Rachel Berry is a fictional character and mostly the central figure from the Fox musical comedy-drama series Glee. The character is portrayed by actress Lea Michele, and has appeared in Glee from its pilot episode, first broadcast on May 19, 2009. Rachel was developed by Glee creators Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk and Ian Brennan. She is the glee club star of the fictional William McKinley High School in Lima, Ohio, where the show is set. Her storylines have seen her suffer peer alienation due to her Broadway ambitions, and develop romantic feelings for Jesse St. James (Jonathan Groff), a member of rival glee club Vocal Adrenaline, but primarily quarterback and glee club co-captain Finn Hudson (Cory Monteith).
Rachel is strong and driven but misunderstood, explaining that Glee follows Rachel's journey to become more of a team player. Michele was nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series in the 2010 ceremony; and for the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Television Series Musical or Comedy at the 2010 Golden Globe Awards for her performance in the role. Rachel has received mostly positive reviews from critics, with Maureen Ryan of The Chicago Tribune praising Michele for making the character "more than a humorless stereotype", but Raymund Flandez of The Wall Street Journal describing her as "insufferable". Several songs performed by Michele as Rachel have been released as singles, available for digital download, and also feature on the show's soundtrack albums.
