And that's what you really missed with Jenna.
And Kevin An iHeartRadio podcast.
Welcome to and That's what you real miss podcast. Kevin, we have an angel of a person today. We have Shyanne Jackson. I just like was a huge man. This was he was like in the generation of like me when I was coming up in musical theater, in training in the school, going to see Broadway shows every night. I had a chance to like student rush a show or on the weekend, like Cheyenne was in those shows. Like he was just a household Broadway name at that point.
So to hear that he was coming on Glee, I was just thrilled.
Thrill. I feel like so many of the guest stars we had were of that same era, Broadway era, and like fame and success level that it must have just been a field day, Yes, like every other week for you.
Yes, I mean starting with Kristen, I mean you even had Matt who you obviously became a friend very quickly, and then you have the Cheyennes and the ms and I just grof and I just was like, I can't, I just can't do it anymore. I can't do it anymore. I would have never known so exciting. But there's just like they were they they were so formative for me in my you know, training, and in my dreams, in following my dreams.
So and it's so nice to know that they're also because we spent so much time with them, that they're good people, all of them. Yeah, it's a really a testament to you know, people always say like, oh, the good guy finishes last, not always, not always.
No, but our good people and our good crew of people and our Glee family enjoyed this conversation with Cheyenne.
Oh oh, Chyenne Jackson, voice of an Angel, Face of an Angel of an Angel, Kevin, thank you.
Shows up whenever we ask. I'm like, heyshi, and can you come see it this thing?
Yeah?
Can you go to a podcast? Yeah?
Yeah, just the nicest And I'll never forget the moment of hearing you sing live for the first time. I was just like, okay, yeah, so if that's what people are doing, I'm gonna go home. And no, it wasn't you have If people have not heard you sing, I don't know who they are, but you are just one of the best singers I've ever heard my entire life, my goodness. Yes, it's true though we talked about it all the time, like you're a freak.
We were so thrilled when you came on the show, very early on. You were one of the first like guest stars. And I have to say I had seen you in Xana Do Right, and I was like, you, guys, you don't understand you can roller skate and he can zing. I'm super stoked. I was so excited. We were so so happy to have you. What can do you remember? Did you have to audition? Was this a call from Ryan? How did you get involved with the show.
I was trying to wrack my brain before this, but I'm pretty sure that I auditioned for mister Shue. I think I think I just sent in a tape, like a tape from New York. And I had been friends with Matt for oh my god, our whole Broadway careers. We would we would watch work together and I would go to like my and then he would go to like South Pacific or whatever, and so I was super thrilled for him, honestly when he got it. And then Ryan, Yeah,
it was a call from Ryan. Ryan saw Xana Do and UH said, oh, I want you to be on Lee and I have this great idea. He was trying to figure out what it was going to be or how he was in and then his initial pitch changed, as we all know that happens, and so he and then it morphed, and then I was he was like, I have this, I have this other part. It's it's now going to be. You're going to be like this choreographer, the special choreographer that gets brought on to like, you know,
give everybody this, this this great new stuff. That's great. And then I came out there and I got sick. I had oh my god, yeah, I was in my fitting with uh uh I rick. Yeah, I was so sick and I'm like, thank I don't usually get it and and I was so sick, and I was like, get it together, You're fine.
But I had a.
Fever and I was lying on the ground of costume shop and I was just like, oh, this is not going to happen. It's not gonna happen. And so they had to scrap it. And then as somebody else quickly you know, okay, well there's my glue experience. And then I guess maybe it was the same season. I think it was season two. Then I got another call from Ryan and he's like, Okay, I have a different idea and you're going to be this like evil coach of vocal adrenaline. You're going to be like you're gonna go
head to head with Matt. And I was like, this is this is quite fun.
Yeah, I do fun.
I loved it. And then yeah, and so yeah, I did an audition. But I came in and I remember it was the second you guys it was. It had just become a juggernaut and it was like the world was on fire. And I remember coming to set for the first time and like, and Leah, who I just knew a little bit from you guys in Spring Wakening, she like ran across the parking lot a flying leap, like a monkey around me, and I was very sweet, and we're so excited you're here. But I had never
been on a set with that much energy. There was so much energy around all of you guys that was like wild wild to just be like a fly on the wall and watch like all of your little orbits and the you know.
