And that's what you really missed with Jenna and Kevin an iHeartRadio podcast.
Welcome to and That's what you really miss podcasts. This is a very special audition at Blue Wires Studios at WIN Las Vegas, with a very special guest, Vanessa Lenjie.
Hello, Oh my gosh. Wow. First of all, selfishly, let's just go not even I love the win. And so when this thing happened, people are like, you can talk about the wind, make it sound organic. No, this is actually nobody loves the win more than Kevin. I love Las Vegas. And then I'm like the biggest walking billboard for Win Las Vegas. I'm always trying to find an excuse to come here, and I swear this isn't like spawn con. This is me truth. I showed up days
earlier than Vanessa and Jenna just to be here. Yes you did, And as Vanessa Lenji's would say, we're winning, Yeah we are. You are winning with why? Winning with why?
In Las Vegas specifically, I forgot how much I loved Las Vegas. And Jen and I flew here and was looking over there's that that that sphere and this beautiful win. I love Vegas. Get me an alcoholic can of whipped cream and stay at the wind.
And we'll be winning. She walked into the casino, She's like, just the smell of liquor.
And.
That's my This is our Las Vegas residency. See was what when a Dallas a residency? Selene? They all have residencies. This is ours. And when you think of interview with Vanessla and Jason, you think in line after Adele and Selene, you think of us. That's the natural progression.
Obviously, if you have no taste, Kevin, I did start listening to the Selene Dion Christmas album as you had requested, my Canadian queen.
Yeah, and was I wrong? No, you weren't wrong. You can see that year round. No, you actually can. Yeah.
The last time I was in Vegas was to see Celine. Was it not the most spiritual experience ever?
Yeah? I cried. I cried and my friend told me to be less loud. What? Yeah, I was screaming a lot. What do you mean, be less loud? We don't talk anymore? Okay, cut them out? Uh No, it is amazing. I was. I was just I just felt found myself screaming.
Same experience when I saw dolphins in the wild for the first time, where I just started screaming at them.
The same experience with Celene. I do feel like it is watching Celine because I saw Selene a couple of times. Watching her was like seeing a pot of dolphins. Thank you, because there was something so miraculous about it, and like you could hear her like smack her own chest. She pointed at me and said, do you believe in love? I don't believe. I said, yes, obviously, I don't believe anything. She told me to jump off the cliff. I would
happily swan dive off that. Kevin saw Celine with me for the very first time.
My first time, my first time seeing Selene was with Kevin McHale and the lead up too was actually just as good as the concert because I was like shaking, you were actually shaking.
I have a picture of her like outside the theater and she couldn't She was smiling, but she looked so nervous. She's just like, I don't know what to do.
The same night I saw Selene, Darren Chris was at in Vegas as well, and you had to choose between the two.
No, he was like, come come meet me, out. Sorry, Darren.
I was like, I'm in bed. He was like, come, you can come in your pajamas. So I literally went to meet Darren Chris out in Vegas in my pajamas and it was it was he had a VIP private Steve Aoki.
Yeah, I don't know what that's called. Rave, Yeah, Raves, did you show up to a club in your pajamas? In my pajamas? I feel like that for you though. Yeah, it's true, because if anybody can pull that off, you can. I was just going to say, that is very Vanessa Lenngi's to show. I wasn't sure what what you were going to show up in today. I wasn't sure, and that's a good thing. She brought outfits and one of them has a window.
Yeah it's a brick house dress and I'll change into it for another episode. Has a little peep window for the atas.
Speaking of ceiling again, I swear I went to the new show here last night, the Wind Las Vegas Awakening. I had two friends with me, and when I tell you, we were gasping. Were you I have never seen anything like gasping. We were like there was a part of it where they created water with light and then had gigantic jellyfish dropping from the.
Ceiling real jellyfish. No, they were not real jellyfish. So I don't know because it looked so good.
Wow, I didn't know. I had no idea what I was myself, Oh you should It was we'll come back next time for our It was very surreal because if you blink then like the entire set change, like things are coming down from the ceiling, things are coming up from the floor. There were these like creatures with masks that were like eight feet tall that would look at you and it was terrifying, but also like don't look away. It was I couldn't get over it. It's like what is this? Also,
how does somebody think of that? And also it ruined any other like theater experience for me because now I know it's possible, right, And then I was like, I would like to see more Beyonce do this. Oh wow, what does Beyonce in the round look like? Dr that?
Yeah, okay, let's talk about Vanessa Enjis.
We're going to be here all day and I'm prepared for it. I know this is a lot. This is a hard episode to keep compact, but we're not going to It feels like we've been friends forever.
It didn't feel like you join the show at season three. It feels like you've been there from the start because you locked in so quickly with all of us, truly just coming in very quickly doing your iconic rendition of hey, big spender. To have to do that in front of a very established show at the time, with friends, your peers, your age, and to commit so deeply was actually the
most impressive thing I think I've ever seen. Telly tell us about your your initials, well, well that get to that too, but also tell us about like how you got Glee and all of that.
Yes, this is great, This is great. First I want to say, Kevin, you look so sexy to me. I'm going to try to keep it together. You should have put us a little further apart to go how did I How did I come to be young?
Glee?
So it was twenty ten I think I think that feel ten or eleven contract and I got this audition. It said it's just an episodic one episode. This character sugar Mata, and she does she's a terrible tone deaf singer.
Sorry to interrupt, Yes it was was it just a guest start.
Was that's correct, that's correct, that's the power.
