Jenna Ushkowitz & Kevin McHale

Today we have not one, No, we have two amazing guests, a threesome if you will. Kevin McHale and Jenna Ushkowitz will join me today. I am so excited to talk to them. They are both old friends of mine. You might know them from their time on Glee as Artie and Tina because correct me if I'm wrong here. But it is just one of those shows that everyone knows, whether it's for the crazy storylines, the incredible cast, or well that it came from genius Ryan Murphy. If you

can dream it, it happened on Glee. I'm excited to jump right in here. We talk about their origins. Kevin's boy band, Jenna's Broadway career and how their friendship has led them to their new Rewatch podcast, and that's what you really missed. And most of all, you're gonna hear all about Kevin's role on the office. That's right. As a Kevin on the office myself, I think we just well, we just get each other. This is a fun one. Let's bring them on, Kevin and Jenna, everybody. Bubble and Squeak.

I love it. Bubble and squeak on Bubble and Squeaker cookie every month, left over from the nut before. What's up you guys? How are you? I mean, it's been so long four years eighty four years. Wow, great to see both of you. You too immediately brings back memories. Good, yeah, really good ones. Um some of them we can't tell, but many, many good ones. So this is my first threesome by the way it is. It's usually one on one here, but we're going we're going threesome today more

than Mary. So I'm going to spend most of the time talking about when you guys were reborn, when you were reborn, meeting the day the two of you met and started working together. But I did want to go back a little bit briefly individually. I guess ladies first, Jenna, your childhood, when did you start becoming interested in the arts? Well, um, I was always interested in the arts, I think, but I was put into the business when I was three. So I was doing commercials and print ads from three on.

And my first commercial was like the Toys r US commercial, and then I started doing Sesame Street. And then right around the age of nine, I auditioned for my first Broadway musical. And I had done school plays and things like that before, and I had done, you know, some commercials, but like, this is a totally different caliber of work. So I auditioned for The King and I um revival with lou Diamond Phillips and Donna Murphy, and um, somehow I booked it. There were fifteen kids, and somehow I

booked it. You did a number of shows on Broadway when you were very young, including Spring Awakening. Now was your future uh CO star involved at that time or no? Yes? Yes, so Lee was in the original LeeAnne Groff both were in the original cast of Spring Awakening, obviously, and then I joined at the tail end of their run and into the new cast. So basically I got a taste

of both casts of Spring Awakening. But yes, I was there and Leah and I. Leo was on Broadway doing le Miss when I was doing The King, and I as well, so we had known each other since that time. Really, yes, a little young a zette. She went with her friends. She was old. It feels, you know, to feel appropriate for her character to be like I played because at the ripe age of eight. Wow, so you were on Broadway.

Did you grow up in New York? Yeah, I grew up on Long Island, so I was very close to this, a straight shot to the city, if you will, right, And this was I mean, when you're three and you're put into things, this is not a choice, This is not a pass. Yet by the time you're nine, are you full? You're full? I am, I am in, I am locked and loaded. Um. Honestly, it was like the Broadway camaraderie and family experience of doing a show um of that size. It was like fifty two cast members

or something crazy like that. I was in love. I was the My parents will tell you I was the one first one at the theater and the last one out. They'd be like, where is Jenna? Please? Let because they didn't let the parents backstage, so they waited at the stage door. For me, it was a three hour show, and they'd be like, can can she please come out and leave? They wouldn't let them backstage. Is brilliant, It

is brilliant, brilliant that normal. And they can because we have wranglers a backstage that are hired to take care of us. So when the wranglers bring us to the door, okay, and they're like, keep these crazy stage parents away. Now. I haven't talked to anybody about this. I've talked to plenty of people who did see it or but not now are you are you schooling at this time as well? Well? So during rehearsals, during the six week rehearsal I was doing, Um,

we were home schooled, were tutored on set basic set. Yeah. I was nine, I was in fourth grade, and so I would go to school and then I would go do the show, except for Wednesdays when they let me my parents let me take off because I had a matinee. Were you were you doing all of them? Yeah? Time you didn't have a double cast. No, it's it's I think it's like six or seven that you can do it. Um, you can do the full show. So I was doing