The.
Excitement and the drama and the politics and all the things that come with like with New fame.
It was.
It was wild. Yeah, I had a great I remember my first big thing. I had this long monologue with Gwyneth Paltrow, Yes, and it was like one of those long like you know Jane Lynch monologues, rapid fire it out and camera moves, and I remember like Gwyneth was completely off book, perfect, perfect, hit every mark, and I was like, I need to nail this. But I'm an over preparer, so I knew that no matter what happened, I would be fine.
But I was.
It was really exciting and she was so good and yeah, so that was Remember that was my first kind of big thing.
Crazy like coming to the show that has now just like reached its peak of popularity and do the scene with Gwinne Pucho.
It was total shitting my pants, it was. But you guys were, Yeah, I couldn't believe how how long the days were and the musical component, and you guys were all having to record and then rehearse and then come back. I remember one night it was one of the times, one of the times where you all went to regionals like every every.
Year, every couple of months. It was a competition and we were.
I remember where we were. It was like I want to say, like Long Beach or something. It was far yeah, and there's like this auditorium and like half the audience was was background, but then the other half were like blow up dolls terrifying.
It was.
It was so incredible to see you all like do these numbers over and over and over and over again. Because you know, I know from my years on Horror Story, you say, just when you think they have the coverage, then they're like, now we're going to do a fish eye lens down right, SU's ear coverage.
Yes, but then every.
Time you had to still give a full performance, and it was like four in the morning, and I was saying, like, how is this going to happen? You guys did it.
Over and over and over and over, but watching it back, I'm like, oh, I'm dead behind the eyes doing this.
Did you know that you like, weren't going to be a performer on the show, Like, was you were you prepared for that? Did you think you were going to sing and do all these things?
Yes? I did think I was going to sing, right of course. Of course, the whole I think the initial idea was he said, you and aDNA are going to be together romantically and then you're going to sing. And I was just like wow because I knew a Dina from New York and I just it was so and then it just kind of veered and there were too many there were so many storylines, and then things kept getting trimmed, and it was really my first experience of like a meditation in just like going with the flow, yes,
letting it be. And I remember like some of my big chunky stuff was cut before we even shot it one day and I went to and went to Matt in his trailer and I was like, man, I'm so bummed because I all this stuff and I worked so hard on it, and and he was like, it just happens. It's not personal. It happens to all of us on here. We all have these great arcs and then they're suddenly like, no, we're adding a song for whoever, and it just is
not enough time. And it was really good because I was really I was really butt hurt at first and I was like, this is just not what I imagined. But then once I just changed my perspective on it, it has helped me in every other job since because because as you know, you have to just kind of like roll with it and yeah, yeah, I had a great time on it. And then I can I can say I'm one of the only you know, singing guest stars. They didn't sing on Glee.
It's actually maddening and sad, and I was starting to justice.
Neil Patrick, Harris, John Stamos, Matt Boehmer, like.
All of my peers, like.
I'm the only the bitch here.
That's why it was, like I think it was at a Tremor Project thing when I got to hear you sing yes, I was just like, wait, this is who we've had. I remember like running back stage to see you or something afterwards. My mind was because I had heard from Jenna and everybody, because I was not a Broadway person, like I didn't know idiot, I had no idea, And then I just remember looking around being like what are we doing.
I remember it as a soundtrack.
This is the best voice ever on the show that it's not on the show. Furious, very good. I'm also just mad at the missed opportunity of you and Aadana and like Matt doing something together.
Yes, So I think that's the embarrassment of Riches with that show. There were so many people that could come on and do so many things, and sure, I've let Ryan have it about that over the years.
We were so lucky that to have you like you were, I mean, you're just the nicest person, but getting you terrifying as a local generally coach, which is so funny because when I didn't know you as well at first, I was like, he's scary. Yeah, it's like, actually scary you.
I love to play the bad guy and I never think of bad guys as bad. And one of the favorite things that came out of that show is my friendship with Jane and such a such a delicious person, and you know, we've done concerts together and kind of I love that. Yeah. I just love to find the joy in the badness and and really dig deep and with the little protege that I brought on.
Oh yes, Jake Sunshine HoriZone Sunshine Horizon.
