And That's what you Really missed with Jenna.
And Kevin and iHeartRadio podcast.
Welcome to and That's what You Really missed podcast. Today is a unique and sad episode, if you will. This is season five, episode three. This is the Quarterback. Now. When Kevin and I started this podcast, we knew we were not going to recap this episode from the very beginning, and that was really driven by, I think Kevin correct me if I'm wrong, the immense grief that we had
to experience while shooting this episode on camera. So while we were grieving Corey behind the scenes, we were also then put in front of the camera on this episode to grieve as our characters and grief Finn and it was not a great experience for anybody.
And I think what also sort of made us feel not crazy for feeling that way was when we had Ryan on this show. Initially, he talked about that exact same thing and how if he could have gone back, he wouldn't have done that episode, And like we talked about together, there was sort of no it was a lose lose of how to do this correctly. So having the control of the situation now as we do, we decided to do a different format for this episode. Yes,
because we all love Corey. Fans love Corey and Finn and one of the best Experien says about doing this podcast so far has and if you've listened every week, every single person, almost every single person has a Corey story.
And mentioned him as the one who they felt the most connected to or felt the most seen by, the heard by, or whatever it was. Corey is always, if you listen, mentioned as like that guy.
Always and like the the way he would quietly go about making everybody feel comfortable and safe. Truly was you know, for lack of a better word, the quarterback of the show in that way. And it's been surprising and in some ways to hear some of these stories that you know that we've heard over the past two years, but also not surprising in the same sense because like, if anyone is going to be that way, of course, it
was him always looking out for everybody. So we thought for this episode, will go through it a little bit, but we're not going to break down the episode because we're not watching it.
That's the main pointing.
If you want, and I know it for some people that bring some sort of comfort and solace that is great. I'm glad that it is there for you. For us, we want to highlight some of these stories, and we have some new stories that people sent in. Talk about our memories. We'll talk a little bit at the top of this about the actual filming of the episode. But
that's how we're going to lay this out. And I hope you know you will ride with us on this and really have it be a celebration of Corey's legacy more than anything.
Yes, that is right. Well, let's get past all the info. This was directed by Brad Faulchuk. Uh couldn't have done it with anybody else. And there's some songs Seasons of Love performed by all of.
Us by You by Mercedes.
Fire and Rain by Arnie and Sam Young by Santana, No Surrender by Puck.
And make You Feel My Love by Rachel.
Tell me about the empisode.
Sorry, So the McKinley high family, present and past joined together and remember and celebrate the life of Finn Hudson.
Yeah, so this is interesting because we were we found out that that Finn was going to also pass in the show. That wasn't a decision that came lightly. I remember, you know, the writers really kind of mulling and agonizing over what to do, how to move the story forward, and where do we go from here? And we also were given the option to either do the episode or not do the episode. I never felt and Kevin never
felt like we didn't want to be there. There was just a certain group of people in this bubble who understood stood what we were going through, and we really didn't leave each other sides for a long time after this happened Corey's passing in July, and I would have felt like, I don't know, in hindsight, maybe you know, we wouldn't have done it, but there would have been something missing from the episode if somebody didn't do it right.
Yeah, And it also just felt like there wasn't a lot of time to consider, like the schedule of how this happened, as Corey passed away the early middle of July, Yeah, and normally we'd start shooting around that same time, probably within a couple of days of that. They pushed it back ten days to two weeks, and then we immediately started at the very beginning of August, which is still very recent and an episode takes eight to nine days to shoot, so we did two episodes and then went
straight into this episode. We had a break after this episode, but there is still not a lot of time when we get into this episode, so it was all very very fresh, and I think because we sort of just jumped back into doing the show, it didn't feel like and I don't think this is anybody's fault, but like for medn't it felt like a false choice of do we actually say no to this, or get to say no to this, or does it feel right to say no to this?
Right?
There was no way to, like for me at least, like check in with myself because this is like a very unprecedented situation.
And there was no time to really check in with yourself.
No, And we were at work, and it's like we were just saying yes and you just go and like if everyone's doing it, then let's all do it and be there together because surely if we're all together, yeah, that will be better.
Yeah.