And I remember Eric's I always say his name, Yes, that's right, Stilts. Eric Stultz was in the audition room with me in the casting room and gift.
It was a gift. I was like, Oh, this is so great.
They really treat actors with respect, the directors here.
I love that.
And and there was something that happened in the audition where you gave me permission to be as awful as possible.
And I just thought, Wow, what a what.
An opportunity, because you know, when you go to audition, you want to you want to impress. You know, it's like counterintuitive to try to be as awful as possible instead of the usual experience of trying to be as impressive as possible.
And I could feel it, like I just could.
Feel this, this sense of oh, I'm going to be I'm going to be with these people like this. Yeah, and it's working, but also kind of like what Jenna's saying, it's weird that I came in season three because our relationship feels like it started before that and will outlast this, of course. And I could feel that already in the audition room is what I mean.
Wow? Yeah, And then and then I were we nice to you when you came in.
So so so I came in to do a practice for Big Spender with Brad on piano, and and you guys were filming.
Yes, we were on the auditorium stage right, I remember that.
And I walked into the audio auditorium and to meet everyone, and I met Kelly for the first time. Telly is now my best friend. I still will never forget meeting mister Aristotle. And then and then and everyone was on stage and you guys were either recording or practicing. We got the beat with the purple pianos, and I walked down and I watched and I felt just this awe. I felt this awe of the energy. And then and then you cut. And then I think it might have
even been telling you. It's like, everyone, come meet Vanessa. She's gonna play sugar Mata. And I remember I was like, who, who the fuck is this? And might have used the F word, but that was the energy, was who the f is this? And then and Kevin, you were very excited, because Kevin would be very exciting, He was very nice.
I was an actual Vanessa Lnji's fan because I don't know if you've anyone seen American Dreams, because that was the best show and I was obsessed with it. I did not miss an episode and Vanessa was on it.
I played Roxane but Jorski, the trouble making best friends absolutely hussy.
And was so good and believable as the Hussy. Thank you. I pulled from the deep for that. She just showed up as herself. She's like and I didn't know, like we don't know usually who's getting these roles, and then when Kelly brought her in, I was like, I know absolutely who this girl is. I have seen her. I
grew up watching her. And also one of my first like young Hollywood quote unquote events in La was at I might have been like the Sportsman's Lodge, like years before Glee, like I was on a boy band and it was like a gifting suite, I think for something, and I had never been to one of those before. And there was like a little step in repeat and I looked over and Vanessa Lenji's was there, and I was so star struck I had like I left, I
walked past. I couldn't even look at her or going to talk to her because I was like, this is I'm seeing a celebrity and I have to leave. And then she shows up on the show that I'm on. Are you kidding me? I didn't know that, and I knew how good she was. So that's why when there was some coldness from other members of the cast, I was like, oh, you just wait, because this is an actual actor. She belongs here. Well the rest of us
can go yes, like she's legitimate. The rest of us are faking it, wow, because I was like, she's been doing this longer on TV than all of us have combined. Right, wow.
First, did they give away Hello Kitty toasters at that gifting suite?
I have no idea.
I had never been to a gifting suite either, and I remember being like, how much is this toaster? And they're like, you just can take it? And I was like, I can take this toaster. It puts Hello Kitty's face on toast. You're just going to give this to me? They're like, yeah, that's that's the point.
I remember, thousand dollars. This is great. Wow, Kevin, I love you and that's very sweet.
I feel I feel just uh honored. And then and then yeah, people were so so So I walked into that rehearsal or or film and they were weird. I were really weird from coming. I'm a sensitive cancer, uh, and I could tell that something was up and and and you know, I had respect for it too. I was like, you know, everyone has been working together for the last you know, two years.
They haven't had any time off.
They've gone from filming a season going on tour, filming a season going on tour. This is a tight knit group. And I think maybe I've had enough experience to know, you know, that there is a whole ecosystem here that I do not yet know about. So I think in my mind, I was just feeling like I can just be as open as possible and be as you know, kind of malleable as possible, and just remember, you know, to show up with love and all the crevices where
love is needed. And I had known Corey's previously, so Corey and I were friends, so that was also. I was like, Corey was like Vanessa and that moment, so you and Corey made me feel very very welcome.
And then and then you know, and women, it's different.
I think I think everyone was going through something and uh, and also you were probably fairly being like can.
You can you roll with this? Because this is intense.
What we're doing is intense, So you know, what do you what are you going to bring? Are you going to be a foe? Are you going to be a friend? Are you going to be competition? You know, I could, And I feel like that's a very you know, when you're meeting new women, that's kind of through it.
That's unfortunate in Hollywood that it feels like that, but it often feels like that. And in hindsight, like I wish we had made more space, but we were also personally all going through as you said, that's so much.
I was ready for it. I mean I was. I was there just Vanessa and you like roll.
With it, and we always watched and when we talk about the in the podcast when you came on the last season, we talk about you because even with like you know, Heart is like.
Your first real big episode other than Big Spender. There's a lot of characters, there's a lot of story for not a lot of people, and you always made such a mountain over a mole hill, like in the best way possible, and like just committed to the one line you had in the episode and made it something. That's why they always cut to you. That's why, like you always made us laugh because it was so genuine and uh.
And then you know, in hindsight, like so appreciated that it wasn't somebody who came in that was like, this is my house now, bitch, Like you came in very respectful.
You had enough experience. You've been on a lot of shows before, You've done a lot of stuff. And then I remember though, when you started. I think when Corey like set the tone for us. You're like, He's like, she's cool. You have somebody you trust, it's like a mutual friend. You startarted telling us about your audition for make.
