Biografia

During the 86th Academy Awards, John Travolta completely mispronounced her name by introducing her as "Adele Dazeem". At the Academy Awards the following year, when Menzel and Travolta presented the Best Original Song, she jokingly mispronounced his name as "Glom Gazingo".

Graduated from NYU w/ a B.A. in fine arts (1993).

Graduated from Syosset High School.

Mother, with ex-husband Taye Diggs, of son Walker Diggs.

Daughter of Stuart Mentzel and Helene Mentzel.

[on the international "Rent" craze] It's hard to absorb and to allow all that attention and accolades for Rent because the rest of the country doesn't know who we are. Once I walk out of the door of "Rent:, and I'm on the subway, it doesn't matter. It's an exaggerated sense of fame.

Things happen for a reason, and in their own time.

I feel like I was born to do this... I started working professionally as soon as I could, doing weddings and things like that in high school, while everyone else was having keg parties. I just felt destined to do it and really committed and driven; it was something that just felt right all my life.

I've been singing since I was born. It's something I do everywhere I go. In the shower, walking down the street. I don't need any impetus to do it. I just sing.

[on her courtship with her husband, Taye Diggs, whom she met through the musical "Rent"] Everyone got really close, but Taye and I especially became close friends. And then, one night, we went to the movies, and I think we saw Twister (1996), and he held my hand. And there it was!