'Glee' debuted a decade ago today
Here's what you missed on GLEE.
It's been ten years since 'Glee' first hit screens and four years since it ended. The show about the New Directions, William McKinley High School's diverse glee club, touched many while it aired.
The show's first three seasons were definitely its stronger ones, the new generation never quite having the charm of the original, and it's been great to see its cast members build on their careers since.
We decided to look at what they've been up to since the show ended in 2015.
Lea Michele (Rachel Berry)
The star that always shone most determinedly on 'Glee' was Rachel Berry, and so the same goes for Lea Michele. A Broadway star before the show, she released her two studio albums in 2014 ('Louder') and 2017 ('Places'). She has also kept her acting career busy, playing Hester Ulrich in 'Scream Queens' and Valentina Barella in the short-lived 'The Mayor'. She recently wrapped a co-headlining tour with 'Glee' co-star Darren Criss. The LM/DC Tour toured the US and Canada from last May through October and included a stopover in Dublin's Vicar Street. This month it was announced Lea will do a digital series produced for the Ellen DeGeneres’ digital network, or EDN called 'Well, Well, Well With Lea Michele' in which she gives health and wellness tips.
Matthew Morrison (Will Schuester)
Matthew Morrison's greatest success has been on the stage since 'Glee' wrapped. He received a Tony nod for playing Fabrizio Nacarelli in the musical 'The Light in the Piazza' and from 2015-2016, he played the lead role of J.M. Barrie in the Broadway production of 'Finding Neverland.' 'Grey's Anatomy' fans recently spotted him playing bad guy Paul Stadler. He also had a recurring role on 'The Good Wife'. He stars in a Chinese film called 'Crazy Alien' which is now filming. Early in the year, Morrison was a dance captain on BBC One's 'The Greatest Dancer' alongside Cheryl and Oti Mabuse.
Jane Lynch (Sue Sylvester)
Sue Sylvester, the cheerleading coach whose biting one liners could only be matched by Santana's, remains Jane Lynch's best role. Still, she has done loads since. Since 2015, she starred in various TV shows including 'Criminal Minds', 'The Good Wife' and 'The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel'. She has lent her voice to various animated series including 'The Stinky & Dirty Show', 'Goldie and Bear', 'Dallas & Robo' and even 'The Simpsons'. She also voices Sergeant Calhoun in 'Wreck-It Ralph' and its recent sequel, 'Ralph Breaks the Internet'.
Chris Colfer (Kurt Hummel)
Since 'Glee' ended, Chris Colfer played a small role in 'Absolutely Fabulous: The Movie' and had a big screen debut, 'Struck by Lightning', but it flopped. It hasn't been all bad though as he has accomplished much as a children's author. His 'The Land of Stories' series consists of six books (published 2011-17) and in June 2017, he announced he'll make his directorial debut with an adaptation of the first book, 'The Wishing Spell'. Colfer is writing the script and will exec produce it. 2017 was a busy year for him as he also released his second book for young adult readers, 'Stranger Than Fanfiction'. Additionally, he announced that he's developing a TV show called 'Indigo' about children with supernatural abilities who are misdiagnosed with mental or physical illnesses.
Darren Criss (Blaine Anderson)
Darren Criss' music career has been great since 'Glee', having charting singles both as a solo artist and as part of indie pop band 'Computer Games' with his brother Chuck. On stage, he played Hedwig in 'Hedwig and the Angry Inch' in productions in New York, LA and San Francisco between 2015 and 2016. In 2017, he reunited with 'Glee' creator Ryan Murphy to portray serial killer Andrew Cunanan in 'American Crime Story: The Assassination of Gianni Versace.' Criss won an Emmy and SAG award for his highly acclaimed performance. He is currently shooting war drama 'Midway' with Woody Harrelson and Luke Evans.
Amber Riley (Mercedes Jones)
'Glee' fans will definitely remember how Mercedes rocked 'And I'm Telling You I'm Not Going' in the first season of the series. In November 2016, fiction got closer to reality as Amber Riley made her West End debut of 'Dreamgirls' as the lead, Effie. She won a Laurence Olivier Award for her performance. Riley also released an album with Beverley Knight and Cassidy Janson, collectively forming the 'Leading Ladies'. She was a guest judge on the reality TV singing competition series 'Let It Shine' last year. Riley currently stars in the film 'Nobody's Fool' opposite Tiffany Haddish and Whoopi Goldberg.
Chord Overstreet (Sam Evans)
Chord Overstreet has focused on his music career since 'Glee', signing a contract with Safehouse Records, a label founded by Demi Lovato, Nick Jonas and Phil McIntyre, in December 2015. He opened for Lovato and Jonas on several tour dates and released a couple of singles. He unveiled his first EP in 2017 and performed on NBC's Today show as well as The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. Last year, if rumours are to be believed, he dated Emma Watson.
Naya Rivera (Santana Lopez)
Columbia Records dropped Naya Rivera in 2014 after her debut single underperformed. Her career in film also stuttered after her debut feature, 'At the Devil's Door', got mixed reviews. She has had recurring roles on TV series 'Devious Maids' and Youtube Red series 'Step Up: High Water'. Her memoir 'Sorry Not Sorry: Dreams, Mistakes and Growing Up' dissed on her 'Glee' co-stars and revealed much about her personal life, earning her many admirers.
Harry Shum Jr (Mike Chang)
Since 'Glee', Harry Shum Jr has become best-known for playing Magnus Bane on the series 'Shadowhunters'. This year, he won the People's Choice Award for Male TV Star of 2018 for his performance. He also starred in 2016's 'Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon: Sword of Destiny' and YouTube Red series "Single By 30". You might have also spotted him in last year's hit rom-com 'Crazy Rich Asians'.
Sadly, Cory Monteith (best-known for playing Finn Hudson) died in 2013, while another cast member Mark Salling (who played 'Puck') also died since the show wrapped.