the full eight shows. My parents were driving me back and forth every day, and then I would go to school and then they picked me up and we drove to the city. Wow. Yeah that is insane. It's pretty feel so bad for your parents. Yeah, I know. I mean I was doing not to make this about me, but I was doing the eight shows a week thing as well. But when I was fully able to drive myself or get myself somewhere, I wasn't reliant on I

mean that's significant. Yes, yeah, it's hard because a lot of parents kids were like, I want to do that, and a lot of parents would ask my parents like how do you do it? And my dad was able to work out of the offices when cell phones were just starting to like be a thing and um pagers. Remember if I would get a call back, my agent would page my dad and then we have to call

them back. But like, you know, it was just one of those times where my my mom had stopped working when she had my brother and me and so like or when they adopted me. But like when you know, she was able to take me up to the auditions and my dad would wait in the car circle around or double park and like work while he was doing that. So it was a real commitment from both parties. Someone I just talked to brought something up to me. I've never thought of it this way before. This was his theory.

Our education system is set up in a flawed manner in that we go to school with people exactly our same age, like within a twelve month period of time. And he talked to me about the arts in the theater. You are socially and in some ways in terms of even your real education, if you're doing set school or whatever, you have the experience and the perspective of people with such a wide range. And isn't that a much more

natural way actually of being educated and growing up? Did you start to feel that and you were doing shows? I agree. I think that's an interesting point. It's um being surrounded by kids where I was somewhat they're elder and then also kids that were a little bit older

than me. Um, but also being around adults, like being around cast members that kind of took us under their wing, that played our mothers that we're probably in their early twenties at that point, you know, mid twenties dancers and like I felt like I got I got a lot more world experience than the kids around me, and that I was going back to school with every day, and I felt like just my my world experience was bigger and more expansive. And I absolutely agree with you. I

think it is a fascinating idea. And my husband was in education, he would love this, um but it's it's it's definitely something that I attest to. The groundedness that I learned at a young age, the humilia I learned at at a young age, the discipline I learned at

that point. So I am a pent on board with that, and I think about that for like my daughter, like what what can I share with her through the arts or through these experiences that I had being around adults at a younger age more than like kids my own age. And I think like being around you know, of course we go to school with the kids because you're supposed to be in this developmental age where everything is everybody is developing at the same time. But that's not it.

That's not it either, Like babies don't develop at the same time. You're one baby is you know, rolland and one baby isn't like it's not. It's the standardized testing bullshit that we you know, we have in our you know, us education system that's quite flawed. So right, No, but even what you say, like even just the valuable experience

of dealing with kids who are younger. They're not teaching you algebra, but they're certainly teaching you, you know, and you're showing you the world like things right exactly, and and social interactions and yes, as you said, people who are older as well, and even adults who well, maybe sometimes they're not teaching you the right things to do, but at least you learn through failure and bad experience. Um. Fascinating. Kevin High, not Hot, not New York, but Texas you

were born and raised. Talk to me a little bit about your introduction into the arts and at what age did you realize this is what you wanted to do. I don't really have a memory with me not being interested in the arts. I didn't realize until much later, though, that it was something that I could pursue as more

than just a hobby or an interest. I don't know if it was just being from Texas or that I was just a little slow or something, but I was, like you know famous people do that like this is I. I I wanted to be a meteorologist or an architect. That was my plan. But I was always I was obsessed with MTV and music was my thing. Like I would always sing around the house. I would watch music videos and study. I would like I would learn all the dances, all the choreography, mimic their movements and how

they performed. And I had I was the youngest of four. I am the youngest of four and we're all very spread out. So I also had a really um great education and diversity of music because all of my siblings listening to different things. And so I would go to school and I would know these artists that no going to sort of what you were just talking about, Jenna, Education about being around people different ages. I had this breadth of musical knowledge that no one else my age did,

and I valued that really early on. But then my sister became an agent in Texas. She's sixteen years older than me. She became an acting agent, and I remember she was telling me they're auditioning for this movie. It was a sequel two, a movie that I had loved, and I was like, I want audition for it. What was the movie. It was they're making a sequel to Little Rascals. I don't think it ever got made, um, because they saw me like, you know, let's not even bother.

