Lea Michele

Her twitter account: @msleamichele


Bio
Lea Michele Sarfati (born August 29, 1986),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 Rachel Berry in the Fox television series Glee.

Michele was born in the Bronx, New York City, the daughter of Edith Sarfati, a nurse, and Marc Sarfati, a delicatessen owner. Michele's mother is Italian American and Roman Catholic, while her father is a Spanish Sephardic Jew. Michele grew up in New York City and Tenafly, New Jersey. She attended Rockland Country Day School for elementary school in New York and then Tenafly High School. Michele was home schooled one year while working in Toronto, Canada on Ragtime. She attended Stagedoor Manor in the Catskills, a center for performing arts training. She was then later accepted to the Tisch School of the Arts at New York University, but opted instead to continue working professionally on the stage.


Trivia

• Originated the Broadway role of Wendla in the musical Spring Awakening.
• She is of Spanish and Italian descent.
• She was roommates with "Glee" (2009) co-star Dianna Agron [2009].
• Worked with "Glee" (2009) co-stars, Jenna Ushkowitz and Jonathan Groff, on the musical Spring Awakening.
• Best friends with actor Jonathan Groff.
• "Glee" (2009) creator, Ryan Murphy, wrote the part of Rachel Berry with her in mind.
• Has two cats, Claude and Sheila, named after characters from the musical Hair.
• She was accepted to the Tisch School of the Arts at New York University, but opted to continue working on stage.
• She was home-schooled for one year while she lived in Toronto, where she was performing in the original cast of Ragtime and again when the show was brought to Broadway.
• Her favorite film is Almost Famous (2000).
• Her favorite novel is "Girl with a Pearl Earring" by Tracy Chevalier.
• Is in a relationship with actor Theo Stockman [November 2009].
• Named to People Magazine's Best Dressed List of 2010.
• In October 2010, Lea 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, where she played the role of Janet Weiss for the benefit.
• She is very active in participating in charities for gay rights and animal rights.
• Was ranked #7 on FHM 100 Most Sexiest Women in the World (2010).
• Was included in Time Magazine's 100 Most Influential People in the World (2010).
• In April 2010, Lea appeared in a PSA for PETA speaking out against fur, and later that same year in September, she was honored by PETA for her work for animals.
• She enjoys baking in her spare time.
• When she was not working on Broadway during high school, Lea worked in a Bat Mitzvah dress shop where her duties were cleaning and vacuuming.
• Was uninjured after her car was hit by another car as she was driving home from work on March 25, 2011 in Los Angeles.

Personal Quotes
One of my favorite things about Spring Awakening is that it is enjoyable and important for both kids and adults to see.

I consider myself lucky to be an only child because if I had other siblings, my mother would not have been able to take me to every audition and be so supportive of my career.

Where Are They Now
(July 2009) Los Angeles, California filming the first season of the new original series "Glee" (2009)
(July 2010) Los Angeles, California filming the second season of "Glee" (2009).
(January 2011) Filming New Year's Eve (2011) in New York City, New York

Jane Lynch

Bio:

Lynch was born and raised in Dolton, Illinois, the daughter of a homemaker mother and a banker father.[3] She was raised in an Irish Catholic family and attended Thornridge High School.[3] She received her bachelor's degree in theatre from Illinois State University and her MFA in theatre from Cornell University.

Lynch, who is openly lesbian, married clinical psychologist Dr. Lara Embry on May 31, 2010 at the Blue Heron Restaurant in Sunderland, Massachusetts.Embry herself received publicity surrounding a custody battle over two children with her former partner.

Trivia:

• Performed all her own singing and guitar playing in A Mighty Wind (2003).
• Penned and starred in the award winning play "Oh, Sister, My Sister!".
• She has performed in a lot of commercials; she is usually cast as an office professional.
• Lynch's wife, Dr. Lara Embry, is a clinical psychologist in west central Florida and a professor of psychology at New College in Sarasota, Florida. Embry made Florida headlines in 2009 when a Florida court ruled that she had the right to share custody of a child she had adopted with her ex-girlfriend, and, more widely, that the State of Florida had to accept the validity of other states' gay-parent adoptions.
• Has a fear of elevators.
• Fan of Olivia Newton-John and childhood fan of John Travolta.
• Carol Burnett is a fan.
• Deaf in one ear.
• Married Lara Embry at the Blue Heron Restaurant in Sunderland, Massachusetts.
• Step-mother of Laura Embry's daughter Haden.
• Started dating wife Laura Embry in May 2009. They go engaged on October the same year.
• Her favorite films are The Crossing Guard (1995), Ninotchka (1939), The Big Lebowski (1998), Zoolander (2001), and Private Benjamin (1980).

