musical comedy-drama series ''Glee''. The character was portrayed by Naya Rivera, and has appeared in ''Glee'' from its pilot episode, first broadcast on May 19, 2009. Santana was developed by ...
(
Naya Rivera Naya Marie Rivera (; January 12, 1987July 8, 2020) was an American actress, singer, and model. Recognized for her work on the popular musical comedy-drama series ''Glee'', she received various awards, including a Screen Actors Guild Award and ...
) 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 In team sports, a most valuable player award, abbreviated 'MVP award', is an honor typically bestowed upon an individual (or individuals, in the instance of a tie) whose individual performance is the greatest in an entire league, for a particu ...
. Just before junior prom, Jesse returns, having flunked out of
UCLA The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is a public land-grant research university in Los Angeles, California. UCLA's academic roots were established in 1881 as a teachers college then known as the southern branch of the California St ...
, and Rachel invites him to the prom with her, Sam and Mercedes (
Amber Riley Amber Patrice Riley (born February 15, 1986), sometimes known mononymously as RILEY, is an American actress and singer. She is best known for her portrayal of Mercedes Jones on the Fox comedy-drama series ''Glee'' (2009–2015). For her perform ...
). Jesse and Finn are kicked out of the prom when Finn picks a fight with Jesse over his attention 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 moving 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 Pillsbury Emma Pillsbury Schuester (previously Pillsbury-Howell) 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, ...
(
Jayma Mays Jamia Suzette "Jayma" Mays is an American actress. She is known for playing Emma Pillsbury in the Fox musical series ''Glee'' (2009–2015) and for her starring roles in the films ''Red Eye'' (2005), '' Paul Blart: Mall Cop'' (2009) and ''The S ...
) suggests they consider The New York Academy of 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'' is a musical conceived by Jerome Robbins with music by Leonard Bernstein, lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, and a book by Arthur Laurents. Inspired by William Shakespeare's play ''Romeo and Juliet'', the story is set in the mid-1 ...
'' as the school musical, since she believes herself to 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 even after head-to-head callbacks, decide to double-cast the role, giving Rachel and Mercedes each a week of the two-week run. Mercedes, believing she did better in the callbacks, refuses to accept the double-casting and withdraws from the show, leaving Rachel to be Maria. She and Finn decide to have sex in the episode " The First Time". In the episode "
Mash Off "Mash Off" is the sixth episode of the third season of the American musical television series '' Glee'', and the fiftieth overall. The episode was written by Michael Hitchcock and directed by Eric Stoltz, and originally aired on Fox in the Un ...
", Rachel abruptly withdraws from the race for senior class president in favor of Kurt after she realizes he might not get into NYADA with her if he doesn't win. She goes even further in the next episode, "
I Kissed a Girl "I Kissed a Girl" is the debut single of American singer Katy Perry from her second studio album, ''One of the Boys'' (2008). It was released on April 28, 2008, by Capitol Records as the lead single from the record. Perry co-wrote the song with ...
", when she stuffs an election ballot box in Kurt's favor to keep him from losing. He loses anyway, and she confesses: she is suspended from school for a week and forbidden to compete in Sectionals with New Directions, though the glee club wins without her. At the end of the episode " Yes/No", Finn asks her to marry him, and after hesitating for several days, she accepts. Their parents find out in "
Heart The heart is a muscular organ in most animals. This organ pumps blood through the blood vessels of the circulatory system. The pumped blood carries oxygen and nutrients to the body, while carrying metabolic waste such as carbon dioxide t ...
", and hope to discourage the pair, but their plans backfire and the wedding date is moved up to May. Even that date seems too distant, so Rachel and Finn later decide to marry after Regionals in " On My Way". New Directions wins at Regionals, and hours later the ceremony is about to begin at City Hall, with their parents still hoping to prevent it from occurring. Rachel is waiting for Quinn, who had gone home to get her bridesmaid dress, to arrive. Quinn's car is hit by a truck as the episode ends. The wedding is called off, though the engagement remains on. In the episode " Choke", Rachel auditions for NYADA in front of formidable judge Carmen Tibideaux (
Whoopi Goldberg Caryn Elaine Johnson (born November 13, 1955), known professionally as Whoopi Goldberg (), is an American actor, comedian, author, and television personality.Kuchwara, Michael (AP Drama Writer)"Whoopi Goldberg: A One-Woman Character Parade". ' ...
) but forgets the words to a song she has known since she was a child, and the audition abruptly ends. In "
Prom-asaurus "Prom-asaurus" is the nineteenth episode of the third season of the American musical television series ''Glee'', and the sixty-third overall. Written by Ryan Murphy and directed by Eric Stoltz, the episode aired on Fox in the United States on Ma ...
" Rachel is still upset about her choke and organizes an "anti-prom" with Kurt, Blaine, Becky and Puck. She later realizes she is missing one of the best nights of her life and attends the prom with Finn and is voted Prom Queen by secret ballot (altered by Quinn), in a similar situation to Kurt the previous year. Rachel doesn't give up on her dream and sends Carmen Tibideaux fourteen messages and pesters her to give Rachel another chance at the audition, even driving to one of Tibideaux's tryouts with Tina. Her persistence (and Tina's help) persuade Ms. Tibideaux to come and see Rachel perform with New Directions at Nationals in Chicago (unbeknownst to Rachel). In " Nationals" Rachel performs Celine Dion's "
It's All Coming Back To Me Now "It's All Coming Back to Me Now" is a power ballad written by Jim Steinman. According to Steinman, the song was inspired by ''Wuthering Heights'', and was an attempt to write "the most passionate, romantic song" he could ever create. ''The Sunda ...
" and gets a standing ovation from the observing Carmen Tibideaux. New Directions return to McKinley as National Show Choir Champions and Rachel presents Mr. Schuester with the Teacher of the Year award. After Rachel graduates from McKinley, she finds out that she was accepted into NYADA. However, both Finn and Kurt were rejected from their colleges. At first, she decides to defer her acceptance so that she can help them both. However, Finn takes Rachel to the train station and sacrifices their relationship for Rachel's dreams. She gets off at Grand Central and walks down the streets of New York.