Stick It the Legendary and Vanessa, I think so much because that tale right now. Okay, so in my Sticket audition, I commit to.
Things and I had just I had basically before the audition gone to a local gym gymnastics studio and just copied them. I just studied them and copied them. I tried to get as strong as possible in two weeks, which doesn't happen. But then I didn't get I bought this gymnastics up top and bottom set like they have one before they disrobe, you know, the and it goes a zipper goes jumpsuit.
Yeah, but I'm.
Five to two and the jumpsuit was made for a taller person, and I didn't have time to get it hemmed, or even didn't think of getting it hemmed.
Anyways, I go to do this.
There's like an agility test to this audition, which doesn't really happen often, So.
My agility test.
They have cameras filming it, and I'm standing there poised, like I watched the gymnasts do in the in the in the gymnasium, and I, you know, I look to the right, I look to the left, and all I have to do is run across the matt, the performance matt.
What do they call that? A floor? A floor? That's right.
See, I know so much about gymnastics, and so I just I just was focused, and I saw my endpoint and I gave it my all, and halfway through the floor, tripped over my long pants and face planted it like like like face planted like rugburn on cheek and I was just lying there. It almost blacked out because like I opened my eyes and I'm just laying on the floor and I feel like the whole room is just holding their breath. And I just had this split second
like fucking pop sorries for you. Yeah, no, children, do it, pop up and do the final stick at landing and at your audience. And I just did it and people burst out laughing. And then when I and then they gave me the job, which great. And then I remember Jessica bending Or, the director. We were there and filming the scene. She's like, I'm bored of the scene, Vanessa. Can you do the thing you did in your audition where you fall over and then like pop back up
and make it seem real? And so in the movie there's a scene where like do this little jig and just face plant and then just like pop up and go. And that was that was totally pulled from that audition. And then I used humor. You know you guys, you you were we you know, the start of us meeting was rocky, but you welcome. You welcomed me in really fast. And Kevin was like, I'll give you all the tea. I'll let you know that's going on. Oh yeah, you were my you were my little canary in the coal
miners because my vibe I could feel everything. Yeah, but I wasn't but the but what I was seeing was confused.
I also knew that I knew how difficult it must be for a new person coming in because we had been through that a couple of times. But I also knew, like your resume, and I knew you weren't not you were not new, but you may be new to us, like you're more qualified than the rest of us to be here. So I felt like I could trust you, be like you're going to get these things because you've been on You've been a regular on a show. That's right.
Yes, And then and then Jenna and I didn't get close until later.
I can't even remember, but I do. Memory is too good.
No, actually I have well, I remember emotional things. So I remember when we fell in love because.
It was later.
And I feel like Melissa Buele are wonderful makeup artists who did both Vanessa and I kind of brought us together as well, because we were both separately very close with her and you're like this girl con vibe with like anybody. And then like the three of us started hanging out, and I just I trusted Buele, you know, and when I saw her getting close with you, I was like, oh, there must be something to this girl. And to be fair, like I had already been on,
I was unhinged at that point. My torso was aside my from my legs, like I just was not not on my body, so.
And can I just come to your defense? Just here, and they stand up for my friend Jenna. What I was hearing from my Seam and Kevin McHale at the time was that people were fucking mean to you and talking about you behind your back, putting you down. You were having a sing and no one was showing up with like is she okay? Does she need anything? Instead they were like can you believe what she's up to
and how she can't keep her stuff together? And I think my response was when she gets back, I'm gonna love her like she like, I'm just gonna be the thing that I would want somebody to be for me
at that point. And so I remember kind of waiting for you to come back and just being like I can't wait to love this woman, and were so kind to me, and you responded right like you like you were nothing like people were you know, painting, painting and very nice, and then you know we had just I just remember so much love, falling in love, fall in love, oh someone, mousies.
So many mousies. There's also the fact that like when and we'll get there. But when the new cast came in, there was there was this like new life that breathed into this and I was revived at that point. I think I had.
Rid of some of the energy that was like, well, if I can't act like those people and get what they're getting, then I need to like find myself again.
And then it was like a.
Gift, like all these new people came in and we're kind of looking to us for leadership, and I was like, oh, bitch, I can do this and like set a new tone, and so like we felt like even you were a part of that.
We got to set a new.
Tone with our new cast members and we had like a ball Yeah I think season three, Yeah it did, right, I.
Remember saying yes, And because I think it was very indicative of Vanessa's portrayal of when she first came on to set to meet us, because there were sort of like factions being created and like divides happening for the first time really and.
Some wild behavior. Yeah, and I think who can show up latest to to set?
What did you.
Experience that on your other shows?
Not to like, I think Grady would be fine if I.
Talk to her about this.
But yeah, when I did when I did American Grady, when I did American Dreams and we had family dinner scenes there, there were for sure games being played the older casts of like I'll get there, like I'll wait until somebody wait in there, and I want to be the last person to set. But when I joined the Glee cast, I for sure saw some pretty crazy behaviors happening.
And it's hard when you're in it. It's hard to identify that those behaviors are crazy and not normal because it's what you're used to, so you have nothing to compare it to, because like, this is what we see every day, and you make it work around that or in spite of it, despite of it, because you're like, well, this is how we just have to balance these personalities.