Yeah.
But I remember seeing them on like, uh a vocal show before it, and I was just how serendipitous that they were able to get them and then come on and be this.
Righte and for totally.
I remember they hadn't ever really acted before and that was that was fun part about that show. It's just like you never knew who's going to pop up.
It's still a very controversial thing because Rachel in the show, Rachel takes Sunshine to a crack dad. Yeah, Rachel directs them too for the audition.
Ye.
And then you guys got to work. You worked with like Jane and Steven and Jescelyn is like the League of Doom. That's so much fun that it's it's just so funch fun to watch you guys.
Anytime there was stuff with Jane, it was always amazing. She just think never misses, no, never misses, positive, grateful to be there.
Yes, that's right as a human and then as an actor, and like if Jane has these men massive tongue twister lines, monologues, you show up to work and she has it down and she doesn't bat an eye. You're like, don't laugh and mess up her take. And also, don't mess up your one line because it's not nearly as hard.
As that's harder. Don't you think that's harder when you if you have a big but your focus the interjections where you're like, I think.
You're like nightmare, nightmare of screwing up somebody's monologue and what you're saying makes no sense.
Might shid a lot of those too, because there's like eighteen of us in a room, and sometimes you just have one line and you don't know what it comes before or after, and you don't remember what it's about, and you just your train of thought is not there because it's not there's no stream of consciousness.
It's the worst. Those are my favorite ones. And you literally are like, do I even know English?
Right?
I think I know what? And then it's almost just like a timing thing. I guess I'm going to just say after that guy says that thing.
Yes, Yes.
It's the equivalent of like entering White Roman. It's an existential crisis of like why why am I somebody an actor? And I don't think this is for me? I can't even say two words. You got to do some of those crazy, like any villain on the show. Yeah, got to say the most insane shit. And it was always so impressive when any like n I had to do it a lot, Jane, you Becca had to do it a.
Lot, Yes, but I never really had to do that. Is it also just like delicious, you know, delicating to say these evil because also like Ian would write these rants, yes, and they were so funny and seemingly disconnected, but because you're such a good writer, there was some sort of like flow to it, like how was it learning that? Performing that?
I think because I had done thirty Rock and thirty Rock was similar in that it was it was me yes with diald and Alec would have these long, long, long things where he's like lemon your wit and everything is just like rolling out. But I remember watching him and learning from him, and so in anytime I would get a long chunk, I would just learn it so much to where you you it's not even it's not
even a question if you know your line right. But yeah, it was Also I think Ian wrote a lot of my stuff, and I remember one of my lines was like, oh oh, my hairline is eighty five percent my own, and I was off the charts. I watched Drida Hamburg like everything is just like it's.
T it's forward, but it's also.
Like what I didn't mean to say that, but it's true, so.
So so fun I think pretty wrong. Yeah, prepared me for that.
But did you You mentioned your friendship with Matt Did you love getting to be sort of you know, the villain against Matt. Yes, like that must have been such a joy to work together.
It was such a joy and we loved The last time I was on it was I can't remember the season, maybe it was just one season. I can't even remember. But the last episode I did was at like a state championship, and then that was another one where we had a big, huge scene that was cut but then they just truncated it to this little scene at the bar. But it was right because we got to we just got to use a lot of our our own real
life rivalry. And we all hate about it because in real life it was like, you know, him and I for a lot of different things, and so we just like leaned into that and everything was just very open and like, god, we can you know, I can't really do That's not really my vibe to just go play the dark.
Side of Yes. Yes, yeah, you guys are similar in ways in that leading man type way, but you very fork.
Yeah, he plays very and then positive.
Chip chipper yeah, uplift.
Yeah.
Now you've worked on multiple Ryan Murphy sets. Now after your experience with Lee, which was the first one, correct, Yeah, what was it like walking on to another Ryan set. Did they run the same way. Did you feel like you had an understanding of how his shows are run since you had been on one before.
Were you more impressed by us than Lady Gaga?
There will be never anything as exciting as that walking onto that Glease set, I'm telling you how well it was electricity. It really was fascinating.
I wish we knew what the hell was going on.
That's the thing you never know.
Yeah, yeah, exactly.
Actually the next thing after that was I was casting. He cast me in his pilot, this HBO pilot called Open.
