Glee was a 2009 show that followed a high school Glee club at McKinley High School, Ohio, experiencing various trials and tribulations from teen pregnancy to sexuality and identity. Led by former Glee member Will Schuester (Matthew Morrison), the group faced ostracization from their peers, the bullying of the cheerleading coach Sue Sylvester (Jane Lynch), and numerous slushies to the face.
Like many a TV show, the series’ cast of alums has shrunk over the years – though with Glee, those numbers have shrunken surprisingly rapidly despite the relatively young age of its main cast. There’s a great deal of grief in re-watching the series, but also joy, as Glee alum Harry Shum Jr. noted on the Call It What It Is podcast (via Entertainment Weekly).
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Glee’s Underutilization Of Core Talent
Glee was a series created by Ryan Murphy (American Horror Story, 9-1-1, Doctor Odyssey) and was a series overspilling with talent. Sadly, a great deal of that talent was overlooked. It was a shame as there were many talented actors on that show who never got enough time in the spotlight, one of those being Harry Shum Jr.’s Mike Chang. Chang was a dancer whose father disapproved of his desire to take his dancing professional. It is only after seeing him perform in the school’s rendition of West Side Story that he turns from opposing force to avid supporter.
Chang’s backstory only got this development later into the third season, after having basically no speaking lines in Season 1 and few in Season 2. Shum Jr., however, does not seem to look back in malice at his relegation to the sidelines. The actor has done extremely well for himself since, with major roles in Shadowhunters and Grey’s Anatomy.
The Glee alum recently sat down on the Call It What It Is podcast to reflect on his first major break in his career and the grief and pride he feels looking back on his work and the castmates who passed away.
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The ‘Glee Curse’ That Struck Members Of The Former Hit Series
Glee lost one of its cast members early, with series lead Cory Monteith, who played quarterback Finn Hudson, passing away in 2013 due to an overdose of alcohol and heroin. Next to go was his on-screen best friend Mark Salling, Noah “Puck” Puckerman, who died by suicide in 2018 following an arrest for possession of child pornography. The latest to pass was Naya Rivera in 2020, who got caught in a rip-current with her son, as Rivera saved her son from drowning but failed to save herself.
Shum Jr. reflected on all these passings and looked back on that time period with sadness but also pride. He noted his mixed feelings surrounding Glee.
“I’m able to watch and celebrate,” he said. “I look at like Naya, Cory, and Mark, and look at the beautiful work that they put in, and the humor that they brought to so many… You can look at what could have been and, unfortunately, the past is the way it is, and you can’t really do much to change that outside of right now, and to celebrate how many lives that they affected, how many people that got some joy from their performances and songs that will live on forever.”
I’m able to watch and celebrate.
Glee certainly remains a popular enough series even today, with one of its earlier songs becoming a popular trending dance on TikTok. It has also maintained steady viewership on streaming.
Glee can be streamed now on Disney+ and Hulu.
Source: Call It What It Is