But the experience of shooting some of this, especially when we got the song list of what songs were going to be in this episode, and it.
Is just b it was not great.
It was really really hard.
I remember, and and and that's the thing, like when we were shooting the episodes of The Beatles, there was like a solemness to back behind the scenes that we were still grieving and going through all this together, but we were shooting something joyful that gave I think our cast and crew moments of levity where we could sing happy songs and kind of find joy for those moments.
And even with like Katie Gaga right after this episode, it's like there were there were just brief seconds of like a deep breath where you are not thinking it just for just one second. And during the Quarterback episode, I mean, we were joking around Off's camera on camera.
You know us, we're crazy and you know we'd love to laugh and dance and joke, but like this episode is so was so different that there was like you could hear a pin drop in between takes, You could hear a pin drop when you showed up to set. It was so gravely different as it as you would assume, you know what I mean, like obviously, but it was not our show. We were not shooting our show during this time. That's what it didn't feel.
Like that, and I don't think any of us realized that's what was going to happen in the sense that as soon as the first take rolled around, I felt like, oh, this is Kevin on camera. It was the first time I had you know, we joke about how, oh they started writing for our characters, blah blah blah blah blah.
This is very very different. It felt very much like this is me sitting in the room where I spend so much time with Corey, and the camera's on my face and I feel very much like I am being exposed in a way, or like the camera is capturing. And although they set it up in a way where like it's Brad doing it, it's our family and this crew doing it. So it was the safest space possible,
but there was no way. I was just hyper aware, and I think we all became hyper aware of like, oh, millions of people are going to see this in a different way than shooting a Beatles episode or any other episode where it felt like an intrusion. Yes, totally into like a really private experience, and we were having to figure out how to deal with that anyways. You know, personally, this was the first time I had lost somebody close to me, and then he's a very famous public figure
at that time. Yes, and there was I don't know exactly when we went on the Teen Choice Awards. I know it sounds so silly.
But a couple of months it was it was like it after this, yeah, yeah, because Lee asked us to show up for her.
Yes, And we hadn't been doing any public appearances obviously, and so these things that would be public facing were very hard to navigate because it's hard enough losing somebody. Then it's additional things of having it be talked about everywhere you went. You go into a grocery store, convenience store, it's on the cover of all the magazines. And so this was like the first public facing thing we were
doing it, yes, and putting it out into the world. Yeah, And it was just very hard to conceptualize what that was going to be and feel like until physically in the chair the camera in your face.
Yes for me, that's right now, that's totally right. Total.
I mean, when we were shooting some of these numbers, I don't think there was a scene or specifically a musical number where somebody didn't run out of the room.
Crying after they called caught. Yes, somebody would run out crying and like need a second to like gather themselves, like not just tears, but like full you know, you get it.
Yeah, I mean I did. What broke me was Amber singing. And here's the other thing, Like I think all these songs mean different things to all of us. So for me it was all stand by you like broke me right, and for other people it was other songs right, And like I had to run. I walked out of the choir room and like sat out on the dock, and I think Brad came and talked to me. Yeah, And Brad is also just like he's the person you do want.
There, yes, sounding bored, the.
Gentle under completely understands like we're all there to do this job, which feels silly under the circumstances. And in that moment, I was just like I'm not giving I'm not giving you anything else. Yeah, because I'm going to like I'm not for me to get through this episode. I'm not going to be able to do this every take and it's not like I'm performing, it's just real and I can't allow myself. If you want me to
like get through this episode, I'll show up. But yeah, I don't think I can allow myself to emotionally invest like I have to sort of associate a little bit.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, we all started to do that. I think I also remember doing maybe one or two takes of each scene and song.
Yes, it was a.
Very short process. We shot this episode very quickly. It felt like a long time, but we everything was so honest that there was no other options, you know what I mean. You weren't giving people options. The director like brad option. It was just shoot it, get it over with, let's move on.
And there was sort of this craig if I'm wrong, but there was this consensus. It felt like if it felt like they wanted to go again, we were like, no, you.
Got yeah, yeah, we're good. Yeah.
It was totally Obviously the set as a whole was protective, but then with each other we were even more. It was an extra layer of protection. Totally no, no, no, she killed this. We need to move on.
