About The Show
From Ryan Murphy, the creator of "Nip/Tuck" and "Popular," comes GLEE, a one-hour musical comedy that follows an optimistic high school teacher as he tries to transform the Glee Club and inspire a group of ragtag performers to make it to the biggest competition of all: Nationals.
Will Schuester (Matthew Morrison, Broadway's "Hairspray"), a young optimistic teacher, has offered to take on the Herculean task of restoring McKinley's Glee Club to its former glory. Driven by his secret past, Will is determined to do whatever it takes to make Glee great again, even though everyone around him thinks he's nuts. He's out to prove them all wrong.
About Glee
From Ryan Murphy, the creator of "Nip/Tuck" and "Popular," comes GLEE, a one-hour musical comedy that follows an optimistic high school teacher as he tries to transform the school's Glee Club and inspire a group of ragtag performers to make it to the biggest competition of them all: Nationals.
McKinley High School's Glee Club used to be at the top of the show choir world, but years later, a series of scandals have turned it into a haven for misfits and social outcasts. WILL SCHUESTER (Matthew Morrison, Broadway's "Hairspray"), a young optimistic teacher, has offered to take on the Herculean task of restoring McKinley's Glee Club to its former glory with the help of fellow teacher EMMA PILLSBURY (Jayma Mays, "Ugly Betty"). It's a tall order when the brightest stars of the pitch-imperfect club include KURT (Chris Colfer), a nerdy soprano with a flair for the dramatic; MERCEDES (Amber Riley), a dynamic diva-in-training who refuses to sing back-up; ARTY (Kevin McHale, "Zoey 101"), a geeky guitarist who spends more time avoiding bullies than chasing girls; and TINA (Jenna Ushkowitz, "Spring Awakening"), an awkward girl who needs to suppress her stutter before she can take center stage.
Will's only hope lies with two true talents: RACHEL BERRY (Lea Michele, "Spring Awakening"), a perfectionist firecracker who is convinced that show choir is her ticket to stardom; and FINN HUDSON (Cory Monteith, "Kyle XY"), the popular high school quarterback with movie star looks and a Motown voice who must protect his reputation with his holier-than-thou girlfriend, QUINN (Dianna Agron), and his arrogant teammate, PUCK (Mark Salling).
Driven by his secret past, Will is determined to do whatever it takes to make Glee great again, even though everyone around him thinks he's nuts. He's out to prove them all wrong - from his tough-as-nails wife TERRI SCHUESTER (Jessalyn Gilsig, "Nip/Tuck") to McKinley's cheerleading coach SUE SYLVESTER (guest star Jane Lynch, "Best In Show," "Role Models") to an ?ber-hip world that thinks jazz hands and sequined tuxedos litter the road to infamy rather than pave the way to Hollywood dreams.
Featuring a soundtrack of hit songs from past and present, GLEE is produced by Ryan Murphy Television in association with 20th Century Fox Television. Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk and Dante Di Loreto serve as executive producers, while Ian Brennan and John Kousakis serve as co-executive producers. Murphy directed the pilot.
Characters
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MATTHEW MORRISON as Will Schuester
Matthew Morrison studied musical theater, vocal performance and dance at New York University's renowned Tisch School of the Arts. After graduating from Tisch, Morrison's big Broadway break came when he was cast as heartthrob "Link Larkin" in the hit "Hairspray." Morrison was later nominated for a Tony Award for his role in "The Light in the Piazza," and he received a Drama Desk Nomination for Outstanding Actor in a Musical for "10 Million Miles." Morrison was most recently seen in "South Pacific" at the Lincoln Center Theater in New York.
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JESSALYN GILSIG as Terri Schuester
Jessalyn Gilsig had the distinction of simultaneously starring in two of television's most acclaimed drama series - Golden Globe-winning "Nip/Tuck" and Brett Ratner's breakout drama PRISON BREAK. On "Nip/Tuck," Gilsig portrayed the obsessive, sex-addicted "Gina Russo," which helped garner her additional recurring roles on the hit drama "Heroes" as the biological mother of cheerleader "Claire Bennet" and on "Friday Night Lights." She most recently had a recurring role on "CSI: NY."
Audiences also know Gilsig from "Boston Public," a role that creator David E. Kelley created with her in mind. She achieved series regular status on his series "Snoops," in addition to an arc on "The Practice." Gilsig also recurred as a detective on Steven Bochco's "NYPD Blue."
Gilsig also has an impressive list of film credits. She recently appeared in the hit remake of "Prom Night," and will once again reunite with the film's director for a remake of the thriller "The Stepfather." Also on the horizon is "XIII" alongside Val Kilmer and Stephen Dorff. She has also worked with the likes of Robert Redford on "The Horse Whisperer," and appeared as Sally Field's daughter in "A Cooler Climate." Additional film credits include "Chicks with Sticks," "See This Movie" and "Flood."
A Montreal native, Gilsig honed her talents at Harvard University's prestigious American Repertory Theatre. She currently resides with her producer husband and toddler daughter in Los Angeles where she enjoys painting when not juggling work. In fact, her works appeared in the acclaimed film "The Station Agent" as the painting of Patricia Clarkson's character.
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CHRIS COLFER as Kurt Hummel
Chris Colfer grew up performing in community and regional theatre. At age 14, he assistant-directed a theatrical benefit for Valley Children's Hospital. Colfer was very active throughout high school: he was involved in drama, was the president of the writer's club, was editor of the school literary magazine and was a speech and debate champion. He also wrote, directed and starred in a musical spoof of "Sweeney Todd," titled "Shirley Todd," at the end of his senior year.
