Rachel Berry is a fictional character 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 football players Finn Hudson (Cory Monteith) and Noah Puckerman (Mark Salling), as well as glee club director Will Schuester (Matthew Morrison). Michele was cast after Murphy spent three months observing actors on Broadway, and created the role specifically for her.

She has deemed Rachel strong and driven but misunderstood, explaining that Glee follows Rachel's journey to become more of a team player. Michele was nominated 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 mixed 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 soundtracks Glee: The Music, Volume 1 and Glee: The Music, Volume 2. 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, who starred in Spring Awakening.

The role of Rachel was written specifically for Michele. She took the role because of Rachel's characterization, explaining: "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", explaining 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." Michele bases Rachel on herself when she was younger, and also draws inspiration from the film Election, and the Gossip Girl character Blair Waldorf. She has explained: "[Blair] 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."

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