This is five now, what do you mean a sequel? So the Little Rascals that came out when we were kids, and like in the nineties that Little Rascals. There was the reboot of the Little Rascals. Yeah, not o g. Little Rascal was like, like I was a huge fan of just got a facelift, he's got a lot of work done. Yeah, I look very good when you met me. I definitely was not seventeen um, And so I forced her.

She was not like a children's agent either. She was, you know, an adult agent, and she I somehow wore her down and that they let me audition and then her agency signed me, you know, nepotism and ever then I started doing commercials in Dallas and things, and starting singing lessons and dance lessons, and then she sort of suggested to my parents that, you know, maybe take me out to l A to try it. And we came out to l A. I think it was thirteen the

first time. Okay, what year is this? Uh? Where was I born. It was probably like two thou three. You were born on June. Yeah, so I think we started coming out here like two thousand two or two dozen three. I just remember we drove to l A from Dallas, and when we drove back entering Dallas, I started to cry because I didn't want to be there, and I just felt so at home in l A and that everything felt artistic. You know. Going back to middle school in Texas, it was just football and I didn't do

anything extracurricular at school. Everything was outside of it. In l A. Everyone was already doing that. And so because I was the youngest, my parents and I we moved out here sort of with the opposite mindset of stage parents, where they were like, we want to get the hell out of Texas. You want to get the hell out of Texas. So it was just I'm gonna go to

high school and l A and see what happens. And I go on auditions, but if it happens, it happens, and if it doesn't, it doesn't, and then you know, I got into a boy band and things. That's where we're going next. But I just I don't want to make this awkward you would have been three to seven years old. Were you aware of me? I went to SMU in Dallas. Were you aware of my you know, my prowess. I don't know what the word is. I'm looking for everybody. Did you feel the energy of me

and for those few years? Yeah, maybe that's why you cried later on because I had left already. Yeah, it's well he's not here, so what's the point. What is the point? Um? Yes, I was there for four years. SMME has turned out some greats. SMU has turned out some grades right now? Me? Um No, Cathy Bates, Cathy Bates. Of course we're garson. I think that's right. Some grades. Okay, boy band? So you go, Now do you leave school? You can't leave school. You have to still be going

to school a thirteen, you have to. So you you go to school out in California. We end up moving to calif When when I was okay, it took a couple of years to decide, like what are we going to do? My brother, closest an age to me, you know, went to college and so we're like, okay, well now I'm basically an only child. What do you guys want

to do? Ever since my dad lost his job in two thousand one, so he was sort of popping around, you know, when all that sort of like telecom thing he did sort of busted a little bit, and so everyone's looking for a change. I was obsessive boy bands, obsessive pop music, and there was a random audition. Um. I had a dance agent at the time, which is hilarious in hindsight because I'm not a dance agent. Yeah, I didn't know those existed. Was to be a band artist,

I don't think it was. I didn't think it was. Like again, boy bands like Instinct, Bactory boys were sort of like done. The craze was over. So I was like I missed the boat. And then someone held auditions and I showed up and got it, and then was in a boy band from like fourteen until nineteen basically, and what was it called and general? You know, she clearly knows it is going to What is n LT stand for? That's my next question. Does it stand for Ken?

Not like Them? Not like them? Yea, m hmm, okay, yep. All boy band names are good. That's the thing about boy bands. They all make sense and they're all good. So okay, there's so much to want Packer. Well, your friend here is doing Broadway musicals. You're in a boy band. You love it though you always wanted to be in a boy band. We're loving boys. This is a dream for you, and you're in it for four or five years. Now, are you touring? We did. We eventually did a little

touring when we were young. There wasn't that much going nowhere like internationally. It was just the Usum, yeah, a lot of that. We did two tours. The first tour we were in one eight hundred Cruise America r V. Following around we opened up for the Pussycat Dolls. So yeah, I've heard. I want to be very very clear, I am not making fun of Albuquerque. Okay, I want to. I want that on the record here before anything, before anything.

