Lea Michele Reveals Real Last Name “Sarfati” on Tonight Show with Jay Leno

bullied for her last name

During an appearance on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno on Wednesday night, where she was promoting her upcoming ensemble film, New Year’s Eve, Glee star Lea Michele revealed to Jay that her real last name is Sarfati. The Jewish and Italian actress and singer says she dropped Sarfati from her name, professionally, after being mercilessly teased and bullied in school.

Lea Michele told Jay Leno, “Sarfati, that’s my real last name. I don’t use it a lot because I got ‘Lea So Fatty,’ ‘Lea So Farty’ in school.” Kids can be cruel. I suffered the same ill fate with my last name, Kugel. But stubborn as I am, I dug in my heels and plain refused to drop Kugel from my name. My grandfather and father are my heroes and we all share that last name! Though I feel Lea’s pain.

Michele recalls that it was a spontaneous decision to drop her surname, one that the actress decided on the spot at her very first audition. “When I was little and I went on my first audition, they were like, ‘May we have your name?’ I was like ‘Lea Michele’ … and I’ve been Lea Michele ever since!’”

Hey, the girl was smart enough to know that she needed a catchy, and easy-to-pronounce, stage name. I loved a recent magazine cover that Lea Michele was featured on that proclaimed next to Michele’s picture, “Diva’s don’t get nose jobs!”

Indeed, Lea says that her face is something she refuses to alter. “I’m proud to be on a positive show and to be a voice for girls and say, ‘You don’t need to look like everybody else.’” (HollywoodLife). “Love who you are!”