Amber Riley interview
How would you describe Mercedes?
“Mercedes is outspoken, opinionated, stubborn. She is always ready to give you her view of things – but it’s always done with love! She is my alter ego. If I could say the things she does and get away with them, I probably would! But she’s a hero for her friends. She’s really sweet.”
How do you deal with the legions of Glee aficionados who now approach you whenever you go out in public?
“I wasn’t surprised that people liked the show. But I was shocked that it became as big as it did as quickly as it did. People relate to the characters because they’re outsiders. So many viewers feel they really know us. They’re always coming up to me and saying, ‘hey, Mercedes, how are you?’ like we went to school together!”
Do you think show celebrates the sort of social outcasts who wind up in the Glee Club at McKinley High School?
“I say embrace the loser within you! You only become a loser when someone doesn’t agree with what you’re doing. But you know what? Who cares? The show is about accepting people and being tolerant. Even if you don’t understand something, just try to accept it.”
Audiences are also clearly magnetised by the music in Glee...
“Music is a universal language. The classic songs make people remember the old days, while the more recent songs prompt new emotions. When you can’t say precisely what you want in words, singing a song helps to get an idea across.”
What are your hopes for the second season?
“I want to go into the characters’ homes more and see why they’re all so messed up!”
Are you a Gleek yourself?
“If I wasn’t in Glee, I’d be obsessed by it!”
source: lastbroadcast.co.uk
Matthew Morrison interview
Mr Shuester is the optimistic teacher who takes on the Herculean task of restoring McKinley High School’s Glee Club to its former glory. At first, he is daunted by the demands of knocking into shape this ragtag bunch of misfits and social outcasts. But soon he realises he has unearthed some rare talent in this show choir and delights in preparing them for the biggest competition of them all: The Nationals.
Why has Glee proved such an immense hit right around the globe?
“It’s got comedy, drama and music - it has something for everyone. It’s also clearly something we need. There are so many procedural dramas about doctors and lawyers out there and so many vampire shows. This offers something completely different.”
How have you found it being mobbed wherever you go?
“That aspect has been hard. My anonymity has gone. I now can’t walk five feet without stopping for a picture. But you have to embrace it.”
You recently signed a record deal...
“I’m doing a lot of sessions with big producers, and the album should come out in November. If I end up having a pop career, I’ll have Glee to thank. Glee has afforded me the opportunity to do almost anything I want. It’s been amazing!”
Are you looking forward to the second season of Glee?
“I’m really excited about it, but I know it’s going to be hard because we’ve set the bar so high. It’s very challenging for the writers to maintain that level of creativity and specialness and come up with things we haven’t seen before.”
Where do you see your character going in the second season?
“I’d like Will to stay single. It’s so interesting to play a newly single person. He’s been married for fifteen years, and now he has to figure who he is without someone else. It’s fun to play with that. Also, it means I get to kiss a lot of women!”
How do you feel about the huge boost that Glee has given to arts education?
“Everyone is now talking about ‘the Glee generation,’ and that’s brilliant. I went to a performing arts high school and it ran a great programme. Since Glee has been on, enrolment at that high school has doubled. That speaks to what’s happened on this show. Above all, it reminds us that the arts really matter. For someone like me who’s grown up with song and dance, it’s astonishing to be leading that change for a new generation. I find it so hopeful and inspiring.”
source: lastbroadcast.co.uk
Kevin McHale interview
Artie is the wheelchair-bound singer and musician who embarks on a tentative relationship with his Glee Club colleague Tina (Jenna Ushkowitz).
How would you explain the phenomenal success of Glee?
“The show is about embracing your inner loser. Whether they admit to it or not, everyone has an inner loser. Above all, it works because people always root for the underdog. The world has seen better days. We’re going through grim times at the moment - everything is up in the air globally. But Glee is so positive and has such energy - I’m sure that’s been a factor in its success. There are a lot of serious shows out there, but there is also room for fun, camp ones like this.”
How do you see the role of music in the acclaim accorded to Glee?
“We all love music. What song do you sing in the shower? I’ll admit to Michael Buble! The acoustics in the bathroom make you think, ‘I can do this!’ On Glee, we use music that everyone has grown up with, but put it in a different context. That brings a whole new spin to it. The amount of emotion that can come out of a two-minute song is not possible in a simple two-minute scene. It immediately takes you onto a completely different plane. Also, we have eight songs an episode, so you’re bound to like one of them!”
Is the schedule on Glee demanding?
“When we started, we had a week to learn each song. Now we have to learn it one day and shoot it the next. We have to maintain that level of performance. Fortunately we have an amazing choreographer, who knows exactly what we can do.”
Do you think that the show’s self-mocking sense of humour has also helped make it a winner?
“The approach is ‘I feel bad - let me tell you about it in a song’. We make fun of ourselves before anyone else can. As long as we’re self-deprecating, I’m all for it.”
How do you feel about how the show treats the fact that Arty is in a wheelchair?
“At first, you root for him because he’s physically challenged, but by the end he’s just another member of the Glee Club. You go from seeing eleven people and one person in a wheelchair to seeing twelve people. It’s not hammered home as a big issue. In real life, it’s not a big deal. If you don’t put a big emphasis on something, it becomes normal.”
How has your life been transformed by the success of Glee?
“Jenna and I were in a store yesterday, and suddenly we had ten people around us screaming. People feel that they can relate to our characters and that we’re approachable. It’s not like we’re Angelina Jolie. You never know if what you’re doing will have an impact. But when singing teachers come up and say ‘thank you,’ that’s pretty cool."
source: lastbroadcast.co.uk
Jenna Ushkowitz interview
Tina suffers from the same lack of self-confidence as other members of the group of social outcasts who form the Glee Club at McKinley High School. In order to win sympathy, Tina pretended to have a stutter for the first nine episodes.
What do you think it is about Tinya that has drawn audiences to the character?
“People really seem to identify with her vulnerability. They come up to all the time and say, ‘I’m Tina!’ It’s fantastic!”
Why has series struck such a chord around the world?
“Glee reaches a huge audience because it has such heart and it’s so positive. Everyone roots for the underdog and wants them to win. People latch onto that. It’s lovely whenever we see ‘Gleeks’. They say to us, ’we’ve started our own Glee Club at school.’ At a time when arts are being cut in schools, this show is a huge advocate for the arts in education.”
Did the cast have any clue that Glee would become such an international success?
“We had absolutely no idea it would be like this. When people say to you, ‘this’ll be huge’, you can never expect that. You just have to be the best you can be. We loved working in a bubble for 13 episodes before anything had been aired. Now the bar has been raised and we’re happy to try and meet that!”
How important is the music to the show?
“Music is a universal language. There’s a genre of music for everyone. Without music, Glee would be a completely different show. The series is story-driven, but the moment the moment they put music into it, it takes it to another level.”
How do you become skilled at perfecting immensely complicated musical routines in double-quick time?
“We learnt our Lady Gaga number in a day! We’ve gotten pretty good at it now! It’s like a well-practised formula now. You prepare beforehand and on the day, you just get up there on the stage and make it work!”
How are you feeing about the second season of Glee, which is currently in production?
“We’re so excited. Every week we open the scripts and get to be so surprised. Every day, we’re finding out something new about these characters and finding new layers to them. We come up with suggestions, but they’re never half as good as what the writers create. These writers have given us such a gift!”
source: lastbroadcast.co.uk
thanks to Will! @LastBroadcast.co.uk
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