It's not New York City Broadway hashtag love Albuquerque. I was more saying, are you are you going to Paris or Mexico City or are we going to Albuquerque? Okay? Now, it was definitely very local. One Cruise America tells the story there, um okay. And then the second tour was what the second we had no we had proper tour buses and at that point, A couple of are people had ideas to put boy bands together. So we went on like a boy band tour the house of blues

all around America. Yeah, it wasn't very successful. I think are there across there used to be a lot there was. It was a time there were pop ups too. Yeah, it was before they all started closing. But yeah, we went all over the place. That was a while. And I relate to what Jenna was saying about being around older people in that time because we were the youngest people around. The music business is way I don't know if I can cuss, but crappier you want. It's shittier

than the acting business. There's no equity, there's no sag or after a it's just every man for themselves. And my parents are all of our parents and that at that time. We're all very aware of that and very protective. So they did a good job with that. But it's just like deals are bad, everyone's screwing you over. We had, you know, we'd go to New York audition for record labels, and so we had to learn as fifteen sixteen year olds how to be around these people and how to

operate professionally. And be a performer. And in high school then I was during the daytime going to class, at nighttime going to the recording studio, going we got signed to Geffen, which was under Interscope, and so I remember there was a party we went and I met Stevie Nicks and Mary J. Blige. And then the next day going to school and no one has any idea that this is like what I'm doing at nighttime. That's crazy,

But it was a very good. It was a really good education, especially with Glee coming because I did the touring and did the dance rehearsals, like recording studio, all of that. Don't don't take my tease, Damn. Are you a fan of Broadway musicals as a boy band member? Are you disdainful or dismissive or uninterested of that? I was probably mostly uninterested, uninterested. I grew up. My mom took me to every touring show that came through Dallas. I was obsessed with fan of the opera as a kid. Yeah,

I'd put on shows in my living room. But besides that, I didn't nessarily have an interest um in keeping up with it what was happening on Broadway. I didn't really know that world. Yeah, there was not so much more of an indifference, I guess for the musical theater. Okay. And now the same token, Jenna, as you're someone who's performing on Broadway. Now are you a fan of boy bands at this time? Are you? Are you? Yeah? I

didn't know an LT. I didn't do I did no Dream Street, okay, And I did know obviously in sinking back try boys? Who are they? No? I was kidding, Okay, So I wasn't big. I was able. Oh so you were a fan? Okay, definitely. It wasn't what I expected you to say, but actually both of you said when I didn't, which is why we asked the questions. I know. That's that's really interesting. So before we get to you, guys, is meeting you guys the time you guys met Kevin,

I actually met you before. Jenna, you were a very significant guest star on the Office when you were seventeen ish years of age. How was that experience for you the delivery boy I believe it was your title pizza delivery boy from Alfredo's. What was that experience to like for you? And how much experience did you have at that time in film and television. It sounds like not a lot, not a lot. It was I think my second guest star thing ever. The other one was Zoe

one on one on Nickelodeon. And yeah, it was a really really big thing for me. The audition process was unlike anything I'd ever experienced, where the callbacks we were in the room with Steve and he came in and read with us. You know, Steve Correll. I'll just say, Steve Um. I was dying. I was so terrified. Really were you? Were you a fan of the show. Oh, yeah, I was. And I was a fan of the the

UK version, like I was all about it. And Alison Jones, the casting director, is probably the only reason why I've had any sort of career because she, when no one else did, kept giving me chances on everything. So I got really close and super bad she and then she just you know, as if you get on TV and you become semi recognizable, you get to skip a couple rounds of auditioning and you just get brought into the later rounds. I didn't have any reason to get brought

into automatically too later rounds for things. She just started doing that for me because somehow she believed in me, and it I really took that to heart and made me feel better when I would go into these rooms that she would bring me into. But yeah, I went in an auditioned with Steve and got it and I screamed and was freaking out. And then all of you were just so so awful, no so nice. I mean I was. I was so intimidated obviously coming in there.

It's like, these are these professional adults and they're all talented and funny, and I felt like, you know, severe case of imposter syndrome. And everyone went out of their way to make me feel comfortable, to make me feel like I deserve to be there, every one of you, and um, it was just really really great. And also what a great gig you guys had, because I mean, Jennet, those sets were pre lit, like, oh my god, the way they could set up something so quickly. They were

on their own, they had their own stage. Oh god, it was the dream. So you ruined it for anything else because I feel like you also gotten still. Oh, I get recognized so often from that one episode, and it's it's absolutely I don't know how you go anywhere because I was in one episode and you still do. I can't, by the way, but you still do. Oh yeah, oh yeah, that's a lot crazy because I went back and looked at those pictures and you do look quite different. Yeah,

