Lea Michele's diva training began since she was a kid working as a child actress on Broadway. Born August 29, 1986 in The Bronx, New York, she made her Broadway debut in 1995, when she was just 8, playing the role of Young Cosette in "Les Miserables". It was followed by major stage productions like "Ragtime" and "Fiddler on the Roof". She was accepted to the Tisch School of the Arts at New York University, but chose to continue working professionally on the stage.