Season 4

In the season premiere "
The New Rachel "The New Rachel" is the premiere episode of the fourth season of the American musical television series '' Glee'', and the sixty-seventh episode overall. Written by Ryan Murphy and directed by Brad Falchuk, it aired on Fox in the United States ...
", Rachel is struggling to accept her separation from Finn. She meets Brody Weston (
Dean Geyer Dean Stanley Geyer (born 20 March 1986) is a South African Australian singer-songwriter, actor and martial artist who finished third in the 2006 season of the talent show television series ''Australian Idol'', and has had a notable role in the ...
), a handsome NYADA junior, who encourages Rachel to move on and embrace college life. Rachel also deals with her overpowering dance instructor Cassandra July (
Kate Hudson Kate Garry Hudson (born April 19, 1979) is an American actress and businesswoman. She has received numerous awards and nominations, including a Golden Globe Award, a Critics' Choice Movie Award and a Satellite Award, as well as nominations f ...
), who believes that Rachel does not have what it takes to become a star. After Kurt comes to New York, the two decide to move in together while Kurt pursues an internship with Vogue.com and plans to reapply to NYADA for the second semester. In the episode "
Makeover A makeover is a radical change in appearance. When the word is used to describe a change in human physical appearance, it may imply a change in clothing, haircut, or cosmetics. A personal makeover might also include weight loss, plastic surgery, ...
", Rachel gets picked on by a group of female dancers for her childish appearance. With the help of Kurt and his new boss Isabelle Wright (
Sarah Jessica Parker Sarah Jessica Parker (born March 25, 1965) is an American actress and television producer. She is the recipient of numerous accolades, including six Golden Globe Awards and two Primetime Emmy Awards. ''Time'' magazine named her one of the 1 ...
), she is convinced to get a makeover. Her new look is met with positive reception from others, including Brody, and she invites him over to dinner. Right after their first kiss, Rachel discovers Finn on her doorstep. While visiting, Rachel learns that Finn was medically discharged from the army several weeks ago and that he no longer wants to live in New York after seeing how happy she is without him. Finn takes off and goes back to Lima where Rachel confronts him and says that even though she loves him, she can no longer stay in their relationship. She and Brody begin to see each other, and she lets him move in so that they can be closer. When she returns for Will and Emma's wedding, she and Finn reconnect as friends. When Finn asks about Brody, she says they are not exclusive. Finn says that the reason she has not committed to Brody is because she still thinks they will end up together. They sleep together after the reception, but Rachel leaves after Finn falls asleep. She is later shown taking a pregnancy test; Santana, who has recently moved in, snoops and discovers the discarded test, and confronts Rachel, who then bursts into tears. The two go together to get Rachel checked at a clinic, where she is informed that it was a false alarm. She later breaks up with Brody after Santana reveals that he is a male escort and is stunned to find out Finn flew to New York just to beat him up. When Rachel breaks up with Brody, she admits that the relationship never would have worked because she was using it to try to get over her heartache about Finn. Rachel auditions for ''Funny Girl'' and sings "Don't Stop Believin'", imagining the original New Directions members singing in the background. She is called back for further auditions for the title role, Fanny Brice. In the finale, Rachel sings "To Love You More" at the final callback before the role is cast.