I mean you are older, let's be clear. So am I. I guess that's how time works. I'll explain it to you later. Wow, well that is very very interesting. Yeah, I would I don't know that I would have thought that with with everything that's coming after. Still, so you guys, just say the least you have a very diverse training and backgrounds. Talk to me about Glee. How did the opportunities come up for both of you? Um? Were these just auditions first off? Yes? Regular? Okay? And what did

you have to do? Obviously? Did you have to dance as well as sing as well? As you? Did? Not know? And they realized that was probably a mistake later on, how to bring in some people who could dance, like nobody can dance, not one, not even everybody can sing that we um. No, I was in the Spring. I

was in Spring Awakening. At the time. It was the same casting director Jim Carnahan in New York who cast Spring Awakening was also casting the New York side of Glee, and so we had it was all a buzz in theater and they were like, Oh, there's this new musical theater TV show that's coming out, and everybody got brought in for it because the pilot also was like some of these characters like Argentina were pretty non specific, and so I went in and um, everybody went in and

we didn't have to sing for our first audition because they were like, I guess you're on Broadway. I guess you can sing. So I didn't have to sing in my first call. Um, I just went on PA and just read, just read lines like any other show. Yeah. Yeah, And literally Tina's only line was a stutter and she said, uh, and that's it. That was my entire audition first Underson, God, that's all you did. They didn't give you anything else.

That that's it. That was it. Wow. I'm not going to say anything bad but that they've got to be more creative than that. This is poor people, Okay, Yeah, I mean literally, by a weird stutter on one day, your entire life could be changed. Sliding Doors. Check out the movie, So Kevin, what about you? Well know you're in a boy band. That's right, does that mean that they knew that you could sing or did you have to sing? They sure did not know I could say, so we had to sing, you'd prepare a song. I

read the script before. I remember I brought two friends with me. I was like, Oh, this show shoots in New York. I don't know why I thought that. Um, yeah, I don't know why. I hadn't probably mixed up with something else. And I went in an audition and it wasn't an audition room. It was in Robert Rick, who casted its like in his office, and I just sat on the other side of the desk from him, and it was one of those places where the walls are really thin, so you can hear what everybody is doing.

Is this what you're talking about? Yeah, Oh my god, those walls are really thin there, and so so awkward. Yeah, it's just awkward on a good day when there's no singing singing. And that's how I felt, because I a one have terrible nerves auditioning, hate auditioning, and then having to sing. Like the first thing to like go when you get nervous is your voice, Like vocal cords just freeze up and then you can hear what everybody's doing. It's just so embarrassing, mortifying. So I went in there.

I sang let it be. I've never heard of it. Let it be. It's a new song the artists. I intentionally only prepared like a verse and a chorus because the song is so slow, so I was like, I'm not going to board them to death. Let me just do this. Then I get to the end of the chorus and Robert goes like, keep going, keep crying. I'm like, I'm a fake fan. I don't know the second verson this,

and so I don't know what I did. I think I sort of stumbled through saying singing this verse verse again and then went into the chorse again because I knew that um. And then I did the scenes and then immediately which also never happen, and he's like, okay, so when you come back and started talking about the next audition, I was like, what's nice? Okay, great? And then I went back two days later to Ryan's office at Paramount, and it was it went from being at

Robert's desk too a boardroom. Basically, it was a full table of fifteen people, right, you know, in this gigantic room. Brad Ellis, who ended up being on the show and playing the piano. He was there. We went early to practice our songs with him, and I prepared two songs this time, ended up still doing Let It Be. And Yeah, it was a full crazy I learned the words. I was prepared this time. Yeah, I and again I was So it wasn't that I was just I don't think

I was good at playing the character. I was just so nervous that that's what already became. Because I did the song. The nerves were already and then I literally ran in out of the room and that was it, Like I think Ian Brennan, who was runing the creators of the show, later he told me he was like, yeah, we knew from that immediately we wanted you, but I had to wait seven weeks of test because they hadn't found anybody else yet. Oh my god. Wow. Then I

met Jen and I met in l A on the test. Yeah, okay, so before we get there. Apparently you just love name dropping single first names of famous people. So Steve, for now, it's Ryan. Ryan Murphy is who he's talking about, the creator of Glee and many other shows. It's as hard when you know so many famous people. Brian just call me be from now. Well, I was just talking to be Um Yeah, and it's not Beyonce. What Oh yeah,

I guess did she take it first? Impressions are too soon at that point, you're you're nervous around a board table of of Ryan Murphy and co. Yeah. I don't. I just sort of looked like the Last Supper to me, where it was a lot of people. I didn't really know much about Ryan, I know who he is in that in that famous it was it was like it did look like the Last Suffer. Okay, stop, that's crazy. Yeah, okay, So you guys test and you meet friendly right away.

