So, to celebrate their new iHeartRadio podcast, And That’s What You Really Missed, Jenna and Kevin sat down with BuzzFeed to set the record straight and talk about the series that changed their lives. We talk about their infamous cast parties, moments they broke character, the plethora of A-Listers who adored the show, and so much more. Now without further ado, here’s everything — dare I say — you missed on Glee: In terms of the Discovery+ documentary, it feels even more important, to me at least, to do the podcast because we were the ones who were there. And we were the ones experiencing this. And we know what really happened. So you know, for me, it feels even more pertinent to actually be the ones to share our experience when people are sharing experiences that they didn’t have. Kevin McHale: Yeah. You put that very nicely. I also think the other reason why we wanted to do this was that with the pandemic and TikTok, there has been this weird resurgence of Glee. A whole new generation of people has been finding it. Like, children, who were not alive when the show started. We talked to Ryan about that, too, about just how cool and what an opportunity that is for people. They’re not necessarily attached to all of the, let’s say, drama, or the bad things people will talk about in the press because they’re just seeing this with new eyes. I think it’s so fun to go back now and watch it with that perspective of somebody new finding it in 2022, a very different time than when the show was first airing. After Naya passed, it was definitely hard to even consider watching the show. But being able to look at it through this positive, more useful, and current lens is really exciting to us. We’re going to use that and go more in-depth in different areas of the show. And I think we’re planning a pretty good thing here, so I hope people enjoy it. Jenna: Well, that’s what we were saying back in 2010. We would have all these young fans, and we would say, “Are you sure your parents should be letting you watch this?” And they’re like, “We LOVE the show!” I think Glee hits on all these amazing progressive social issues in the show. And that’s a nod to Ryan Murphy, his choice, the things that were happening in the world, and things that impacted him in his life. I’m grateful that we were able to kind of push the bar during that time, and that people are still experiencing it that way. Kevin: [Laughs] I think once very quickly in the series, it’s established that the storylines are gonna get crazy. Like once there’s a hysterical pregnancy and even just the pilot? Like, yeah, things are gonna get weird. In a fun way. But the STD, I have to agree. I was dressed in this STD costume in Washington Square Park in New York City at, like, 6:30 in the morning. And people were passing me on their way to work. It was one of those moments where I was so tired and cold and sitting there being like, “This is my life. This is how I make a living.” But it could be so much worse. You’re getting to do all these crazy, weird things, but it was a safe place to do it. I remember doing Rocky Horror. Jenna: Oh, yeah! Kevin: This is the stuff you dream about when you’re a kid? [Laughs] Yeah, these storylines are absolutely bonkers. Jenna: But everybody’s in it together. Kevin: Yeah, it’s sort of a dream. There was not a shortage of weird storylines. Jenna: I know people were very shocked by Tina “vapo-raping” Blaine, which also doesn’t really hold up. I don’t think we could call it “vapo raping” in this day in age, which like…we just shouldn’t. But kind of like what Kevin was talking about. Me sitting on Darren [Criss], and people were like, “This is ridiculous.” But [in real life] it was, like, midnight, and Darren and I were singing songs in between takes. He was like, “I get to sit here and sleep for the first time? This is awesome!” This whole storyline was actually based on real life because I was notorious for dating gay men in my younger years. I just gotta tell people, because this is what happens. I was in musical theater, and so that was just kind of a thing that happened to me. And [the writers] thought “That’s Tina’s thing.” So that’s where the “vapo-rape” story came from. And I know, fans were very shocked by it as much as I was. Jenna: Horrible, horrible. Kevin: Like, it’s a rewatch…but we’re watching it for the first time. [Laughs] I can remember more behind-the-scenes things of like, “Oh, somebody said that.” Or like, “This is what we did in basecamp.” Or in our trailers or what we had for lunch that day, I can remember those things a lot of the time. But storylines…really couldn’t tell you. Jenna: It’s almost like when you used to take tests, and you would remember it in your short-term memory, and then like, you walk out of the room and you forget. That’s the way I kind of treat Glee sometimes. Kevin: Yeah, when you do 22 episodes in 10 months, you were just on lunch breaks, or recording songs, and then doing dance rehearsals. Our capacity was already full. So we couldn’t hold on to anything. [Laughs] Kevin: A lot of times I wouldn’t necessarily be included in the regular choreography. And so I was like, “I gotta get my camera time!” [Laughs] And so people would do crazy things like off-camera for me. I was all about it. Jenna: I think when we talk about breaking on the show, I mean, after six years, you know, you’re bound to break. But I think for Kevin, and for all of us, he always had a deep sense of appreciation for the show and a lot of us talk about when we booked the pilot, where our bank accounts were, and where our lives were at the time. I