Season 5

In " The Quarterback", Rachel is devastated with the loss of Finn. Michele, who in real life was dating
Cory Monteith Cory Allan Michael Monteith (; May 11, 1982 July 13, 2013) was a Canadian actor and musician who played Finn Hudson on the Fox television series ''Glee''. As an actor based in British Columbia, Monteith had minor roles on television series before ...
, had asked to postpone this episode until everyone was ready. Rachel doesn't appear in this episode until the very end where she states, "Before Finn, I used to sing alone, this was one of the songs we would sing when we drove around together." She sings "Make You Feel My Love". Later in the episode, she states that Finn was her person and that they were always going to be together. Later in the season, it is revealed that she got a tattoo of Finn's name (despite telling Kurt that she chickened out when they went to the tattoo shop). Rachel hires Santana to be her publicist, which leads her to take on a charitable cause with a local rescue kennel. She performs with Mercedes and Santana on stage for the benefit, Broadway Bitches, but the publicity stunt goes wrong when the dogs pull her down and drag her for several blocks. Despite this, Santana reassures her and they discuss the next step in their campaign. Rachel lands the lead on the Broadway show, '' Funny Girl''. Santana offers to be Rachel's understudy when Rachel is stuck in Los Angeles for a television show audition. Before the opening, she suffers from a bout of self-doubt, but performs after Santana gives her a pep talk. Lee Paulblatt, a Fox Television executive, sees Rachel perform, and is so impressed, he informs her he wants to cast her in an upcoming, untitled television pilot. He has her meet with famed screenwriter, Mary Halloran, who will be creating the script. After the first meeting, Rachel is confused by Mary's ideas and idiosyncratic behavior. Rachel has the group review Mary's script, and everyone agrees it is terrible (except Brittany). Rachel meets with Mary and tells her that the lead character does not sound like her. Mary points out that television viewers want anti-heroes, but Rachel responds by singing, and Mary, uncharacteristically, is moved and made happy by the performance. She agrees to redo the script, but warns Rachel that the network will never make a pilot from it. Eventually, the network loves the script and calls Rachel, and she moves to LA to start shooting her pilot.