Do you remember meeting each other at the test later on? Yeah, we weren't necessarily. I think we were all nervous talking. It's one of those things. It's also weird because you're in the room with the person you're testing against. Right. So there was Chris Colefir, who was testing against himself basically for Kurt Hummel, and then there was um Me and another girl who tested for Tina, both from New York.

And then there was Kevin and another person from New York also testing for Artie so there are five of us in the room. We all arrive. This is our first network test ever, all of us for the studio test. So we're sitting there in silence, like this is the weirdest thing ever. And they're like, and by the way, you can't leave until everybody finishes their auditions. You're like, what is this jail? And so like it was really weird. Um,

And then we're all sitting there pretty silently. I had just literally flown in on a red eye from a show the night before. So I had flown in on a red eye. They put me up at the Innercontinental. They let me shower, and then I had to walk my ass to Fox and get in that room. And we're sitting there and all of a sudden you hear like, oh, gust of wind, and like Ryan Murphy walks in and he's like, hey, guys, are you nervous? Don't be nervous. We just want you to be. I feel happy and excited.

We're nervous as you are. And then like walks away and you're like, okay, um, that didn't help. It's in and in some weird way it did. He like broke the ice a little bit and then we all I kind of smiled and laughed at each other and that was that is that? Yeah, acknowledging the elephant in the room, like this is a good luck so weird, it is

a weird situation. Anytime I tell I don't even know if I've talked about it on this anytime I tell people who are not in our industry about that experience, which is essentially, you have prenegotiated your life away for seven years. Sorry, you have pre negotiated your life away potentially for seven years, and it's done as long as they signed. Basically, you've signed it away, right, done right,

They're just hanging on to that piece of paper. And if not, you have literally put yourself through a torture for no reason. Yeah, you know how much money you'll be making. You And for us, we signed included touring and albums, merchandizing, really and we were nobody's so we had no I no concept. They're like, are you sure you want to sign this? I'm like, are you joking?

Of course I'm going to sign this. You know, prenegotiated your tour rights and merchandise because high school musical had happened a couple of years before, and they weren't their first tour, they weren't locked into a deal, and so High School Musical ended up. Those kids made a lot of money on tour well, and Fox also had American Idol, which they had also like some experience in this like this realm, So it was like three sixty Yeah, wow, spoiler alert, you both get it. How many years were

you working together? Six? I mean it was seven years, but six seasons because we how we shot it. Yeah, six and a half years for a long time, and you the two of you close from the beginning or was this a relationship that needed time to cook. Close from the beginning? Yeah, immediately we were close. There was Chris, me Amber and Kevin had been brought together to start rehearsing some of the music very early on. We were brought out to shoot the pilot, but we were brought out.

I was brought out from New York weeks before to rehearse for the pilot. So it's not like a normal TV show where you, you know, have a table read and then you show up on the day and you start shooting like the pilot. It was like weeks of rehearsal before we started this show. So like, don't stop believing. There were like five different versions of this song that we had rehearsed, and every time Ryan would come in and be like not right, and then me and um, yeah.

And you know, Chris and I had come from Chris came from Clovis, California. He like, he drove down and stayed in l A. And I had flown out from New York. And so we we spent a lot of time together, the four of us, because we didn't have a lot of friends or anybody in l A. We were here solely for Glee. Okay, by the way, I have heard stories from some of your crew, how do you get these musical numbers done in the number of days you have to shoot? We did? How is this achieved?