was deep in credit card and student debt. You know? You’re on your last couple of dollars in your savings account, and that was a lot of us. So, I think there was a deep sense of appreciation going in for this and then along the way you obviously lose sight sometimes. But Kevin really held on for a long time. Kevin: Thank you! Jenna: And a lot of us did. But I think along the way it’s inevitable. Kevin: You get tired, you get run down, there are voices from the outside…everyone loses themselves for a second, you know? I think that’s what it really is, where you get caught up in it and then we have each other to be like, “Get it together!” Jenna: “Let’s go!” Kevin: “Get back in the game!” BuzzFeed: Yeah, that’s totally understandable. You were in such a bubble and working nonstop for six years. Jenna: We love to hang out and we loved each other, that was it. We would be like, “Well, whose house are we going to after this?” Or “What restaurant are we going to?” It was our house because there were two of us living there together. It was like majority rules. And our house was pretty close to set. It was a safe place for us. Do you know what I mean? There’s nobody there with cameras, there’s nobody there to witness something. It was just a really safe space for us to let loose and have fun and be together. We had a lot of space so people could sleep over and it was just like being in college again for us. Kevin: It also felt protected, like geographically. Like we were sort of central to where everybody lived. We were in Laurel Canyon, on a mountain but nestled in all the trees. It was really private and everyone could just really let loose. Jenna: Everybody’s just screaming out dirty words. [Laughs] Kevin: Yeah! But that stuff happened all the time. And so obviously, there’s nothing off limits, so we would really push each other. Jenna: That house was also haunted. So we definitely have some like, haunted house stories. BuzzFeed: Oh my god, really? Jenna: Oh yeah. Some people saw ghosts. For sure. Kevin: Yeah, and I didn’t believe in any of that stuff before, and there were so many instances of people interacting with the ghosts. Like, Naya fully saw it and described it. Jenna: Harry’s dog came down and was sniffing around the room where the ghost hung out. Kevin: Lea [Michele] ran out of the house, like, the ghost chased Lea out of the house. Jenna: She left. Kevin: She full-on left. There was another friend, months later, who did not know Naya and came in describing the exact same thing that Naya saw. We were like, “What is happening?!” Jenna: Yeah, very strange. BuzzFeed: Whoa, that’s wild. I also was just very starstruck by Gwyneth Paltrow. I was so awkward with her. Like, now we’re good friends. I was so weird with her that first episode, we’d be like sitting in between takes and I’d just be staring like it was the queen. It was very strange. Jenna: I think, for me, at the time it was these rising artists, aside from, Paul McCartney, who gave his whole catalog to Ryan. But these rising artists…like Lady Gaga, at the time, was on her climb. To have been able to perform her songs and watch her talk about the show was so massive. And Adele. Just to see these rising stars and watch their careers go, and then they’re also talking about Glee. Jenna: Artie’s a big, famous director. He’s had his big hit, his Titanic, if you will. Kevin: He’s probably freaked out because it’s not critically acclaimed enough. It’s too commercial. So, he goes down this weird indie rabbit hole. Jenna: I think Tina has become the CEO of some crazy company or some startup, like The Wing, that she runs in New York. Kevin: Any Beyoncé. I think when Lemonade came out, I was like, “Oh, this would have been really fun to do. This would’ve been great.” Jenna: I also think, going with Broadway again, Dear Evan Hansen, we definitely would have done. Kevin: Absolutely. I wonder who could’ve done that? Do you think I would’ve been Evan Hansen? Jenna: No. [Laughs] You would’ve wanted to, but you wouldn’t have gotten the song. Kevin: She doesn’t have the range! Jenna: That would also be the thing, we would be like “Oh, I can’t wait to do that song,” and then somebody else would do it and you’re like, “Yeah, they did it better. Fine.” BuzzFeed: One I always see on TikTok would be “drivers license” by Olivia Rodrigo but from Rachel’s perspective where she sings about Quinn and Finn. Kevin: Oh yes, absolutely. Jenna: For sure, 100%. Jenna: It’s like, they write for Tina and Artie, and then we hang out more, and then we’re on set more together. You create this workplace relationship as well that kind of transcends into your characters and then off-screen. Kevin: It’s like the chicken or the egg situation. Jenna: Yes! Kevin: It was very respectful on set, and to get to play like that. We got to do crazy things, but to get to play amongst our friends in that way, was just so much fun. Seeing people do their impressions of other people, because we hadn’t seen it. We didn’t know until the scene happened. We’d just be losing it. I remember there was one scene that happens in the auditorium. And I think it was Dianna [Agron] who was pretending to be Vanessa [Lengie’s character, Sugar Motta], and we were absolutely losing it. Jenna: We were dying. It was so good, so good. That is a really great episode. Kevin: My answer was always Kurt as well. But I feel like…maybe Blaine now. Jenna: Yeah! That’s good, Kevin. Kevin: Because I couldn’t cry that much. Jenna: [Laughs] That’s fair, too. Kevin: Vocally, my range is more similar to Darren, and I’m never gonna out-act Chris [Colfer].