Personal Quotes:

• On her first Golden Globe nomination: I slept through (the nominations announcement). But, I got up to six messages and went, 'Ah! I wonder if there is some good news for us?' And there was. My agent called me three times and said, 'Why aren't you up?' So, yeah. I called my mom, and she said, 'The golden what?'
• [In an Interview with the UK Mirror on why she didn't tell her parents she is a lesbian until she was 31 years old] I didn't want to be gay. I wanted to be...I wanted an easy life. And you know what? I am gay and I still have an easy life.
• [On being a stepmother to her partner's daughter, Haden Ryan-Embry] I'm almost 50, and I thought that possibility was behind me, so this is a real delight. I never went through a biological clock experience. I never even heard it ticking.

Jenna Ushkowitz

Her twitter account: @IJennaUsh

Bio:
Ushkowitz was born in Seoul, South Korea; she was adopted at the age of three months and raised in East Meadow, New York. Ushkowitz was raised Catholic attended Parkway Elementary School and Holy Trinity Diocesan High School, a Catholic school known for its theatre department in Hicksville, Long Island. She graduated in 2004, having performed in the world premier high school production of Les Misérables, along with the role of Penny in Honk!, Inez in The Baker's Wife, Little Red Riding Hood in Into the Woods and Romaine Patterson in The Laramie Project. Ushkowitz graduated from Marymount Manhattan College in 2007, performing again as Little Red Riding Hood, in Into the Woods.


Ushkowitz has been in show business since the age of 3. She has been on Sesame Street and other TV shows. Her first role in a Broadway musical was in a 1996 revival of The King and I. Ushkowitz sang the American National Anthem at a Knicks game at Madison Square Garden when she was 13. Before joining the cast of Glee, she was an understudy for the roles of Anna, Martha, Thea and Ilse in the Broadway musical Spring Awakening.
In 2009, she landed the role of Tina Cohen-Chang on Fox's musical high school show Glee. Her character faked a stutter for the first nine episodes and later sang two solos, including "Tonight" from West Side Story and "True Colors." The role included a romance with Kevin McHale's character Artie then begins a relationship with Mike Chang, played by Harry Shum, Jr. Ushkowitz toured the US and Australia with her castmates from Glee. She has known Glee co-star Lea Michele since they were eight years old; they also co-starred on Broadway in Spring Awakening. Ushkowitz was initially given little information about Tina's backstory, and believed that her stutter was real. She was pleased when the truth was revealed, however, explaining: "It would have been fun to keep it because that just gives her one more quirk, but this opens up a whole new set of doors for Tina." Ushkowitz has created her own backstory for Tina, and believes that she is rebelling against her mother rather than genuinely being a goth, explaining: "I don't think her room is filled with dark posters and heavy metal stuff—I just think this is a phase she's going through. There's definitely a lot of options for all the characters to evolve and change next year. I'm totally rooting for Tina to join The Cheerios [the school's cheerleading squad] or something crazy like that."

Mark Salling

His twitter account: mark_salling
His official website: http://www.marksallingmusic.com/

Bio
Salling was born in Dallas, Texas on August 17, 1982, the younger of two children to mother Condy, a school secretary, and father John, an accountant. He was home-schooled at an early age and attended Providence Christian School and Our Redeemer Lutheran during elementary school. He attended, but did not graduate from Culver Military Academy, and later graduated from Lake Highlands High School in 2001. While he attended high school, he was a member of the school wrestling team. Performing was also an integral part of his teenage years; he often performed in bars despite being underage and participated in school talent shows.

He resides in Los Angeles. After graduating from high school, he attended the Los Angeles Music Academy College of Music in Pasadena, California and began studying guitar, and began giving guitar lessons to make a living.


Trivia

• He has an active love of birds and wildlife and volunteers with the James Hunter Wildlife Rescue charity.
• Can play the guitar, piano, bass, and drums.

Personal Quotes
[On his most memorable moment filming Glee] I can think of two moments. One moment would be shooting a scene with Kristen Chenowith where she is singing. I was sitting right in front of her and she was just belting it out. She can let loose like no other! She's singing a song and it was pretty much directly to me. I was sitting right in front of her and she was singing it to the group of people I was in. It was one of those moments where I thought, "Wow! How did I end up here?" She is so beautiful and talented.

[On his hairstyle for Glee] I had knee surgery about four months before the audition, and I cut my hair in a mohawk. I don't know why, but I did. So I decided to do it again for this audition because of this part; maybe it would make me stand out from the rest of the guys. Lo and behold, it worked out. And now I'm stuck with it.

I've been playing piano since I was 5, and started writing when I was 6 or 7. It was never a revelation I had, it was just what I did. Playing music was always a part of my life, I don't know anything else.
You don't really have time to watch TV if you work on TV.

Amber Riley

Her twitter account: @MsAmberRiley

Bio:
Amber Patrice Riley (born February 15, 1986) is an American actress and singer best known for her role on the series Glee as Mercedes Jones.
Riley auditioned for American Idol when she was 17 years old during the show's second season but was turned down by the producers. Amber graduated from La Mirada High School in 2004. In 2006, Riley auditioned for the part of Effie White in Dreamgirls, yet was refused because of her age.[clarification needed] Riley appeared at the 2010 MTV VMAs on September 12, 2010.

