THE GLEE-QUEL

‘Glee’ Star Reveals How He Really Feels About Show’s Return

Chris Colfer shares his uncensored thoughts on the hit show’s revival with “Obsessed: The Podcast.”

Chris Colfer is excited to find out how the Glee reboot will expand on the “groundbreaking” original series.

“We did so much stuff that was that was revolutionary and groundbreaking at the time,” Colfer, who played Kurt Hummel on the hit musical comedy-drama, told Obsessed: The Podcast. “I’d be very curious to see how they keep that up.”

Glee aired on Fox from 2009 to 2015 and depicts a group of Ohio high school misfits whose drama revolves around their show choir club; while handling his students’ issues, the club’s director Will Schuester (Matthew Morrison) also navigates clashes with the cheer coach, Sue Sylvester (Jane Lynch), in an adult version of teenage status quo rivalries. The show won six Emmy Awards during its run and earned 40 nominations total.

Co-creator Ryan Murphy confirmed the reboot in October after months of teasing its comeback. Original cast members Lea Michele and Heather Morris are set to return as Rachel Berry and Brittany S. Pierce, respectively, and Chord Overstreet has hinted he may reprise his role as Sam Evans.

Colfer has yet to confirm whether he’ll return as the openly gay trailblazer Kurt, but he told Obsessed that he’s had a “nice conversation with someone, and I’m gonna have more conversations soon.”

“From what I heard, it sounded very funny and it sounded sounded like it sounded like a good idea,” he added. “So we’ll see.”

The actor and children’s book author hasn’t had much time to decide whether he’ll join. He’s been “traveling nonstop the last month” to promote his new queer comedy-horror movie, The Restoration at Grayson Manor. Colfer stars as Boyd Grayson, a pianist who loses both of his hands in an accident.

One of Colfer’s reservations is that the original cast has suffered several tragic losses since the first episode aired. Cory Monteith, who played the gentle jock Finn Hudson, died from an accidental overdose of heroin and alcohol in 2013, after production wrapped for Season 4 of Glee. He was 31.

In 2020, original cast member Naya Rivera drowned during a boating accident in California’s Lake Piru after saving her four-year-old son. The 33-year-old had played the brash, popular Santana Lopez, a closeted lesbian cheerleader.

Additionally, Mark Salling, who played the dude-bro football player Puck, died by suicide in 2018 at age 35 after pleading guilty to federal child pornography charges.

“It was really hard going back to the show after Cory passed, and I’m sure it’d be really difficult, especially now that Naya’s gone too,” Colfer said. “But I guess you have to think, are you going to let the loss of two people you love very much prevent you from being around a dozen other people you love as well? There’s a lot to think about with it.”

Though Colfer hasn’t confirmed his participation, he hasn’t stopped himself from imagining Kurt’s future in the reboot. The series finale shows a flash-forward in which Kurt is married to his high school sweetheart, Blaine (Darren Criss), starring on Broadway and awaiting the birth of his first child, which his former classmate Rachel is carrying.

Beyond what the finale revealed, Colfer said he wants to see Kurt “in a place of power.”

“I would love to see him like a Miranda Priestly-type, running his own fashion blog or a magazine,” he continued. “I could also see him on tour with Chappell Roan, styling her. There’s a lot of fun avenues they could explore.”

He’s also enthusiastic about exploring Kurt’s approach to fatherhood.

“I’m sure he and Blaine would have very different parenting techniques,” Colfer said. “I think Blaine would be a gentle parent, and Kurt would not. I think Kurt would punish his children with scathing looks.”

Colfer has one more hope for the reboot—and it involves rapper Cardi B.

“I’m secretly campaigning for Mr. Schue and Sue Sylvester to do ‘WAP,’” he said.

The Restoration of Grayson Manor is available now to rent or buy.

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Dana Herrnstadt Editorial Intern, Obsessed

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