Rachel Barbra Berry is a
fictional character and
de facto female lead 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 for
quarterback and glee club co-captain
Finn Hudson (
Cory Monteith), to whom she eventually becomes engaged.