Yes, exactly, you got it.
What you got is what you got, like I don't, Yeah, just use it. I also remember at some point I think I got a little like angry with the situation. I think so, and I remember the camera turning to me, yeah, and you being like because they knew I was having a hard time at one of the scenes and then the camera turned to me, and I looked into the camera and just go, no.
Yeah, yeah, uh yeah, you had done you had it, you had had it.
I know you're all doing your job, but I'm not doing this.
And blessed that that crew and our are like camerat A and B, like Dwayne and Andrew Mitchell who were also graving the loss of their friend. And you know, coworker crew was just as devastated as we were, as they felt the most hard and felt seen by Corey. But just to have to do that and understand that they have a job to do as well, right, Like, it was very hard because sometimes he would push in on you just weeping, just fully weeping. I remember, like
there's a camera. I mean, I like put my head and I was like, I have nowhere to hide right now, I have nowhere to hide, And remembering like, don't get angry at the people who are doing their jobs.
Correct.
I felt bad about that too, because everybody was just doing their best.
Oh yeah, I mean between takes, say would have tears in their eyes.
No, it's just it was really awful.
Yeah, and I think, you know, to like Ryan's point, about if he could do it all over again, he would do it differently. It is one of those things where you don't know until you start doing it. Because I understand we all talked about it, like what would an ideal episode in this situation look like to us? And nobody came up with a clear well answer that was any different and it was just like, Okay, yeah, here will see how this goes. And it wasn't not good.
I mean, like I really dreaded recording Fire and RAINA.
Was that really hard or did you just kind of like also dissociate?
I think what's crazy is I mean the lyrics of a lot of these songs are so fitting. Yeah, and I think I did have to like associate, like let me just technically figure out how to do this, and and it's like a beautiful song, like and everyone is really like doing a beautiful job on all of these songs for usual. Yeah, but yeah, it was less about I'm not going to like cry on the track, you know, like let me just totally let me just feel good about what I'm doing professionally, but like get.
Through it, get through it exactly.
Yeah. I don't remember a lot outside of like those things I just shared it was sort.
Of like a big battler. Yeah, this season feels like a big battler. You said stand By You was one of your favorite Quory numbers or that got really got you when Amber sang it. What songs remind you the most or come to mind when you think about Corey from that he's sang on the show has been?
I mean I think sort of the classics like Jesse's Girl I still have a hard time listening to. Like when I hear that song out in public, I'll stand by You is definitely like I can't listen to that song.
Oh wow, Okay, that's like a never never do don't play it?
Yeah no, no, what about you.
Losing My Religion? Yeah, that's the one. I can now listen to it or if I hear it on you know, the original like in a store, I can bear it. But Corey's version really gets me. Yeah, Cory's version is still hard to listen to. And and of course Jesse's Girl mostly the tour, yes exactly. Yeah, yeah, those are the cheer that really stick out to me.
Both of those songs, This is my Religion and Jesse's Girls, like he cared so much about what he was doing on those songs.
He loved it. When he like loved you could hear the love of the music and of his role on his job and like everything, he just felt like there was passion behind all of his stuff. And even on set, like there were times that Corey would have his moments which we all had where you're like, my character wouldn't do that, or does this doesn't fully make sense to me? Why would I be here? Why would I walk there?
Or whatever? It was like when Corey did it, it was always like very intentional and it was also very earned, and it's because he cared. He wasn't just trying to be difficult, which he didn't come across that way ever, But like you know, there's some actors out there that you've heard stories that just they want to be difficult and they why would I stand here? And can cry just stand here instead? And why would I say this line?
My character wouldn't do it?
Like Corey really knew Finn and he really cared so deeply, and so when when those moments came up, it was like people listened, you know what I mean, Like people listened, and he because he cared and the way he.
Would always approach things and I think you hear that in the stories that we've heard on this podcast. Everything was always from a place of respect in general and genuine care. So nothing would ever come out of his mouth that you'd be like, he's being advts Like no, totally ever, totally ever be something associated with it, also.
Carrying a show in his back like why wouldn't you make decisions and intentional ask questions and challenge people? And you know what I mean like that, I.