Oh yeah, oh. Because of course, like anytime Ryan started doing anything else, we would all talk about it, and we would see people coming with meetings for meetings and things, and.
Yeah, there was like throttles and it was like the beginning of you know, his kind of the exploration into that world. So that didn't end up happening. But then I saw him at I saw Ryan at Equinox and he was like, I'm going to take a spin class. Do you want to take a spin class with me? I was like, okay, sure, so I took it. It wasn't really my vibe.
But what is Ryan like in a spin class.
He he hunkers down and he just like gets it done. He's like, he's really good at it. He likes to sit in the back. Yeah, So like he sat in the back of the spin class and he was We're huffing and puffing and kind of like, you know, the spin instructors, they're kind of like giving you life advice, but they're all like beautiful models. And I remember the.
Guy I done there and he was like, you know, if life gets you.
Down, and we're like, oh god, and over the music shouts to me, I want you to be on American Horror Story and you're going to be married to Lady Goga.
What can you say a little louder. I couldn't believe my ears, and just because I had seen four times in New York and small before, she'd kind of exploded. Yeah, yeah, it was. It was just one of those things where I was like, Wow, this is lucky.
That is the craziest job offer story I've ever heard.
It was awesome. And then so I I hadn't really watched the first few seasons because actually, honestly, I'm not a huge fan of Gore. Yeah, like horror sometimes Horror Story was a little too rough for me to watch, but I was like, let's just get into this. And my first season I really got into it was the Freak Show season.
Yeah.
I was like, okay, this is I just read the music and the swampy look. Yeah, I was like, this is insane. And I was friends with Sarah Paulson from New York.
Right.
So the next season after that was a hotel that they you know, be with Gaga, and I remember my first day on set. It was so intimidating. It was the most because he built a real hotel with the real you know, elevator, and you didn't even like you were in the elevator, you were in the hotel. And I was so nervous about meeting Gaga because I just wanted to you know, I was really prepared. I knew what I wanted to do, but I just wanted to
impress her. And I didn't want to come off to eager, but I didn't come off to aloof but just you know, the first day of school where I away like I'm going to be that cool guy in the corner that that goes out the way. My husband, I was like, Jason, what do I do? And he's like, just be yourself. She's gonna she's gonna love you. So I remember somebody said,
you know, Gaga wants to meet you. So I was like, Okay, I got myself together and I walked in the soundstage and she was kind of behind the scrim so go around the corner and she's like fully in costume, lit cigarette like full, and she was like, will Drake, I was wondering when we were going to meet you to kiss it? And I was like, oh, is this pitch and character right now? Like, am I gonna? Is this what I have to? Oh my god, this is not
what I planned. So in my mind I was like and so I like started to do like a weird bow and like kind of kiss her hand and she's like, I'm just with you. My name is Stephanie.
It was like, thank god, thank god.
It was and continues to be just an incredible see at her chick. She's just cool. Yeah, And I think my favorite thing about working with her was her openness. She told everybody like she was always with Kathy Bates. She's I remember her saying, and everybody was starstruck because when you're that kind of famous, you know, and she goes you, guys, I just I want to do my best and I'm on the wrong spot. We just move me. I just want to learn. Yeah, she learned.
She was.
She was so good right off the bat. But even the trajectory from her first episode to the end, I was like giving you in her life, She's given you nuance.
It was.
It was nice.
Damn.
So in yeah, Ryan sets are you know, they are adventures. They are they are three act plays. They are they are dramatic and beautiful and frightening, and it's kind of like that's just the vibe and you just kind of have to roll with it. And yes, four seasons on that show and wow, yeah I was wow, wild wild.
Yeah that's crazy.
But Matt taught you early on don't take a person.
And that just served me well truly in every every job. But yeah, yeah, horror story. I I really had to just get into the the make believe of it all because I'm a very sensitive person. I'm a cancer. Things stick to me. At the end of the day. I'm like, oh my god. I was going home my little babies at the time, and I was like, ugh, I just know it's like a massacre and like it's just it's just make believe.
Leave it there, you tiny, tiny baby.
I had to go visit some of the sets so it could be desensitized to I could watch the show believe. Oh look there's the rubber suit. All right, it's all just.
