You’ll never look at slushies the same way now! Glee introduced the world to quite a talented group of actors. The musical comedy-drama debuted on Fox in 2009. It was Ryan Murphy‘s third series, following teen drama Popular and dark medical drama Nip/Tuck.
The Glee ensemble is no stranger to cameos! The smash series has seemingly featured more guests than late-night talk shows ever have. And, despite creator Ryan Murphy’s talk of keeping the focus on the core Glee group in season 2, Cheyenne Jackson of 30 Rock is reported to be joining the McKinley High crew!! Yes that’s right, Cheyenne Jackson is to star in the “Glee” cast.
Unlike previous guest stars, however, Jackson is apparently taking a “major recurring role,” replacing Idina Menzel as the coach of Vocal Adrenaline, reports Entertainment Weekly. Jackson, who is best known for his role in 30 Rock, has also recently landed a guest appearance on the new season of Curb Your Enthusiasm.
The series Glee focuses on the William McKinley High School glee club, the New Directions, as they try to balance choir competition with high school life. The show’s cast sang covers of both show tunes and chart-topping hits — sometimes on stage, other times while walking down the halls of McKinley.
Although it altered over the series’ six seasons, the original cast was made up of Lea Michele, Dianna Agron, Chris Colfer, Kevin McHale, Cory Monteith, Amber Riley, Mark Salling and Jenna Ushkowitz as the club members.
Matthew Morrison served as a teacher and the glee club director. Jane Lynch played his nemesis, the cheerleading coach who didn’t want her cheerleaders getting distracted by singing. Naya Rivera, Heather Morris and Harry Shum Jr.‘s characters later joined the club, as did Darren Criss‘ Blaine Anderson.
The series aired from May 2009 to March 2015, spanning six seasons on Fox and winning four Emmys and four Golden Globe Awards. The show also launched concert tours. After the show’s first and second seasons completed filming, the cast toured around the country. In 2011, Glee: The 3D Concert Movie was released.
Five years after the series finale, former co stars Ushkowitz and McHale resisted each episode as part of their “Showmance: The Glee Recap” podcast. Michele appeared on the first episode in January 2020.
“We were really having the time of our lives,” the Broadway actress recalled of her time on the Fox show, with McHale adding, “That’s what people don’t understand. We would work all day together and then actively want to hang out afterwards.”
Michele continued, “People will always focus on the negative. It’s just one of those things to show you that you always come back. I’ve always felt that way about the show. I always look back. It was just the best.”