With my experience, I could tell you that the Glee schedule was not normal and what you guys were asked to do was beyond anything I've seen before, and I like,
I loved the challenge of it. So I really I felt like it was amazing, Like my creative being loved having to go to dance rehearsal in the studio, then the you know, rehearsal, then act and dance and sing and like have these fifteen to seventeen hour days all the way into Saturday mornings, and the pressure of also then having your show be so famous and that whole demand.
I loved that, but it was in no way normal. Yeah. I think that's also why that led to in the popular that combined with the popularity of it m HM, led to certain behaviors happened, helping mechanisms, and then they were just like allowed to happen. Yeah, well that's what that's what was. That was what was weird.
And I think that's why I just respected Jenna so much. I was like, why is she getting punished? Yeah, when what I'm seeing over here is getting rewarded.
Feels good. Where somebody else say that, it's nice to hear. Thank you.
Yeah, you started the infamous and this podcast is now dedicated to the trouble Tones. I had a dream about the trouble Tones last night, and I had a dream the trouble Tones were real and I was joining the trouble Tones and my dance teacher from high school was the head of the trouble Tones. Nya was there, actually she came. Yeah, she was there. It was She was very vivid there. But I was in the silver dresses.
Remember that one. Oh, I will survive, survivor, I will survive. Yeah, what a number. So I was in the trouble Tones last night.
I love that I would resurrect the trouble Tones and tour.
Yeah.
Why didn't Trouble Tones make an appearance? I really happen enough to tour. Yeah, if we had another tour it was. I would have loved to tour. I know everyone was ready for never never seen even the more more unhinged behavior from everybody. You like, every day was weird. It was there was no oversight. We could do whateveryone wanted as good as you would have loved it, pregnant absolutely,
even you, Kevin, we would have tried. Let's talk about Sugar's wardrobe for TEC because you are infamous for pattern color risk taking, Yes, says Vanessa is known for that, and so I trying to know whose idea? Who you know? How Sugar's whole being came.
To be and how it evolved for you, uh pause for effect. I think that Sugar as a as a character, as a person, and you know, as a backstory is ninety percent wardrobe.
Think this what what came to be.
And this is fun about characters that we play as actors, is you have an idea of who they are and what they're about, and then as you be them, you know, you're you're schooled in what this character actually wants to be. And I love that about acting. And so with Sugar, it was she became just her clothes like that. That
was ninety percent of this of who she was. And I can and I can't I get it because she you know, she was a spoiled, rich kid who was told nothing but good things about her all the time, so she could have that delusion that she actually knew how to sing. And I imagine that she just watched you know, pop culture movies, television or or older you
know whatever. She was just a consumption or as far as you know, television and film and music, and so every so when she saw clothes and she would just think of those things that she had seen in a movie or a TV show or an artist and then became that, you know, and it was like the opposite of cocoax Chanel, Like instead of taking something off before, one item off before you leave the house, Sugars put on five more because it's not done until you have
you know, until it's not. And then because I didn't have a lot of lines and a lot of storyline, I just as an artist was having so much fun with the clothes so that I could feel this sense of fulfillment just by what I wore.
Yeah, and I mean in the Heart.
Episode, I was, I watched it last night and when I jump on your chair and you wheeled me out, I'm just like the socks and the neck like this, just the shoes, just like everything was delightful, like it was. It brought me pleasure, Each item of clothing brought me pleasure. And then I would I would kind of be like
what did she who? Just this is Sugar dressing as Britney Spears in you know, right, you know this music video or this is Sugar being Julie Andrews in the sound of music and this, you know, just would be like Sugar being who Who's Sugar being?
Right now that was one of my favorite things about getting to work with you was the moment you came into that choir room and there was still like some weird and deserved tension. I knew how like serious. I could tell after the first few takes, Like how serious you were as an actor, Like how much thought you had already put into this character that is only going
to be here on paper for one episode. And you have like been a regular on other TV shows, like you've been in movies, like you've done things, and to come in and like be a guest star can be like a hard thing. And how much thought and care went into that one character for that one episode. I was like, Oh, the rest of us, to a certain extent may not be thinking as deeply about our characters,
or by that point you're an autopilot. I think it happens to a lot of TV shows where you become caricatures of the original character.
Yeah, and you guys, also, coming to the defense of my friends, you were also your personal lives were mind for your characters totally, and I don't think you had a chance to opt in or say like I'm okay with.
This, and for me, you're totally right. I wouldn't. Well, first of all, this is just where I was as a human.
I would never let anybody in to be able to mine my inner world for you know, extort my a world.
At the time.
Now I'm like, my whole game is trying to be more vulnerable and more honest. But at the time, I was like, no, I play a character.
That's how I live, right. But but y'all, I felt like I didn't have that separation of self and character. So I just I want to just you're right to come to my friend. And I also think that was the starting point of this weird thing that was also happening, not to like I don't want to like be gossipy and like talk shit. I thought that's what weird. I thought, that's what this podcast. But but there was like this, you have missed the memo. No, no, you're right, Okay, yeah,
season three, this is what happened. Hey, season three, I'm just a season three bitch, because like we were asked to do like crazy, weird, big things like hey, big Spender was like a big you have to come in there and like let loose basically, And there were lots of times during the season and beyond where we had
to do really big, wacky things. Yes, and if the other person is judging you and you can tell they're judging you, it is the worst thing because the only way you can make that work is like we're in this together totally absolutely, And Vanessa coming in and doing Big Spender, I was like, I don't trust. I remember having this thought that everybody in this room is going to be on board or get what she is doing because they're uncomfortable or like they don't care, or like
I don't know what they're thinking. And it was like Vanessa's an actual actor, a serious actor, and is coming in here to do a job that she's paid to do and cares about. And it was a real wide awakening, like kicking the ass for me, like I need to step up my shit even if I don't have a bunch of lines in this episode, because that's what Vanessa's doing.