Just blood and sweat and tears. The show was always scheduled to I mean, our show was normally scheduled to shoot for eight days, That's right. I think maybe we made eight days a handful of times. Never in those six years, I think realistically what ten? Probably ten? Yeah, probably, so we would start doubling up on episodes. But the musical numbers they had to basically any time the you know quotes, the adults Matt Morrison or Jane Lynch anytime

they were filming, and then we weren't with them. We were in dance rehearsal or the recording studio. Like sometimes, you know, your lunch break involves you getting in a car and eating all the way to the recording studio, putting down a song for a half hour, turning around and getting back into touch ups to go back to set. So it was intent they didn't you didn't have a recording studio on you that would have really actually helped, but very expensive. They're very expensive, and we didn't spend

a ton of time at their recording studio. You'd be pretty unless you were doing like a you know, a massive solo song like you were, you were in and out pretty the beginning. You spent more time there was, for some reason, more time. So as it got going, we would later on as the years and by that's when we'd have like those very quick lunch break turn

around things. But the first thirteen episodes of the first season, we were sometimes in the recording studio for like half a day because everyone was still figuring out the formula was right. Yeah, So you know, once we got through that then there were demo singers who were doing each of our parts, and all that was planned out before we ever entered, so we were just going in and

copying somebody to save time. But those early days, Adamanders who was the music producer, and yeah, Ryan would be there and they're figuring out our voices, what can our voices do, who sounds best together? That sort of thing. So the musical numbers essentially like logistically as you as we got into them, they they built the stage to scale from the stages we shot on the auditorium that we shot on in Long Beach, because the first season we were driving back and forth the Long Beach in

order to do musical numbers and we were exhausted. And so was the second season or back now yeah, it was no. They had finished it like four or five episodes into season two. They built us the stages, thank god, the auditorium, and essentially, as guest directors would come in new ones that weren't returning, they would have to kind of learn the formula of how to get this done. And it was very much like a pain by numbers at that point, like camera new you go, you start

from the back, you get the crane. If you want it, you move up. You get the two on the side, We get the dolly, we get the steady, we bring the steadicam on stage. You turn it around, you get their reactions, you get behind our legs and our feet, and then you're out and it. It essentially started to take like a seven eight hour day scene to do a musical number versus Don't Stop. That took like a

day and a half. Yeah, I remember. The goal was always a try to finish one of those big musical numbers by lunch, but we'd always have to come back and do turn Around. Yeah, turn around or something like that. Yeah. Wow. Um, there's a lot of but there's a lot of talk on Reddit. What would you say is the craziest Glee

storyline of all time? Kevin as an STD Yeah to me talking about STDs um um, the you know, I have to say, I mean in the very beginning, like the hysterical pregnancy was pretty crazy, like that was that was a wild story. And then plotting to steal a student's baby, like you know, that happened immediately, like there was no time. That's just part of Glee. That's just baked,

baked in this is a pretty wild one. What about Quinn getting in a car accident that was going to be my second one and then being in a wheelchair for a while, so like her and already got some time together and then she magically healed and was okay, and I'm saying I'm still standing, which was very uncomfortable and cringe e. That was a really weird one. That was that was weird. Um, I have I have a quiz. Well, we're going to fail, so we're definitely gonna fail Glee Pilot.

Addition to Truth and a Lie, actually pilot, we know, I think all right? To Truths and a Lie. Number one, Emma's parents were Ginger supremacists. To fail Will Schuster belly danced in the library. Three there was a school riot about a tater top band in the cafeteria. To truth and a lie. What's the lie? I think? I have a guess, Jenna, do you have a guess? I'll think The second one, um belly dancing. The belly dancing was you're saying the belly dancing never happened? Yeah, sorry, that

wasn't just in my imagination? Correct, you win really embarrassed? No, it wouldn't have been I would fail many many A quizzes, but that was fun. I gotta bring that back. Great job producers coming up with that one. I like the looks on your faces, your care and shock. Um, you guys are going back. You're going back to school. It's right, there was a transition. We're massochists. We are listen, listen now I do this. Uh, you're going back to school

and that's what you really missed. New podcast. Are you having fun? You're back together, So that's good, which is great. It's always great. It's easy with each other, you know. Yeah, now we are, We're enjoying it. We're enjoying the podcast. Obviously we've done this before, so it's um an interesting idea, but we're grateful to be reimagining and rebranding. And this take is a bit more intentional and a bit more honest and raw and open about people's experiences on the show.