Season 6

In the final season premiere, " Loser Like Me", it is revealed that Rachel's pilot bombed. It got extremely low ratings and the show was quickly cancelled. Having burned her bridges on Broadway, Rachel retreats home to Lima and discovers that her fathers are divorcing and her house is being sold. Much to her dismay, Sue has disbanded all arts from McKinley and Rachel approaches the Superintendent to reboot the glee club with her remaining TV money to fund it. He agrees as long as she runs the club. With the help of the newly broken-up Kurt, she restarts the New Directions, which angers Sue. She calls her old friends and former fellow glee club members Quinn, Santana, Brittany, Puck, Artie, Mercedes, and Tina to help her, and Kurt recruits students to join the glee club; he gets one student, Roderick, to audition. Blaine, the head coach for the Dalton Academy Warblers, desperately tries to get a female student named Jane to join the Warblers, despite the members' objections. Jane eventually chooses to transfer to McKinley to join the New Directions after a brief coaching with Rachel, much to Blaine's dismay. By the end, Rachel has 4 members of the glee club. During her time as McKinley's faculty, she bonds with Sam, who is the assistant of Coach Beiste, and develops a crush on him, despite him only being hypnotized by Sue to distract Rachel. Sam backs off, stating he is still in love with Mercedes, which makes her sad. At Mercedes' suggestion, she auditions for Broadway again. Rachel struggles to move on from her old house after it is sold, and her friends and students cheer her up with a farewell party. Later, Rachel plans on applying for readmission to NYADA, and she is accepted, but is torn between Broadway or college. Despite Jesse St. James' suggestion that she work with him on a Broadway musical, she chooses NYADA. She announces that after Regionals is over, she will be departing from McKinley to go back to NYADA again. At the beginning of the series finale, " Dreams Come True", she is seen going to the New Directions competition to assist them. She does make it big on Broadway, marries Jesse, and becomes a surrogate mother to Kurt and Blaine's child. She wins a Tony Award, and thanks everyone on stage, especially Mr. Schuester. In the final minutes of the series, she performs
OneRepublic OneRepublic is an American pop rock band formed in Colorado Springs, Colorado, in 2002. It consists of lead vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Ryan Tedder, lead guitarist and violist Zach Filkins, rhythm guitarist Drew Brown, bassist and cellis ...
's "
I Lived "I Lived" is a song recorded by American pop rock band OneRepublic. It was released as the fifth and final single from the album, ''Native'' (2014). It was originally planned to be released as the fourth single in January 2014, but was shelved in ...
" with almost every former member of New Directions and the adults during the rededication of McKinley's auditorium to Finn Hudson. Rachel then takes a final bow with the rest of the cast.


Development


Casting and creation

Rachel is portrayed by
Lea Michele Lea Michele Sarfati (; born August 29, 1986) is an American actress, singer, songwriter, and author. She began her career as a child actress on Broadway (theatre), Broadway, appearing in productions of ''Les Misérables (musical), Les Misérab ...
, and as a child 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 Sarfati (; born August 29, 1986) is an American actress, singer, songwriter, and author. She began her career as a child actress on Broadway (theatre), Broadway, appearing in productions of ''Les Misérables (musical), Les Misérab ...
, who starred in '' Spring Awakening''. The role of Rachel was written specifically for Michele. In an interview with ''
The Washington Post ''The Washington Post'' (also known as the ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'') is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area and has a large nati ...
'', 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
season 3 A season is a division of the year based on changes in weather, ecology, and the number of daylight hours in a given region. On Earth, seasons are the result of the axial parallelism of Earth's tilted orbit around the Sun. In temperate and pola ...
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 would 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 Christopher Paul Colfer (born May 27, 1990) is an American actor, singer, and author. He gained international recognition for his portrayal of Kurt Hummel on the television musical ''Glee'' (2009–2015). Colfer's portrayal of Kurt received crit ...
and
Cory Monteith Cory Allan Michael Monteith (; May 11, 1982 July 13, 2013) was a Canadian actor and musician who played Finn Hudson on the Fox television series ''Glee''. As an actor based in British Columbia, Monteith had minor roles on television series before ...
, would 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'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, and popular cul ...
'' commented on the original news that several characters would be leaving the cast when they graduated, and said, "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
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, 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'' 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