And it was nice to be like reminded of like what our jobs were because we could get caught up in the schedule and like the fame of it all and that he said, she's the stuff that was happening behind the scenes, and so having you there was a very excellent lesson and just like the originally what we were hired to do, Like, hey, guys, focus, focus up. Here's someone like putting one hundred percent into everything they're doing.
Anytime the camera cuts to Vanessa, she is fully even if she's just like staring at someone talking or singing, she's sugaring. There was never not a moment where she is not Sugar. Like we were like, there's Jenna, there's Kevin, there's Amber, there's Naya Sugar. Vanessa was like, that's a testament to your ability. It's like you were a professional. I only broke during our love affair hardly you were still you were still Sugar. I also love like because
you can sing much better than Sugar can. Yeah, anyone can sing much, Yes, I'll take the complimation. Yeah, like you can actually sing. And then American Dreams is also musically based, and you came on which there were not a lot of musical shows that people could pull from to be like I was on this or at any experience. Did you feel like having that in your repertoire in your past somehow like did you think that was going
to help inform you of how you integrated into the show. Obviously, it was very different.
Yeah, I think I think I just got really excited that I was asked to come back for another episode, and then another episode, and then oh, Sugar, Mota's dad created the Troubletones, and that is a whole thing. I was just I just kept being excited that I was welcomed back, and I, uh, it was episode by episode that you get well, episode by episode, I didn't you just wait.
For her the first one? Did you know you're going back by the second one? Oh gosh, I don't know. I'm not sure. I also think it's like we were all up.
I didn't answer your question because the answer is no. It was just like, now you're going to a dance rehearsal. Oh wait, I'm dance. Oh now I'm dancing. Oh now you're going to the studio to record the Chicago what's the Chicago one we did?
Sugar has a.
Whole I don't even think they used it on the show. But if you if you download cell Block Tango down Beaudiful, I'm thirty eight years old. The full version you stream it on Spotify, I don't know whatever. If you see the full version of Cello, I actually have.
A part in it.
Somewhere along the line, Sugar was singing and dancing and uh, and I never thought, oh I can because I'm.
Qualified to do this.
I just thought, oh, I get to they're inviting me in to do this now, Oh cool. It was always exciting.
I also feel like because very quickly we all became obsessed with you, Like it was a very quick turnaround from like any sort of resistance too stretch to let this load, like we can't let her go. And I feel like every department felt that, which is also probably why you like immediately like keep writing her in like we need her, because like the energy was so good.
And also I imagine for the writers too, to get somebody who's as good as you with comedy and like physical comedy, where we had a lot of people who were really good at that, but like you were another like powerhouse powerhouse coming in. I imagine from a writer's perspective, that was very fun to write for, knowing that like, oh, I'm going to write this, and I know Vanessa's just going to make this even better, so take that.
I'm taking it, letting it in, and it's like uncomfortable but also feels good and gooey.
I know it should feel good and gooey, which is what's wild to watch. Vanessa is the biggest ray of sunshine and like ball of love. And it's wild that it can be uncomfortable for somebody like that to receive all these compliments because you deserve it all. There's not enough. I don't know enough words to say all the good things about you. Let's just talk about some bad things about me for a second. So I don't know, do you come on, No, there's no bad things. I don't know,
there's no bad things. Let's not sit here long enough to figure it out.
I'm curious, like, do you have like distinctive memories of being on set? Because you were with us for so long, for us, a lot of it melds into one. It all kind of is a blur.
Each day was kind of the same in some you know respect, But like, do you have core memories of being on set things that you did 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 sets 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 holding 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. So that one stands out. That was kind of a heavy one. But I also remember I remember these shorts I wore in a dance rehearsal. There were like these cotton shorts that made my butt jinggle and everyone said something about it, and I just remember that moment being like, oh man, you're just so hot. This is a sexy group're so hot, thank you, And I just I don't think I saw
myself as hot at the time. My personal life was not hot at the time. And I'm and and so I think like, just like my own the way I saw myself and the way you guys reflected who you saw in me was there was a gap there. But so those moments really stand out for me when I got that kind of reflection, So that that that stands out for me.
I'm trying to think of we were all just like we said that everyone was attracted a grant, everyone was also attracted.
Oh thanks as I was to you. I remember breaking up with that person that I was with while I was on Glee and thinking, I have so many regrets that I didn't I didn't hook up with people on the cast because I wanted to be a good girlfriend to this this person.
That was a mistake. That was a mistake.
Venosa, do you remember when we did tell him in the blue Dresses? No, it wasn't tell him. It was maybe the same so when we did, we did look at me, I'm Sandra d And we went, all of us. We were having such a fun time on set. We all went to Chipotle together on Vine Street and picked up a party box of Chipotle.
We got like a cater You and I were like, let's get the catering box. And we went and we got a catering Chipotle. Picked it up in our pajamas. We were all in like our pana hats and like flannels and this is always in pajamas. That's right. That was our card dream. But we're having such a fun on set, are going to Chipoli.
That's when I found out that Jenna love Chipotle as much as I did, and that Chipotle had given her.
In my memory, it's a lifetime. I wish it was a time friends. All of our friends remember those cards as a lifetime year of free Chipotle is a daily breed on you to use it though, Oh you had one, and I would get it for all my friends. She'd get it for all her friends.