Think that's the beautiful leader. Like juxtaposition from Finn to Corey. Yeah, well Finn was sort of this puppy dog, I'm just sort of bumbling through life trying to do the right thing, where Corey could absolutely have those moments. Yeah, but as a person was so much more like focused and serious and intentional when it came to the work or caring about your friends or making sure everybody's taken care of. That was his focus all the time.
Yeah, And he like stayed out of the drama and he like laughed at it and just like he was such a good leader. He was such a good leader. Yeah, and without really having to like say anything about it, do you know what I mean.
Yeah, we all just sort of accepted that he was the leader, like yeah.
Yeah, okay, he was.
Yeah.
I think some of one of the best things that's come from this podcast, like you said earlier, was like every time we have a guest on, they have to mention Corey, And I think that was part of really why when we had decided we weren't going to recap the quarterback, it felt like a no brainer to honor him in some way because like everybody had something nice to say, or something new we didn't know, or a lot of that, like Samuel Larson saying that he took
him out to lunch and like welcomed him in just makes I could burst into tears at this very moment because like it's so generous and kind and speaks to Corey and his character, his integrity, not his character, fim of like who he was and like caring for everybody, and nobody had to know about it except for Samuel to feel like he had an ally on that set.
Yeah, And it's to think about the people, like the stories that we don't know yet or haven't heard the amount of times, because it's a pattern that wasn't a one off, like Max Rowler was talking about how welcoming Corey was, like went above and beyond for him on set, and like, when you're coming into this gigan, having somebody be the anchor that you can go to and having it be someone who was the star of the show like him, totally, it is really really valuable.
Totally. We revisited some of our old episodes and I think there were just some highlights that we jotted down because you know, there were just such notable, important people to the show that had such notable moments and memories about Corey that I thought we should mention, like Ryan saying that Corey felt like his own child, yeah, and how hard of a time he had when he was going through all of that, you know, his his stuff, and then when he passed away.
I also really enjoyed like when Robert Oric, the casting director, was talking about how Finn and Mercedes were so hard to cast, but seeing Corey's audition tape, even without him singing yeah, was so magical, Like there was something about him yeah yeah, and there was there was like all the parts that you love about watching Finn are very much there there from the very beginning. Yes, like that magic he had with that role was totally unbelievable.
And then you have like you know, when we had Mark malkoln On, Michael Assiello, you know, our publicist from Fox, Tracy Rafferty, all of them saying how kind he was at every interaction, which was a lot of interactions, and like taking the time on set when they would come to set and sit there for hours and be there for a special shooting day or a tribute episode, and him taking the time from which which is hard, like there are some people who just you know, cannot kind
of socialize while they're on set or are too tired or whatever. But always Corey always took hours and just talked to them and made them feel welcome, un said, and you know like became their friend. And then Tracy too, like she spent so much time with us and so much time with Corey, and she had such fond memories of like deal, you know, experiencing his joy and his person and then also having to deal with all the stuff that came from when when the fallout happened.
You know, I mean to that too. I think you know Caylin Gorman, who was the behind the scenes producer, she said something very similar to like when we were all tired and had long days, and she would be there trying to pull us away to do behind the scenes stuff, like she could always count on Corey to do what she needed to do, like his battery for being sociable or professional. Those of us that would run out be tapped out. He never tapped out. Yeah, they would always do it. He was always there.
And then also I would like, like I said about Samuel Larson being taken out to lunch but by Corey. I also didn't know that Angie Warner on tour they would have special coffee dates.
This was my favorite story.
And like get him coffee because he would spend all the time with the fans and see all the fans, you know, in the lobby of the hotel, or like at the theater or at the venue, and like he she would bring him coffee. And then it was a tradition that they kept going after the tour was over back in la which I love too. I thought that was so special. I had no idea they had that relationship, not that we needed to, but again, like everybody felt so connected to him.
He had more hours in the day than we did.
He made them like he made them.
Like what was he had that clock of like his his day was twenty six hours long.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, I don't know, yeah where those extra two hours come from and that energy comes from and to like care for others, you know.