Michele took the role because of Rachel's characterization, and explained, "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", and said 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 designer
Lou Eyrich Lou A. Eyrich ( ; born New Ulm, Minnesota) is a costume designer best known for her work in the television series ''Glee'' and '' American Horror Story: Asylum.'' In 2012, she was awarded a Career Achievement Award in Television from the Costume D ...
described Rachel's costuming in an interview with ''
Entertainment Weekly ''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, and popular cul ...
'', "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 based Rachel on herself when she was younger, and also drew inspiration from the film ''
Election An election is a formal group decision-making process by which a population chooses an individual or multiple individuals to hold public office. Elections have been the usual mechanism by which modern representative democracy has opera ...
'', and the ''
Gossip Girl ''Gossip Girl'' is an American teen drama television series based on the novel series of the same name written by Cecily von Ziegesar. The series, developed for television by Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage, ran on The CW network for six sea ...
'' character
Blair Waldorf Blair Cornelia Waldorf (married name Bass) is one of the main characters of ''Gossip Girl'', introduced in the original series of novels and also appearing as the lead in the television adaptation; she also appears in the comic adaptation. Descri ...
(
Leighton Meester Leighton Marissa Meester (; born April 9, 1986) is an American actress, singer, and model. She is best known for her starring role as the devious socialite Blair Waldorf on ''Gossip Girl'' on The CW (2007–2012). She has also appeared in films ...
). She explained, "
lair Lair may refer to: __NOTOC__ * Secret lair * Lair, Kentucky * ''Lair'' (novel), a 1979 novel by James Herbert * ''Lair'' (video game), a 2007 video game * ''The Lair'', 2007-2008 American gay-themed vampire television series * The Lair (Dreamworld ...
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."


Reception


Critical response

Several songs performed by Michele as Rachel were released as singles, available for digital download, also featuring on the soundtracks '' Glee: The Music, Volume 1'' and '' Glee: The Music, Volume 2''. Rachel received positive reviews from critics. The role saw Michele nominated for the
Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series This is a list of winners and nominees of the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series. Beginning with the 18th Primetime Emmy Awards, leading actresses in comedy have competed alone. However, these comedic performance ...
at the 2010 ceremony, which were hosted on August 29; and for the
Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Television Series Musical or Comedy The Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Television Series Musical or Comedy is a Golden Globe Award presented annually by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA). It is given in honor of an actress who has delivered an outstanding perf ...
at the 2010
Golden Globe Award The Golden Globe Awards are accolades bestowed by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association beginning in January 1944, recognizing excellence in both American and international film and television. Beginning in 2022, there are 105 members of t ...
s. Robert A. George of the ''
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'' deemed Rachel "the only female
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who doesn't come across as manipulative or vapidly helpless", while the '' Chicago Tribune's''
Maureen Ryan Maureen "Mo" Ryan (born in 1966) is an American film and television critic, writer and reporter. From 2000 to 2018, she was a TV critic at the ''Huffington Post'' and the ''Chicago Tribune''. From 2015 to 2018, Ryan was the chief TV critic for ''V ...
wrote, "Lea Michele not only has an amazing voice but manages to make her character, spoiled diva Rachel Berry, more than a humorless stereotype." Denise Martin of the ''
Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the Un ...
'' commented in her review of the episode "
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. The episode features gle ...
", "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" 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 ...
" in which Rachel is badly made-over by Kurt, Mike Hale of ''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'' noted a popular theme amongst critics for negatively highlighting the way ''Glee'' treated its female characters. He said that while he understood this stance, he generally disagreed with it as the show treated male characters equally poorly. However, he wrote that "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 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'' is an American business-focused, international daily newspaper based in New York City, with international editions also available in Chinese and Japanese. The ''Journal'', along with its Asian editions, is published ...
'' commented on the episode "
Preggers "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 (C ...
", "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'' (formerly ''Imagine Games Network'') is an American video game and entertainment media website operated by IGN Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Ziff Davis, Inc. The company's headquarters is located in San Francisco's SoMa distri ...
agreed, "It's hard not to be annoyed by Rachel". James Poniewozik of ''
Time Time is the continued sequence of existence and events that occurs in an apparently irreversible succession from the past, through the present, into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequence events, to ...
'' suggested that Rachel's negative character traits were actually an asset, commenting on her performance of "
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 ...
" 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."
AfterEllen.com AfterEllen (also known as AfterEllen.com) is an American culture website founded in 2002, with a focus on entertainment, interviews, reviews, and news of interest to the lesbian and bisexual women's community. The site covers pop culture and lifes ...
ranked her No. 18 in their Top 50 Favorite Female TV Characters.