I would also, and they would let me use it, like, welcome Chipotle. If you're listening, I'd like.
That card back. Yeah, and we won't abuse it, we promise. I don't know about it. I had to start switching uplications because they're catching me like, oh, I'm sorry, this is for I'm like, oh, I had no idea. I lived down the block from Chipotle, that was the issue.
Would like, on the way home from set, I would just veer off, grab it, and then go home. I would go home for lunch and pick up Chipotle and then go eat it in my loft and then drive back to work. But anyway, my most vivid memories of Chipotle there though, were when Kevin and Vanessa we would all partake in it together, because I think the three of us actually love Chipotle the most. I'm actually so glad that we're here right now. We had a bond
totally trio Amba. Like I'm just remembering, You're like feeling that we had coming back. We were special, we did.
We are special. One of the most special trips I've ever taken in my entire life was with Vanessa.
Yes giving gold, giving Gold, Mexico, Giving gold in Mexico. We went to Cancun, and it was was this Was this the trip I always forget? Was this the trip where Naya crashed into the family trip where Nya and Brittany Parks were like spooning on this pair of sailing umbrella umbrella crashed into a family.
They landed into a family, family dinner on the beach.
So this was not that trick, and it wasn't the trip where we did and everyone realized that I was a connive.
That was the same trip as the Mafia trip. Was the same trip as the parasale into the family, Okay, two different trips. That was also incredible because we also we all played Mafia as a cast regularly and we took it very seriously. Yes, Naya like, in addition to having sticks with parties every Christmas, she would also invite
a lot of us on trips every summer. And so we went Tusay one to Naho and the first night we had this huge dinner with how many were there, like fifteen of us or something A lot that many people went. Was that the tequila tasting right? No, that was that was a different trip. Most of my memories are about Mexico with teven. It takes about ninety percent
of your brain. We played the craziest game of Mafia and started several fights between couples and we were to them on because we like people were swearing on their own children to their partners, and we were all like, yes, get into it. And then afterwards we were all like, oh, that was a great game. My good job, Vanessa like murdered everyone. It was fine, And then couples had to like go away and to reconcile and then come back and join the festivities.
I think somebody a couple didn't talk for a whole day, and I need to know who these people were.
I'll tell you. But okay, so giving gold because Vanessa, it's interesting to hear you say also that you weren't. Maybe when we were at work, you were in the space to be like completely open with your life personally, but outside of work it felt like the complete opposite. You were very, very open and free with us, and we were with you in return. And so we went to this. We went to kan Kun at this like all inclusive resort, and like amongst other things we were
giving away. We didn't realize it was all inclusive until like halfway through the truth and we started because we had to like pose for fake paparazzi pictures and we got the stay. Remember this is one of those things. I remember this, And we ended up meeting all these people that probably were not old enough to drink, and we were playing volleyball with them, and like their parents are watching, We're like can we get shots for everyone?
You were giving gold and no, and so then towards the end of it, we had had so much tequila over like the four days we were there, we were shattered, just broken versions of ourselves. And we had lunch or brunch on the beach and like it was hot and we were all so hungover, like dying and emotionally fragile, yes, because we hadn't really slept and we're only drinking tequila
for most of the days. And we decided to go around the table and give gold and like pick to each person and say what we love about yeah or Vanessa, yeah, very Vanessa, Like pick a moment, yes you remember with the person, and then tell you how you felt. Like if you talk to any of us that were there, none of us have forgotten it. And it was like so deep, weirdly transcendent. We're like, we shouldn't it shouldn't be that meaningful at this moment, it was everyone was bawling, sobbing.
We couldn't look at hold we were. We were, we were clenching each other, we were we were holding hands, holding bodies, sobbing. Who was there? Kelly, Kevin justin Thorne, Alex the butcher Marcus. It was also like a weird random group.
Yeah.
I'm like, what group? Is this the only You're the only China? Yeah wow Yeah. And it was fascinating and it was like this weird like everyone just came like it was a mixture of like several different groups and everyone was just so open. And I will say Vanessa and Telly, I think inspire that when you're around them for everyone to just be like accepting and open to whatever is going to come our way in most in
a very positive way. And so by the end of that trip where we all felt like we're family with those I even told them at the airport we're a new kind of family. When I tried to she was going through immigration and they said are you people family?
She said, yes, that's my family, and they're like, you should we be together? And I was like, well, we're We're a new kind of family, like.
The old ABC family slogan, like a new new kind of During that trip, we had what they called like a butler a house A house. I don't know, and I feel like we shouldn't.
I don't know, if be good, I don't know what the word was, but sway was with us like all day. I know I'm beside the point right now, but it was just he's just looking at you like you are off the plot, off the out of the rails. The rails brought us to security and cried. Yes, that's how crazy this trip was. What were you guys on? I don't know out nothing love. Yeah, yeah, I'm not talking any friendship rumors, but you know what I mean. Speaks
to the power of Vanessa's love. Oh that was the That was the point on it, because if you were not there, that absolutely would not have happened.
Fair.
Yeah, I usually like to end with people crying. That's the killer. Dream wedding dream, dream wedding.
Okay, wait, so before we and Jen feverally looking at her papers trying to get us back on.
At least we have someone respond there's an adult in the room. No, I have some questions. Well, some people wrote in, lots of people wrote in questions.
We asked people for questions for you, and I was just browsing through all of these and I wanted to know this as well. So Aaron Charlotte asked, what did you think of Diana's impression of sugar and what was it like playing Quinn?