And you always felt like it was that type of person too, that never made you feel like he was doing you a favor or wasting his time. No, you were always the only person in the room. You were the most important person in that moment if you're having that conversation or having that coffee, whatever it may be. Yeah, and would never make you feel bad about taking his time for anything.
Someone like The most like vivid memories of Corey that I have are like when we were waiting for him in the Pilot because he got stuck without a visa and he was cast and we knew we knew who Finn was, but we didn't get to meet him for like weeks before he came in like and we started shooting. Essentially,
he made it. And we had been rehearsing for like, you know, been together doing music and costumes and dance and all of these things with Zach and you know, the five of us, and we were just waiting for like our our like hero to come. Yeah, and we
were like so excited when he came. And we were on set doing something at the cabrio where we shot like the pilot before they built all of our sets, and there was like cake one of the first days, and we sat out in the courtyard at the picnic tables and we were like eating cake and we were all taking pictures of each other. I had like all these pictures of all of us like hanging out. He's in that blue striped sweater that he's in in the
beginning of the show. And then when we had rap parties were always a weird thing and they never you know, some years they were really good. In some years, like we were doing tour and there was a lot going on, and so they kind of like fell by the wayside, especially as we got later into the seasons. And one year was like they had a crew wrap party and
a cast rap party, but not one together. And Corey was like very upset about that, and so he decided to throw a rager rap party at his house for everybody to join together because we all wanted to be together. And he's he didn't really come down. He wasn't drinking at the time. Again like he he came up. He was up on the railing of his house looking down, and I remember like all of us looking at being like he's Gatsby.
He doesn't.
He like entertains and like revels in the joy of other people. And I remember going up and like talking to him for a while. We hung out on the banister with him, like on the you know, on the balcony, but he really didn't come down, but he was just so happy that everybody was there having fun. And then the photoshoot was the last time I ever saw him. Was this photo shoot for season five with all the Maybies and us and yes, and I mean we had no idea, like we had, we had no clue, but
he was. He was there, and I remember saying to him something about his watch, because he had a sub Mariner and relex that I loved like a lot, and he's had if he had for a long time. I don't know if it was a family thing or if he had had it himself. But I was thinking about
buying myself one. And we had joked about Rolexes obviously a lot because Glee, you know, we got Rolexes for as a gift on tour, and like some Brad had one that he wore all the time, and so they were just kind of like circulating around us, and I was like, I think I'm gonna buy one for myself. He was like, as you should, Jenna, as you should.
And we always my husband and I always say as you should, know, and I've always taken that with me because he'll always say like as you should, like Corey said, because it's like take the trip, do the thing, buy the watch, go, you know, like skip work, go do your thing. It was just something that like I took that I didn't even intentionally take. I just took it with me. Yeah, So that was like those are a couple of my favorite, like very vivid memories of Corey.
I remember that same photo shoot. We hadn't seen him since he went to rehab, right, and so I just remember like hugging him and being like I'm so proud of you and he's like, oh, thanks, b and like grabbed me and like squeezed me, and I was like, okay, here we are, like we're back to right normal. Obviously I didn't know what was going on, but like, right, you would never know. Yeah, there were times like he we were in New York and he took me out.
It was probably the only time like we hung out one on one's New York Yeah, and we went to like the Soho House and we just sat out there and it felt so funny because I also felt like he was like the big brother, like the jock, like the he's the cool guy, and I'm like, I'm like
the little weirdo, quirky day kid. And obviously that dynamic would there was never any separation between any of us like that, but it felt really funny for us to just be there by ourselves because I remember being like, what are we going to talk about on this one? I had known him for a couple of years, but it was like, I don't know what, We've never had a one on one And obviously it was great and we had like just such a nice time hanging out.
I think it was I think it was during tour, the second tour, and it was nice to just like have a moment and like catch up and like he was checking in. You know now, in hindsight, like talking to all these people, it's like that his way to sort of like check in, yeah, or vice versa be able to like check in with me about himself totally, which felt nice as well and special and like it's
nice for not taking these relationships for granted. Yeah, and yeah, I think when we were around each other that often and then you're on tour and you're shooting to be able to make special one on one time for people, clearly was something he was really good at and really enjoyed and meant a lot to all of us.