Yeah. You're now going back into well, not back into where you're in music you're doing. You're touring around a bit performing. Tell us about your tour, your performances.
Sure, yeah, really this last ever since? So the last show I was on I was on a sitcom called Call Me Kat on Fox. Yes, And when that got canceled, it was the same day my husband left his company of a long time. It started something new. So it's definitely a very scary time for us. And this is the time where I want to really do the things that I want to do. I'll always act, I'll always people will have me, i will always be in great projects. But my secret and singing will always be there. I
love singing first and foremost. But my dream was to always be a writer, and I'd always written on my own. I'd always just written for you know, for therapy. But I started to really get into it and I started taking classes and workshops and got into some writing groups. I've had some great mentors and that's what I've spent the last year and a half doing. And I got based on my writing. I got a great lit agent and I'm pitching stuff now and I think that's going
to be my next frontier. Incredible, and it's so exciting in a different way because it's very vulnerable because at all from your gut and your head. But it's also really exciting because it doesn't have anything to do with your face or your rod totally how you are on the day and right whole different practice, but it like scratches a completely different itch of creativity. It's so fun
and I'm just I'm really really loving it. And then yeah, music wise, I wanted to kind of bump up that side as well, and so I with a new a new agent for concerts called Opus and they they're mostly a classical company and they but they have some they have like Patty the Pone and Jessica v Osk and some some of my contemporaries. But yeah, and that's I'm hitting the ground running. I'm doing some big stuff writing. My pieces for concerts are not just like a list
of songs I've done. I've been doing kind of long form cabaret the beginning, middle, and end, and.
Wow, just much more satisfying, right for yourself and your soul and artistic self.
Yeah, and it's also I love the feeling of having it be all on me m hm, be like going out there and knowing like for ninety minutes you bitch so like, yeah, that is daunting every single time, and I love it. Slash loathe it. And you talk about in the white room sometimes she visits and you like take a little step in the white room and you're like, I don't even know my name right now. I started, I started.
That makes you feel so much better?
Yes, I started a.
Wrong song the other day. Something started and I went into like a weird old timey version of don't get around much anymore. But I hadn't sung in a decade. I was like, it's just sad, like I don't even know.
It's okay though, because you know you're by yourself, so you're in control. Nobody else is looking at you, and.
Thank you for sharing that you And Adam Lambert told me last year he wore me up pride and I saw my outterwards. He's like I started the last song and the wrong key. He was like, whoops. It's like, oh god, it's good to know you're human, both of you.
Yes, exactly, exactly, so human.
I get scared every time. And I had a mentor told me, uh, shy if you if you're not scared, I means you need to get the out.
But it seems like you chase that though. You're you just writing classes and teaching yourself how to write, and you're going into that, which is frightening, I'm sure, and so like the constant search for like what scares me next? Yes, maybe because the feeling of getting through that is incredible, right, like if you overcome you step out of the white room and get through that show, you're like, damn, I just did that.
Yeah, it feels so powerful. And I keep it really lean. It's just it's just me and a small little band, sometimes just me and a piano. I don't travel with.
Wow, and even scarier.
I just love it. I love me in a suitcase and like my brain and my voice. I'm like, here we go. That's really it just makes me feel powerful and as a kid, not feeling powerful and feeling scared, you know, A big queer kid from northern Idaho. I was constantly just like, oh, I don't belong now I'm wrong. Now I just feel all of my big gay power.
Yeah, that's fear. Like feels your power. It's like go through the fear, yep to it. Amazing.
It's so strange the end way the industry is shifting, and the way the world has shifted. What we've all been through in the last ten fifteen years, what we've accomplished, what we've seen, and now like hearing you these new ventures of just doing exactly what you want, how you want to do it, and like you know, you get you have your family, You're like, that's priority, right, So then how am I spending my time when I'm away from them? How do I choose that time?
That's right? I think it's so I always just to get vulnerable for a second. I it's very difficult for me to connect to people. I've always been very introverted and very shy. I married somebody who is not. Just say, we'll be in the checkout of Gelson's and he's like talking to the lady about her like fibroids and how much she pays for Jesus chick. But he's taught me. I say, I want to connect more, and he's like, then you have to go first, go first, and then people.
