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Idina Kim Menzel (/ɪˈdiːnə mɛnˈzɛl/; née Mentzel; born May 30, 1971) is an American actress and singer. Particularly known for her work in musicals on the Broadway stage and having achieved mainstream success across stage, film and music, she has garnered the honorific title "Queen of Broadway" for her achievements. Her accolades include an American Music Award, a Billboard Music Award and a Tony Award, as well as nominations for three Drama League Awards and four Drama Desk Awards. In 2019, she was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for her contributions to live theatre.
Menzel rose to prominence as a stage actress in 1996, making her Broadway debut playing Maureen Johnson in the rock musical Rent. Her performance earned her a Tony Award nomination for Best Featured Actress in a Musical. After appearing in several smaller-scale stage and Off-Broadway productions, in 2003 Menzel originated the role of Elphaba in the Broadway musical Wicked, for which she won the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical. The popularity of the musical, Menzel's character and song "Defying Gravity" earned her a devoted following among theater fans. After leaving the show in 2005, she reprised the role in the musical's original West End production until the end of 2006, becoming the highest-paid actress in West End theatre history. In 2014, Menzel returned to Broadway as Elizabeth Vaughan in the musical If/Then, for which she received a third Tony Award nomination.
Menzel began transitioning to film and television roles in the early 2000s. After reprising her role as Maureen in Rent's 2005 film adaptation, she was cast in a non-singing role as Nancy Tremaine in Disney's musical fantasy Enchanted (2007). Menzel also had a recurring role as Shelby Corcoran on the musical television series Glee, playing the biological mother of series lead Rachel Berry from 2010 to 2013. Menzel has voiced Elsa in Disney's animated Frozen franchise since 2013. "Let It Go", a song she recorded for the first film, became widely popular upon release, and won an Academy Award for Best Original Song. An international phenomenon, "Let It Go" peaked at number five on the Billboard Hot 100, making her the first Tony Award-winning actor to have a top-10 song on the chart. In 2019, she starred opposite Adam Sandler in the crime drama Uncut Gems, and played Vivian, Cinderella's stepmother, in 2021's jukebox musical adaptation of Cinderella.
As a recording artist, Menzel has released six studio albums, including I Stand (2008) and idina. (2016). Her first holiday album, 2014's Holiday Wishes, peaked at number six on the Billboard 200 – her highest-charting solo album – while several cast albums and soundtracks she has contributed to have also performed well on the same chart.