As of 2011, Riley plays the role of Mercedes on the hit 'dramedy' Glee. She has sung numerous solos, including "Bust Your Windows", "Hate on Me", "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going", "Beautiful","Bridge over Troubled Water","I Look to You", "Hell to the No" and "Ain't No Way". Her character gets through her school days with her 'diva-style' and stylish clothes. In 2011, Riley received an NAACP Image Award nomination for her portrayal of Mercedes on Glee. She has won a Screen Actors Guild Award for her acting on Glee along with the show's ensemble, and has also been nominated for a Teen Choice Award for her acting on the show. Amber's mother, Tina, was a member of the choir with whom Mercedes dances in the song "Like a Prayer" during the 15th episode of the first season.

Matthew Morrison

His twitter account: @Matt_Morrison

Bio:
Matthew Morrison was educated at New York University's Tisch School of the Arts, Collaborative Arts Project 21 (CAP21) and the Orange County High School of the Arts, while at the Los Alamitos High School campus. Matthew is of Scottish heritage. While in high school, he did a musical with Jodie Sweetin.
At age 12 he landed a role in a chorus line of the Broadway adaption of Footloose. By freshman year at college he was a regular performer on Broadway. He states in Details "There were all these beautiful, beautiful dancers. As a straight guy I had some room. There were the shared interests in singing and dancing, and I always find dancing with someone very erotic and sexual. I definitely hooked up with a lot of girls when I was a young guy on Broadway. It was fun, I guess. Very joyous and free."

Trivia:

• He worked at the Gap in New York City before joining the cast of "Footloose" on Broadway.
• Tony nomination for his role as Fabrizio Naccarelli in "The Light in the Piazza" musical by Craig Lucas and Adam Guettel.
• In addition to doing school plays and musicals in high school, he was a soccer player, president of the school, and prom king.

Personal Quotes:

• [When asked in an interview whether the widespread rumor that he is John Wayne's grandson is true] Oh, God! That is just a rumor, but I would have no shame in perpetuating it. I'll be John Wayne's grandson! You know, his real name was Marion Morrison -- and if you look at pictures of him and me, it's quite uncanny.
• [On the newer movie version of Hairspray] I've heard the rumor about John Travolta playing Edna Turnblad and it'd be interesting, but I want Harvey [Fierstein] to do it; he's the man - or woman - for the job. They might see me for Link, but they'd probably go for Justin Timberlake.
• [on working on Broadway] - There were all these beautiful, beautiful dancers. As a straight guy I had some room. There were the shared interests in singing and dancing, and I always find dancing with someone very evocative and sexual. I definitely hooked up with a lot of girls when I was a young guy on Broadway. It was exciting. Very joyous and free.
• I'm not comfortable with the idea of my sex appeal, but I know in my job I have to use it. I wish I could say I got to this point in my career based on my talent, but I don't think that's true.

Kevin Mchale

His twitter account: @druidDUDE
His tumblr: http://sickofmyownvoice.tumblr.com/

Bio:
McHale was born in Plano, Texas. Before becoming an actor, McHale joined an American Boy Group, NLT, which is short for "Not Like Them". The R&B group was discovered by Chris Stokes. On March 13, 2007, they released their first single "That Girl". The band had a guest appearance in Bratz: The Movie. On April 30, 2009, group member Travis Michael Garland announced that NLT had split.
McHale currently stars on Glee as Artie Abrams, a member of the McKinley High glee club who uses a wheelchair. Although his character is in a wheelchair, McHale is a skilled dancer and has responded that it was hard to keep his feet from moving along with the music while he was on the set. He had his first solo single on Glee singing "Dancing with Myself" in the episode "Wheels". In the episode "Dream On" he danced in a fantasy sequence to "The Safety Dance" and sang "Dream a Little Dream of Me". It should also be noted that since being cast on Glee, McHale has begun wearing variations of his character's signature glasses to award shows and other public events as he is rarely recognized without them.
McHale's acting credits include a 2007 appearance on NBC's The Office in the season 4 episode "Launch Party", where he played a pizza delivery boy who is taken hostage by Steve Carell's character, Michael Scott. In 2008, McHale was on HBO's True Blood for two episodes as Neil Jones, a coroner's assistant. Kevin was also in three episodes of Nickelodeon's hit show Zoey 101 as Dooley. In 2010, McHale appeared momentarily in One Call's music video 'Blacklight' alongside his fellow former NLT member, Justin.

Trivia:

• He was a member of the boy band NLT - which stood for Not Like Them, supposedly to indicate their difference from other boy bands (McHale has admitted that they were, in fact, not much different). The band broke up in April 2009.
• Kevin is the uncle of actor Jack Horan.
• Unlike his character in "Glee" (2009), Kevin does not use a wheelchair. In fact, co-star Chris Colfer stated in 2010 that McHale is regarded as being the best dancer among the cast.
• Kevin is the uncle of actress Rose Horan.