I love that day. That was a great day. It was really fun.
I think Diana is one of the most stunning people, yeah, of all time. Just like to look at her. I'm sure I've told her this a million times, just like it's captivating. It's like your brain shuts off and you kind of just tilt your head and get lost in this like beauty.
That she eminates.
And then I also think she's quite an interesting actress. Like I remember, like she's like constantly positive, even if she forgets the line halfway through, you know, so she'd be like she'd be like talking or saying her line, and then there'd be this pause, and I remember thinking, is she.
Taking a dramatic pause? And then she'd just be like what is it? With no guilt, no shame.
I would feel I would I would go home and just you know, beat myself on the back with something uncomfortable.
That's a weird thing to say, but whatever was like delighted and so and so to switch with her. I've sent them off. I've sent Jenna. And that's the best way anybody's ever explained it, because it's true.
So I think so I think the opportunity to get to play her, for me was more to get to play that because I had been just like observing her with this awe and reverence for the you know, for however long I had been a part of the cast, and so when I saw that I got to play her, it was more really for me to play that part that I just like this.
Really, I told you, I like it when people cry. She has power. She's going to make you cry. You will get there.
Oh my god, I'll know you're feeling right now, Jenna, how do you feel there's a feeling of elation because I think we're all in a room together, and so I'm feeling like buzzy.
It's like I'm drunk, but I'm not. I'm drunk on love, and I just this is a really great observation and a way to explain something that I never fully could put words to. So it felt very rewarding in them.
That's it.
Wow, there's a revelation. I hope that answers her question. Thank you for a good question. What watching them play each other? You both have extroversive energy. You guys were my favorite, Like Dana was up and like dancing, Like yeah, I was like, oh, who are these people? We really did see like people transformed in that episode. It was really so fun and different. It was like we were honoring each other. You know, yes, exactly, except some people
didn't take it well. But yeah, if you can't make fun of yourself, I know, crash test comic wants to know, did you prefer Sugar was Rory or Artie? Oh, crash Test, pardon, don't worry about that. Okay, I want to say, because I don't want to hurt his feelings. Is the problem is in the room. We won't tell him. No, okay, no, I won't tell him.
I The thing I never got out of Glee was that we didn't have a relationship. Sugar and Lartie did not have a full relationship. That there was no makeout scenes. I really would have loved to see that. There's still time when we apparently there's like reboot whatever, or just let's make our own show. Okay, we can just make or we can just make out after this, that's perfect.
What happens at the Win in Vegas gets on this podcast. No, of course already I know whatever Rory got me a puppy, But you know what I'm at the time, I was very allergic to dogs, so actually that was a terrible gift. No, I've i've, I could get into it, but I've convinced myself I've i've, i've, i've got I'm not allergic to dogs anymore.
Wow.
I also had to be a dog trainer on Turner and who really figure it out? And those are not hyperlog which actually will just give you the rundown because it's so weird. And I think you're going to really
love this about me. I read this thing that said sometimes kids with childhood allergies make them up because their parents aren't giving them enough attention, and they have no other way to like call for attention other than to have this reaction because they're competing with the animals, and that as an adult, we are allowed and we don't realize or remember that we can ask for the attention that we need and that we can create a new sense of safety for ourselves and we don't have to
be in competition with these animals.
And I kid you not, I hope this is for you. Maybe you have an allergy that you can get over. I kid you not.
I just started telling myself, Vanessa, you're safe and if you want attention, you can ask for it. And I am no longer allergic to dogs. And I'm telling you I was full on, like sneezy nose hives the whole thing. So I mean, you know, wow, I am also Vanessa.
I'm not a doctor.
Please do not like, get off your allergy medication and blame me for your hospital visit.
Absolutely not. But I just think that that's you know, if anyone else said that, I would have been like, yeah, they're lying. Yeah, but I believe it. If you don't understand or believe in the power of Vanessa after this episode, what you're doing. Nothing away from this I have. I have one What was your biggest takeaway from Glee? Professionally
and personally? That's from Coco five to five. But then additionally Bella new Grace said, why did you disappear from the show's so great, so three parter?
Personally, I think our friendships, like, without a doubt, I can't believe how many hard times that we've gone through together after the show, which also deepened our friendship. But even if let's say we hadn't had those things happen, I just feel like there was there is something about being together for fifteen to seventeen hours a.
Day for years. That makes you close with someone forever and you still like each other. We like each other.
And also just yeah, just like come yeah, I just felt really, I think this is the vibe that I told you I felt in the audition. There's some vibe. I felt like, Oh, I've found a family. I'm going to be in this family. This is what the family feels like and it hasn't changed. So that was my biggest personal takeaway. And also shout out to Tally Kusakis Aristotle Causakis because.
He's my ride or die.
Yeah, and I met him through Glee and he's save my life not to sound dramatic, but definitely saved my life emotionally and and and so I'm just like, wow, I gotta tell you out of it.
So there's that.
And then professionally, I think, you know, Instagram gives me anxiety, but all of those followers that I have on Instagram, which now in today's world is you know, not that many, but all of those people who give me so much love on a regular basis came from Glee. So I think professionally that was just like a big shift in my life. I love that for you, thank you.
And then the third question was probably the why did Trigger disappear from Glee? That's right, do you know? Okay, so this is my this is my yeah thought. I love this. I think that, Okay, this is this is what I think.
I think that when they were filming scenes, I wasn't the best dnswer and I wasn't the best singer and it was probably costing them a lot to try to like make it work.