Yes, definitely. So we wanted to share a couple of our favorite stories told on this podcast because I think they're just like really special moments. So first is from Vanessa and GI's reflecting on one of her favorite Glee memories. So let's listen.
I have I have a really good memory of Corey and I and it was like we were in the in the holding room and there were set chairs everywhere and almost everyone was napping in a different in a different position. There were people lying on the floor. There are people who had chairs set up in a row of three and were sleeping on that, and it was everyone was sleeping and Corey was sitting. Corey was the only one awake, and I was sitting next to him, and like I said, you know, we had been friends
from before, but it was very trippy. He was looking at everyone with this kind of loving papa vibe. And I remember we had this talk about his experience that's that that you know to that point on Glee, and he was talking about each of you as you slept with so much love, and and it was it just was a cosmic conversation I don't know how else to describe it, where I really just saw his hold of
everyone and silently. You know, he wasn't he wasn't a man of many words, but that conversation really stands out to me.
Wow.
Yeah, the consistency. Also, if you haven't listened to that episode with Vanessa, she talks just beautifully about Corey at great length throughout that episode. So you should go back and listen to that because her memory is incredible, and yeah, exactly the way she so eloquently speaks about him is just it was really beautiful.
And then I also mentioned a couple of times about that Samuel Larson a story that like just took me out of my body.
It's beautiful.
So this is Samuel Larson, who joined the show in season three.
For every new guy that came in. Corey was just the best. Corey would just completely take you under his wing. I remember just always coming up to me. He's like, what's up, TV star, how you doing? Take me out to lunch, and just really it was really easy to feel welcome with him, specifically because I could tell he was paying extra attention to me to make sure I
felt welcomed and that was huge for me. And I saw him do it with others as well, Like I saw him do it when when Blake joined as well, and I was like, I know what he's doing, Like that's his thing, and I think that's great and it's and it brought up the best of me. Like I see certain scenes.
And I'm like, we filmed this like right.
After me and Corey just had lunch, and I think that's why I'm doing better because I was more comfortable having just hung out with him.
So the magic there too is to like, you don't know the changes you know subconsciously, Like he mentions here, like after having lunch with Corey and then doing a scene of all these little interactions right that he had with cast and crew over the years, how far that goes to make everybody's experience and therefore the product that you're producing better because people are genuinely happy to be there. You have this personal connection to everyone, and it wasn't fake.
It wasn't because he was trying to do something. He just genuinely cared and I think we all benefited from it on so many different.
Levels, yeah, creatively and personally. And we have some other really great voice notes that we had asked some people who I think we're very deeply touched by Corey and have spoken so in depth about him in the past, and also who have worked very closely with him. So we have Telei Kusakas who has been on the podcast, who's a dear, dear friend of ours who worked very closely with Corey. He was on set while Corey was still around with us as APA and was our first
team whisperer. And then we have Vanessa Lunji's again who graciously shared another her you know, voice note of some of her memories of Corey h And then we asked romy Rosemont because she played Carol fnn's mom of course on the show. Their scenes were so dynamic and so powerful and impactful. Every time they came on screen together. It's like you couldn't not cry, and I just felt like who better to kind of reflect on him in that way watching him work and then knowing him personally.
So here's Kelly, Vanessa and Roby.
There isn't really one memory that springs to mind, but more of like an amalgamation of memories and really just like a feeling of being with Corey, which was he was always so inviting, so accepting, so inclusive of everyone, no matter who they were, what they were doing, where they came from.
He had like an open door policy at his house. He was always.
Inviting us over for pool days and parties, and there was just a sense about him. I would always catch him in these moments just sort of looking out at everyone having fun, and he just had this sense of pride and comfort in having everyone around and especially I think hosting everyone. I think a lot about how he was with his fans, especially on the Glee tour. He always took the extra time to you know, go out the stage door, talk to fans, sign autographs, take pictures.
You know, I think we all probably collectively waited for him for hours. You know, he was usually the last person in the van, but you know, he never took any moment. For granted, he was so appreciative of where he was at and always acknowledging the people that, you know, the people that were his fans and the people that
watched the show. And we also were both from Vancouver, so we shared a sort of you know, hometown bond in that way, we shared some mutual friends, and so it kind of just Corey always felt like an old friend, even if you just met him. I think after all these years, that's always what sticks with me first and foremost, Love you, Corey, Miss you always.
