The idea (threat?) of a Glee revival has been surrounding the cast and fans alike for years now, but after recent comments from Kevin McHale, the queer factor may find itself lacking.
In a recent interview with Insider, the actor admits he wouldn’t be comfortable reprising the role of Artie — or any character in a wheelchair — at this point.
“I don’t know if Artie could be in it,” he says. “Knowing what we know now, I don’t think I should be playing a character that’s in a wheelchair.”
Though his character at the time was lauded for adding to the show’s diversity, the show didn’t see an actually disabled actor for more than a one-off appearance until casting Glee Project alum and Broadway darling Ali Stroker in season 4.
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McHale has recently rejoined forces with castmate/bestie Jenna Ushkowitz for a new Glee-centric podcast, And That’s What You Really Missed. In an episode of their former podcast Showmance, he admitted that they “didn’t know better” at the time of casting.
“It couldn’t happen today,” he said. “Barely made that cut because we didn’t know any better. What were we thinking? I can’t play that part.”
Related: Kevin McHale spills on ‘Secret Celeb’, solo music, and the new ‘Glee’ project just around the corner
Looking at the other queer actors who lent their voices to the New Directions over the years, the prospective cast for a reboot continues to thin.
Chris Colfer, the countertenor behind the show’s leading gay character, is living his best-selling author life and hasn’t seem inclined to perform whatsoever since the show ended.
Alex Newell played the show’s first transgender character, but after her showing tons of love to Samantha Ware throughout the Lea Michele feud, it’s doubtful they want to be within 100 miles of the Funny Girl lead. Josie Totah, another trans actress in the cast, likely wouldn’t care to slip back into the role of Myron Muskowitz now that she’s transitioned.
Naya Rivera (who never officially came out, but heavily hinted at her bisexuality live on The View) famously passed away in 2020 in a tragic accident.
The only queer actors we can see possibly returning to sing in the choir room are Jonathan Groff and Vanessa Lengies. Groff’s character was only part of the Glee club for a handful of episodes, but his bestieship (and on-screen marriage) with Michele likely mean he’d make an appearance. Lengies’ appearances in season 3, though wildly sporadic, made her a sleeper-hit fan favorite who could make the slightest of cameos.
Related: ‘The Glee Project’ cast recalls “traumatic” boot camp experience, being pressured to come out on TV
There is a chance the pair of lesbian actresses in the McKinley High staff could find themselves coming back, with Jane Lynch and Dot-Marie Jones seemingly holding no ill will towards the show. Lynch’s notable run on Funny Girl (just before Michele joined, funnily enough), and Jones’ recent moments in Bros and Ryan Murphy‘s American Horror Story mean both are likely to jump back into the acting saddle.
It may be in the cast’s best interest to sidestep a potential reboot, though. Between the recent Glee Project tell-all and the upcoming Discovery+ exposé doc on Glee behind the scenes, mess is bound to pop up for all involved.
WillParkinson
FFS, let the show die. Please. It was good for what it was, but that ship has sailed.
m
Oh, so agreed
GlobeTrotter
Agree 100%!!
ioweegian
Ugh.
Another session of the Lea Michele Shitshow?
Nah, thanks.
lykeitiz
When woke-ism runs amok.
The same way a straight man CAN play a gay man, an able-bodied actor CAN play a handicapped character. It’s called ACTING.
The character of Arte’ was well crafted, thoughtfully presented, and beautifully played by McHale.
BLAKENOW
OMG ridiculous , put him in the same category of actors saying stupid “woke” shit on there own ( Tom Hanks and Eddie Redmayne for example ) after being successful in whatever role they were hired to act in, then having regrets, boo hoo. They all would have been better off just keeping quiet, Not every actor says intelligent things 24/7 …. Just stop the effing “woke appropriation” nonsense.
DarkZephyr
I am not going to make an ignorant remark about “Wokeism”, but I DO think its stupid to say only a person who is a certain thing should ever be able to portray that thing on TV or in movies. How is that acting? How is that talented? Just playing yourself?
This is getting WAY out of hand. Its called “acting” for a reason. I hate that we LGBT folks were such a driving force behind pushing this silly narrative.
dbmcvey
I love how you said you’re not going to make an ignorant comment about “Wokeism” and yet you still did.
cuteguy
This time make Lea Michele actually shit in someone’s wig similar to the white lotus season 1 scene with the luggage.