And that's what I that's what I took that to mean.
And then if I could take one hundred percent responsibility for why, like you know, because that's what I do now, just try to take responsibility for everything.
I was really mad that they killed Corey's character. I really wanted.
Him to live on, Like I wanted it to just be written that he went somewhere and just is living a great life and h m hmm. Inside I was like, that's fucked up. It's fucked up, like you know, in my in my my opinion, which is not you know, it's just me. I just and I think it's just it's it's actually just that I had a really really deep desire for him to live on somewhere and then they just took that away and I was like this, I don't I'm my heart is broken.
That was very so.
I don't know if that's if I'm taking responsibility for why there was a but it came back for the wedding episode, which was like the vest.
Day Ever did you ever did you voice that to anyone or do you just feel like you emanated that? And I feel like it emanated it.
I feel like I probably told Telly because he knows every single thing for just to know about me. But no, I don't think I made a stink about it. I just like judged, just silently judged.
I did. I'm glad that when we had Ryan on he talked about that. But tell me what he said. He said, wouldn't do it again? Yeah, because there was there was. I think there's no right way, no to do it. Definitely not. It was a lose lose no matter what, absolutely and like none of us wanted to.
Do it the show there he said, Yeah, it's just like one of those things where you might have this, you might be like making this a part of the show might be good for processing and digesting this really unfathomable, un yeah, you know, I can't say the word we did baffling experience, but I don't feel like that's actually what happened. I felt like it it created more distance between people to have to bring the grieving process to the set and have it, you know, and and uh, yeah,
I have a lot of opinions about that. I think that's probably why energetically I popped out.
I think that's I mean, that makes a lot of sense because we were all feeling that way. Yeah, I think you just voiced it because I didn't have a solution either. I'm like, can we just ignore it? I put like the greatest Moment's greatest hits together or something. Yeah, like that's I mean, there's no right way to do it, but I agree that there's could be wrong ways to do it.
Yeah, I mean, and there there isn't a wrong way, you know, because it was done that way. So I guess like, looking back, like that's just and that that really does represent how why Glee was so beloved because they they they took those inside your insides and put them on the outside, and people were just drinking it up.
They're like, I just love this.
This is like look at these all these amazing, talented beings and I can I get to see the inside of them, no matter how exploitive and you know, vulnerable. That was for everyone on the cast, So you know, so that was good. And then I guess when I think of the audience, I don't know, I don't know what.
I don't know what. You guys have.
Feedback you've gotten from their experience of how they wanted. You know, Glee is like that because people loved it so much, you kind of do want to take care of them in a sense like I wouldn't. I wouldn't give anybody advice to validate fans because that can be messy. But there's there is something in me that wants everyone who loved Glee to know that they're not alone and that they're loved. And this grief is hard, and especially all the grief that you know has piled on. But
what am I even trying to say? I'm just trying to not make it wrong. But yeah, at the time, I.
Was like, yeah, yeah, it felt yeah, yeah it was yeah, just really it was really easy to cry in a scene. The opposite, I was angry. Yeah, I was just like, you're not getting this from me. Oh God, that's hard, because it was just hard not to.
You know.
I think, just like they they should have counselors and therapists there, you know.
Well, Ryan had said also in the when he came on the show, like we're mental health was not a thing in the workplace when we were there, things would be so different, and the way they handled my whole thing would have been different, the way they handled Corey would have a different they handled a lot would have been different, and everybody would have had support and would have felt like they had something that was offered that felt normalized.
You know.
I think they had offered like if we needed a grief counselor they could get one for us, but none of us were doing that at the time, and none.
Of us felt like and it didn't feel Yeah, it was. It was a very strange experience, but fortunately like learning whilst going through it. Yeah, right, So no, you're allowed to feel the way you feel. And a lot of people felt that way. And I actually don't know how many how people feel about that, particularly, I mean I think people that I have spoken to me about it, like the episode, I guess they wouldn't speak to me if they didn't like the episode, right, But I've always
found that really interesting. I'm always shocked by it because of how we all felt about it, like, oh, you liked that.
But I think I can understand they were watching the characters though they weren't watching us, and so we were doing ourselves. We weren't doing our characters. Yeah, that's the difference. Yeah, and that's really hard because they don't know. Yeah, they can only understand.
That's why you have this show, because this is this is this is the actual processing, by the way, what you guys are doing, this is this is where you get to go back and alchemize the experience because now people do get to know and then there's not this separation right between what was what was remembered as as the truth and then there's like, no, there's there's more to it.
And I think that's amazing. I think that's amazing. I think what you're doing is amazing. On a lighter note that when we're right in that, I am, but I'm so grateful that you're here. And then, how does you feel about pom Poms? We know how you feel about sure Sugar was pompoms? Did your back hurt from carrying the comedy of Glee throughout the series, I will go on a date with you does a great line me pb uh seven oh one? Thank you because that really
just took me. Yeah, I was like Vanessa, Yes, darling, we are just so grateful that you are here with us. You are such a light you have you have always been a light to us, and then you continued to shine so brightly for us. Every time. It seeps through your pores and it is contagious and unavoidable. Damn you did that, you did that. I have nothing else to add.
We love you. Vanessa is also like our new co host for a couple episodes, a couple episodes, so this is strap In and she's here for a couple of weeks. So Vanessa, thank you so much. Thank you. See you next week. Yes, and that's what you really bess by. Thanks for listening and follow us on Instagram at end, that's what you really miss pod and make sure to write us a review and leave us five stars. See you next time.