Character guide
Cosette
from Les Misérables
Cosette is the orphaned girl raised by Jean Valjean who grows into a young woman navigating love and hope in Les Misérables, the 1987 musical by Claude-Michel Schönberg.
- Show
- Les Misérables
- Broadway premiere
- 1987
- Role
- Supporting
- Music by
- Claude-Michel Schönberg
Cosette on stage vs screen
Broadway compared with the 2012 film
The 2012 film splits Cosette between two actresses, with Isabelle Allen as the young girl at the Thénardiers' inn and Amanda Seyfried as the grown Cosette who falls for Marius. On stage, Rebecca Caine created the adult role in London in 1985 and Judy Kuhn on Broadway in 1987, earning a Tony nomination.
The film adds a scene the stage never had: Valjean's new song Suddenly, written for the movie by Claude-Michel Schönberg, captures the moment he takes the child Cosette from the inn and resolves to care for her. Her stage songs include Castle on a Cloud as a child, and A Heart Full of Love and In My Life as an adult.
Who is Cosette?
Cosette begins the story as a mistreated child in the care of the unscrupulous Thenardiers, before Jean Valjean rescues her and raises her as his own daughter after her mother Fantine's death. As she grows into adulthood, Cosette becomes the object of Marius's affection, and her budding romance provides a note of hope amid the musical's revolutionary backdrop and hardship.
Her relationship with Valjean, built on quiet devotion and sacrifice, gives the show some of its most tender moments, contrasting with the surrounding turmoil of poverty and rebellion.
Cosette's role in Les Misérables
Cosette is a supporting role that requires a bright, youthful soprano capable of conveying both innocence and emotional depth, especially in her scenes with Valjean and Marius. While she has less stage time than some of the show's other principal characters, her presence is essential to the story's emotional resolution.
Audiences find Cosette compelling because she represents the possibility of a better future, the payoff for Valjean's years of sacrifice and the promise of love surviving even amid revolution and loss.
Cosette: frequently asked questions
What show is Cosette from?
Cosette appears in Les Misérables, which premiered on Broadway in 1987.
Is Cosette a lead or supporting role?
Cosette is a supporting role, best known as Jean Valjean's adopted daughter and Marius's love interest.
Who wrote the music for Les Misérables?
Claude-Michel Schönberg composed the music for Les Misérables.
Think you can name today's mystery character in eight guesses?
Play today's Character Guesser