And you know, we're just kind of taking a deeper dive. So it's definitely, yes, we are enjoying ourselves. And you're you're doing a benefit. I understand raising fund and awareness. Well, you had a cast mate, do you want to talk about Nya Rivera a little bit yeah, cast mate Nay Rivera, who passed away a couple of years ago. She was a big supporter of Alexandria House, which is an incredible um local l a organization that helps women and children

who are in need of transitional housing. And after she passed away, we you know, we're looking for anything to do to do good and also sort of honor her memory amongst us, you know, her co workers and friends. And she used to throw these crazy, amazing Christmas parties called Snicks because her nickname was Snacks and they were

like extravagant she did every year. After all the crew and cast like carol ers at the front, there was Sandy's lay, There was like the DJ was in a tower at one point, like they made it dance studio of the dance floor like it was. She I was like, when did who negotiated your contract? Because truly, I think I'm gonna spend this much more. I was like, why nobody?

She loved hosting a part. Okay, so snakes Moss was an annual event, and so we thought, what better way than for the Holidays to raise funds for Alexandria House, keep nives memory alive and keep snick Smiths alive. UM and so yeah, yeah, it's and it's it's their third

which I can't believe we're already at our third. Snick smith and this year, you know, I heard has been incredibly generous to allow us to use their theater in Burbank and we are doing our first in person event in Los Angeles on December six and then December eighth, where it's going to be live stream for those who can't make it, UM and all the live streamers who have been there with us over zoom the last couple of years as well. Like this is really a grassroots operation,

is what we call it. There's no donation that is too small. UM. I think the first year we raised over a hundred thousand dollars and the average donation amount was probably ten dollars, so it was pretty UM. That's incredible. Yeah, pretty mind blowing. So we're really excited about it. December the six, seven o'clock the I Heart Theater there in what is Johnny Carson used to say, beautiful downtown Burbank. Um. Congratulations, thanks you guys for doing that. I'm excited for you.

Everyone's talking about the podcast. Congratulations on that I'm glad you guys are back together and doing it's really it's really fun and it's great to see both of you again. Let's do it. Let's do it more often. Yeah, for sure. Thanks for having us, So we should have you know, there was an episode of the Office where they referenced my character on Glee. Yeah, maybe we need to have you come on to our show and we can talk about that episode. Now he's crossed over. Is that the

viewing party where we have a blue viewing party? Yeah? I love it. Yeah, it was really meta and I loved it and I appreciated it. All I can remember right now is I think that's where I ate pigs and a blanket and a blanket. Yeah, that sounds familiar to me. Yeah, and you know, and thank you again.

Like you you were also so great to me when I was on that show, and it really helped me and informed me how when I became a regular on a show too, hopefully be you know, a fraction as accommodating and welcoming as you guys were to meet so well, thanks for that. No, and you know, I could make a joke right now, but I but I won't because I think it's no, no, because I think, honest to God, look, we were we were a cast of grown ups, if

you will. And I guess what I mean by that is so many of us had failed pilots or had been in the theater, and so everybody felt grateful and lucky to be there, and a lot of us had been on the other side of it and knew how that felt. And it's like, I know, this is what I always says. It takes just as much energy to be nice as it does to be an asshole, So why not choose that? And ultimately it's a better work environment, right, So thank you for saying that. Congrats you guys, thank

you for doing this Nick Smith stuff. And uh, happy holidays you too. See you in the new year. Thank you. Thanks Jenna Kevin, thank you so much for joining me today. It was great catching up. You're awesome. I can't wait to listen to your new podcast. And thank you for keeping the snick s Mus spirit alive Mary snicks Mus Everyone, listeners, I hope you enjoyed the episode. I'm gonna see you next week for another interview on Off the Beat. It's going to be a good one. More stories, more laughs,

more of everything. I'll catch you. Then we're coming into the holiday season. Who could it be? Maybe Santa Off. The Beat is hosted and executive produced by me Brian Baumgartner, alongside our executive producer Langley. Our senior producer is Diego Tapia. Our producers are Liz Hayes, Hannah Harris, and Emily Carr. Our talent producer is Ryan Papa Zachary, and our intern is Sammy Cats. Our theme song Bubble and Squeak, performed by the one and only Creed Bratton M