Colfer is from Clovis, CA. While pursuing a career in film and television, he worked mornings in his school cafeteria.
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KEVIN MCHALE as Artie Abrams
Kevin McHale's love for acting and singing began after he appeared in local commercials in Dallas. Since making the move to Los Angeles, the multi-talented actor has appeared in various television and film projects. McHale was most recently seen on the critically acclaimed cable series "True Blood," and his additional television credits include "The Office," "Zoey 101" and "All That." He also had a role in the feature film "Bratz."
In 2003, McHale joined the boy band NLT (Not Like Them), a Pop/R&B/Hip-Hop group responsible for singles "That Girl" and the Timbaland-produced "She Said, I Said." As the opening act for the Pussycat Dolls, McHale and NLT have traveled all over the U.S. performing in the national House of Blues tour and the 16-date "Bandemonium" tour.
20-year-old McHale is a native of Plano, TX, but currently resides in Los Angeles.
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JAYMA MAYS as Emma Pillsbury
In 2004, Jayma Mays made her first television appearance on "Joey," and the following year landed a role in Wes Craven's film "Red Eye." Most recently, Mays had recurring roles on the Emmy Award-winning series "Ugly Betty," and the critically acclaimed "Heroes," and has guest-starred on numerous series including HOUSE, "Six Feet Under," "The Comeback," "Entourage," "Stacked," "How I Met Your Mother" and "Ghost Whisperer."
Her feature film credits include Clint Eastwood's "Flags of Our Fathers," "Blind Guy Driving" and the indie "Bar Starz." She also starred in 20th Century Fox's spoof film "Epic Movie" where she met her husband, Adam Campbell.
Mays is from Grundy, VA, and graduated from Radford University with a degree in Performing Arts.
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CORY MONTEITH as Finn Hudson
Before becoming an actor, Cory Monteith held a number of odd jobs as a Wal-Mart greeter, a school bus driver, a roofer and a cab driver. Monteith's small-screen credits include a lead role on the cable series "Kaya," a starring role in the movie of the week "Hybrid" and a recurring role on "Kyle XY." He has also had numerous guest appearances on "Smallville," "Supernatural," "Stargate SG-1," "Flash Gordon" and "Interns."
His film credits include "Final Destination 3," "The Invisible," "Deck the Halls" and "Whisper."
Monteith, 26, calls Vancouver home, and is a rock-star wannabe who plays "Guitar Hero II" in his spare time.
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AMBER RILEY as Mercedes Jones
Amber Riley got her first break when Ryan Murphy cast her in the pilot "St. Sass." Although the pilot was not picked up, Riley was able to use that experience to land a role on the television series "Cedric the Entertainer Presents."
Riley has performed in numerous theater productions including "Alice in Wonderland," "A Midsummer Night's Dream," "Into the Woods" and "Mystery on the Docks" with the Los Angeles Opera.
Riley resides in Long Beach, CA, with her family.
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MARK SALLING as Puck
Mark Salling, 26, is from Dallas. An avid songwriter and musician, Salling recently released his debut album "Jericho," on which he provided all of the instrumental and vocal tracks.
Salling, who recently began acting, is also a painter and sketch artist who lives in Los Angeles.
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DIANNA AGRON as Quinn Fabray
In her short career, Dianna Agron has appeared on numerous television shows including "Numb3rs," "Shark," "Close to Home" and "CSI: NY." She also had a recurring role on the critically acclaimed series "Veronica Mars." Most recently, she was seen as "Debbie Marshall" on the sci-fi hit "Heroes," and she appeared in "It's a Mall World," a series of short films directed by Milo Ventimiglia.
Agron, 22 years old, grew up in San Francisco, and is a supporter of the animal rights organization PETA.
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LEA MICHELE as Rachel Berry
At just 8 years old, Lea Michele made her Broadway debut as "Young Cosette" in "Les Miserables." Since then, Michele has shared the stage with Broadway greats Audra McDonald and Brian Stokes Mitchell in "Ragtime" as well as Alfred Molina and the 20th anniversary cast of "Fiddler on the Roof."
Best known for her role as "Wendla" in the Tony Award-winning Broadway production of "Spring Awakening," Michele was nominated for a Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actress in a Musical for her performance.
She has also performed at Radio City Music Hall during the Tony Awards with the casts of "Spring Awakening," "Ragtime" and "Fiddler on the Roof." Michele is featured on the cast recordings of these productions. She was last seen as "Eponine" in the star-studded production of "Les Mis?rables" at the Hollywood Bowl. She has performed solo concerts to sold-out crowds at Feinstein's at Loews Regency in New York and at the Upright Cabaret in Los Angeles.
On the small screen, Michele has appeared on "Third Watch" and "Guiding Light."
Michele is 22 years old and currently divides her time between New York City and Los Angeles.
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JENNA USHKOWITZ as Tina
A seasoned theater actor, Jenna Ushkowitz starred in "The King and I" and recently finished her run in the Tony Award-winning Broadway production of "Spring Awakening."
Her television credits include "Sesame Street," "Reading Rainbow" and "As the World Turns," and her independent film credits include "Babyface" and "Educated." Recently, Ushkowitz hosted "Yankees on Deck," which is a behind-the-scenes sports show geared towards young audiences.
Ushkowitz, 22, graduated from Marymount Manhattan College and lives in New York City.