Accolades

Michele won a number of awards for her portrayal of Rachel. At the 2009 Satellite Awards, she won the award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Musical or Comedy Television Series. Michele was part of the ''Glee'' ensemble cast that was awarded Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series at the
16th Screen Actors Guild Awards The 16th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards, honoring the best achievements in film and television performances for the year 2009, were presented on January 23, 2010 at the Shrine Exposition Center in Los Angeles, California for the fourteenth co ...
. In 2010, Michele won the
NewNowNext Awards The NewNowNext-Awards is an American annual entertainment awards show, presented by the LGBT, lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender-themed channel Logo TV. Launched in 2008, awards are presented both for LGBT-specific and general interest achievem ...
for Brink of Fame: Actor. The role has also garnered Michele numerous award nominations. In 2009, she was nominated for a
Teen Choice Award The Teen Choice Awards is an annual awards show that airs on the Fox television network. The awards honor the year's biggest achievements in music, film, sports, television, fashion, social media, and more, voted by viewers living in the United S ...
in the category "Choice TV Breakout Star". That same year, Michele was nominated for a
Golden Globe Award The Golden Globe Awards are accolades bestowed by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association beginning in January 1944, recognizing excellence in both American and international film and television. Beginning in 2022, there are 105 members of t ...
in the category Best Actress – Television Series Musical or Comedy, and an
Emmy Award The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the calendar year, each with the ...
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 is the continued sequence of existence and events that occurs in an apparently irreversible succession from the past, through the present, into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequence events, to ...
'' 2010 list of the
100 Most Influential People in the World ''Time'' 100 (often stylized as ''TIME'' 100) is an annual listicle of the 100 most influential people in the world, assembled by the American news magazine ''Time''. First published in 1999 as the result of a debate among American academics, po ...
. Her cover of
The All-American Rejects The All-American Rejects is an American rock band from Stillwater, Oklahoma, formed in 1999.Gives You Hell "Gives You Hell" is a song by American rock band the All-American Rejects, released as the lead single from their third studio album, ''When the World Comes Down'' on September 30, 2008. The song is The All-American Rejects' most successful son ...
" reached the top 40 on the US Billboard 200. Michele was featured as lead singer in 14 of the top 20 selling ''Glee'' Cast songs as of 2010. She won the 2012 and 2013 People's Choice Award for Favorite TV Comedy Actress. Michele was nominated for two
Grammy Award The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pres ...
s in 2011. The first for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals ("Don't Stop Believin'"), and 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
Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series The Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast (or Ensemble) in a Comedy Series is an award given by the Screen Actors Guild to honor the finest ensemble acting achievements in comedy series. Winners and nominees 1990s 20 ...
at the 2011 and 2012 ceremonies.


References


External links


Rachel Berry
at
Fox.com The Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly known simply as Fox and stylized in all caps as FOX, is an American commercial broadcast television network owned by Fox Corporation and headquartered in New York City, with master control operations and ...
{{DEFAULTSORT:Berry, Rachel Glee (TV series) characters Fictional American Jews American female characters in television Fictional characters from Ohio Television characters introduced in 2009 Fictional dancers Fictional Jewish women Fictional singers Fictional waiting staff Adoptee characters in television Fictional actors Fictional vegan and vegetarian characters Teenage characters in television