I remember Corey being a larger than life forced to be around. I can remember his smile and his almost like beamed sunshine when I got to my first day on the set of Glee, and different days after that, just this warmth and brightness that radiated off of him, and I felt like he had big Papa energy watching over the cast and the crew. He was very observant
and very playful, but also grounded and mature. He just loved everyone so much and cared for everyone, and I just felt him watching over everyone in a very protective and loving way. Yeah. It was a real special special being for sure. Miss him all the time.
The first time I met Corey was on the I think second episode of the show. We'd never met on the pilot, and the scene was teaching him to drive and he hits the mailman and I go berserk.
But we never met.
He didn't know my style, he didn't know how nutty cuckoo I can be. And when Ryan was kind of explaining what we were gonna do, he just kind of looked at me and went go for it.
And I said how big. He goes go for it.
And so we're kind of doing this the very beginning of the scene, just you know, idle chit chat, and then he hits the mailman, goes over the car and I went ape shit. I go like crazy, oh my god, oh my god, you killed him. The oh my god, You're gonna go to jail, you know, all the things that I said, and the look on his face. He jumped so high and he was like Jesus.
This lady is nuts.
And when Ryan yelled cut, I just looked him. I was like, ye okay, he goes yeah, and then we burst out into laughter.
We just burst out laughing.
And it was what an incredible introduction to playing mother and son and having this this beginning be like really really just guttural laughter.
Oh, just adored him.
I was so lucky because I got to do so many emotional scenes with Corey and Corey as my scene partner.
And.
It was such.
I felt such a beautiful bond with him that all I had to do to be in that situation was to look in that boy's beautiful brown eyes filled with compassion and love and kindness, and it was like we were absolutely mother and son, and I got everything I wanted just by in his eyes. And what's extraordinary is he always thought that emotional stuff wasn't his forte.
He didn't like it. He's like, I can't cry, I can't do this.
I said, yes you can, Yes you can. And I think some of his best stuff is kind of the quieter emotional stuff. He was a beautiful human, he really was. I feel so lucky that the majority of my scenes on Glee were just with Corey. It wasn't until later that I actually got to be with all of you guys, which was also amazing because I adored.
The entire cast.
But one of my favorite stories was during the wedding of Burton Carroll and we were out at that church I think it was a church, and Corey was so away of either paparazzi or fans, and that he did not want anyone to see me, or he didn't want it to be revealed who was getting married. So anywhere I walked, whether it was to lunch or to set or wherever, he would take his coat off and either just like wrap me in it his jacket or he would open it real wide and I would crouch down.
I didn't have to crouch down that much because he was six or three and kind of walk alongside him. He's like, I don't want anybody to know. I don't want anybody to know. It's going to be such a good episode. And that excitement was always infectious. And when we were standing up at the altar to be married, and I turned and I looked at him, I was kind of overcome with how fortunate I was to play his mom. That even though he was older than I think all of you guys, he.
Was the hell of about younger than I am.
And the sweetness and the simplicity and the kindness in his eyes with something I will never forget.
You're just so sweet.
God, I adore that boy.
Well, thank you so much again to Romey Vanessa and tell you for sharing some of your favorite Corey stories with us. It's really we're so grateful.
And thank you all for sticking with us through an unusual recap episode. We just wanted to make sure that we got the chance to honor Corey when we first started talking about this episode, we also wanted to give you guys, the fans, a platform to share your own memories about Corey because we know how much he meant to you as well.
So yeah, we've received literally in outpouring of messages like all over the world, so thank you so much for taking the time to submit those. So we're actually just going to make that a separate bonus episode, so check back for that soon.
And just you know, in honor of Corey, I think a message that we've clearly seen through all these people's stories is that a little time where someone can go a long way and mean a lot for them for the rest of their lives. So let that be a lesson to all of us to make room and space for everyone.
Yes, I love you, Corey, Love you Corey.
Thanks for listening and follow us on Instagram at and that's what you really miss pod, make sure to write us a review and leave us five stars. See you next time.