And so that's what I do on stage. I allow myself to be vulnerable, like here's a vulnerable story I haven't said. Last year, for the first time in eighteen years as a professional actor, I didn't make enough. I wasn't on enough TV shows to get my SAG insurance. I did two indies and I did a guest spot yep, but it wasn't enough. And so I was like one gig short yep, it's never happened. And I have two kids and you know I mean. So I was like, okay, I need to I need to do something crazy here.
So I was just calling all my friends in power positions, like is there anything you can do? I called Kathy Bates, who on Horror Story I had the pleasure being murdered by her three times rest and with Matt Locke and stuff. I was like, is there do you have anything for me? I have sidebar real quick. I love Peloton and I take all the Peloton classes.
And class it's got good places.
Yes, but one of the one of the instructors her favorite motto is no ego amigo. Yeah, I love it, and that's how I like to be. And so keeping that in mind, when I said, Kathy, is there anything on Mattlock, She's like, it's all we are all Katy, you know, we're full, but I will check. And she called me back in fifteen minutes, She's like, Okay, there's there's a part on our final season. You only have three lines and you don't have a name. You're a detective.
And I was like, yes, no ego amigo, yeah, yes, I will do that.
And I had so much fun.
Yes, and I was.
A detective and I was like, well, I think there's a look over here and.
I and I took it just as seriously as when I was doing a monologue with Gwyneth Paltrow. Yes, I love that, and that bumped me up over and that got me insurance for the next year. I think, like, you got us. That's how life is. I'm a actor and I you know, will be. But you know, in April, if you check out Matt Locke, I'm going to walk on fort five.
I can't wait to see that. I can't wait to see that.
What a good lesson, though, I love that. I love that there's good people out there that's helped somebody out. That's great.
Go we go. We don't want to take up any more of your busy, busy life. You're so you're so kind, always showing up for good causes and things, to lend your voice and lend your instrument and your kind human person. And we just adore you. I really just think the world of you, so thank you so so much. And it's an injustice. Bickley didn't get to hear you say, yeah.
I'll never get over it.
Please, I'm sorry. We have We have a question that we ask everybody that I forgot to ask you. What is the feeling that Glee leaves you with?
Nostalgia?
Mm hmm. Nobody said that one yet. That's a good one.
Just it is nostalgia because, as you said, Kevin, like you didn't when you were on it, you didn't kind of even know because it was you were all just in it. But now looking back that meant so much to the world, all of you and and what you all created. Yeah, it's very nostalgic. When I think for my kid, my kids are going to see it soon. I was thinking, like how old. Are they there'll be nine Ober.
Yeah, for sure, Yeah, definitely they're going to be like this didn't age well, you guys, it was the two different time capsule, time capsule different times that we look at.
Thank you so much, thank you so so much to see and whatever you write, that's right.
Can't wait to see it.
Yeah, thank you, sweet man, Thank you so much for taking the time. So good to see you.
So welcome by guys.
Bye bye. I really I really love him. I remember being such a big fan of his and then he came on the show and you know, our time like working with him was kind of brief. He did a ton of other you know, he had a bunch of different storylines that didn't really include us, And I remember he reached out to me and he was promoting his singing album at the time, and he's like, hey, I wouldn't like, would you mind like promote him? Like would I mind Chyenne Jackson d m me.
Yeah, I'm like all my info about Hyanne was from you because you were so excited and so mind you that if you were excited, like okay, I need to really potentially.
God, he's so wildly talented and he's so and he is not what is this saying?
No ego ego, no.
No. I was going to say, he's not a sore to the eye.
He's a beautiful man. Yes, he's.
And just like the nicest person, like a good soul who was like, where, you're.
So beautiful as a kind as they are talented, And it's infuriating.
It really is. They're just so great.
And they're like that all the time. It's like graf like you think you're going to like catch them when they're not.
So certainly something has to be off here, right, we're not getting the whole story, and then you get the whole st.
The whole story. They're good at everything and being a good person.
That's Glee and that's all of our wonderful guest stars. So thank you shann for taking the time.
And also just taught us so many life lessons.
Just now I feel, yeah, I feel like a better person just because I like, he just came on.
Wow, what a man. Thank you, Sanne.
Thank you san that's what you really missed.
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