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Which Glee Stars Will Still Be Famous After the Show Ends?
Which Glee kids will still be famous when the show ends?
—Corinne Huntley, via Facebook
Now, I cannot predict the fate of Miss Quinn Fabray following her smashing text-and-drive cliffhanger. But the least I can do is help you sort out her off-screen future, as well as that of her fellow cast mates.
According to my research, Dianna Agron is not currently a fave in the Most Likely to Succeed category, but I know who is:
And it’s not any of the students!
According to the Q Scores company, which measures the ever-changing recognizability and appeal of celebrities, Matthew Morrison has the highest such rating among the main cast members. That makes him the actor with the most potential, should the show ever die.
(I am not talking about the future of Jane Lynch, who was famous before Glee and will be famous after, as she is eternally fabulous. According to another company, E-Poll Market Research, Lynch has the highest awareness and appeal out of all of ‘em, with an E-Score of 88 percent!)
“Matthew Morrison leads the way with a 28 Positive Q Score, meaning that 28 percent of the population familiar with him say he is ‘one of their favorite” personalities’,” says Henry Schafer, the company’s executive vice president. “He has a very slight edge over Lea Michele and Amber Riley.”
Also, unlike Agron, Riley, Mark Salling and Chord Overstreet, Morrison has a major film project in his future: a part in the Cameron Diaz flick What To Expect When You’re Expecting.
E-Poll has a second odds-on current favorite: Lea Michele. She ties Morrison in E-Poll data (though she trails on Q Scores).
She also has a splashy upcoming project, as a voice in the movie Dorothy of Oz. There’s also chatter about a Spring Awakening movie, but that’s far from a done deal. Still, future projects are always a good sign that a celeb’s fame isn’t fleeting, at least, not right away.
Morrison, Michele and Riley all have above-average Q Scores, Schafer tells me, along with two other Gleeks: Chris Colfer and Salling.
Of those two guys, Colfer’s career seems more promising. Like I said, Salling has no other outside projects in the can, while Colfer does, in a big way. Colfer wrote, produced and stars in the upcoming flick Struck by Lightning, due out this year. Enterprise is another sign of future promise: A kid who has hustle will always last longer in this biz.
As for Cory Monteith, Overstreet and Darren Criss, they all have Q Scores closer to average, Schafer tells me. Criss, of course, has a history of success on Broadway that could get him more work if Glee sunsets. He also has two small parts in upcoming films, but nothing as major as the projects attached to Michele, Morrison or Colfer.
Of all of the above cast members, there’s one whose career seems the most up in the air: Agron.
According to some polls, she has the lowest appeal among the entire Glee cast, while other data places her near the highest. Maybe she’s just the gal we love to hate…while she sings.
Why Glee’s Grant Gustin Hopes Sebastian Is the Heir to the Sue Sylvester Throne
One day after Glee aired its winter finale — which included an attempted suicide, a win at Regionals, a near-exchange of matrimonial I do’s, and a surprise car wreck — Grant Gustin was back at it, auditioning for film roles while the regular cast shot its next episode.
At the moment, Gustin doesn’t know the fate of his controversial alter-ego Sebastian, the smarmy Warbler introduced as this season’s threat to New Directions. Karofsky’s tragedy appears, for now, to have shaken him of his diabolical ways, but up until then, well, to paraphrase Santana, Sebastian seemed to have been borne from such ’80s jerk-offs as Pretty in Pink’s Steff (James Spader) and Some Kind of Wonderful‘s Hardy (Craig Scheffer).
“I’m on an episode-to-episode basis, so as of now, I haven’t filmed anything for the return in the spring,” Gustin told TVGuide.com. “It’s all up in the air right now, and I have no idea what’s next for him to be honest.”
A month ago, reports surfaced that Gustin, whose professional credits include the Broadway revival of West Side Story and more recently an episode of CSI: Miami, would be promoted to a series regular next season. But that isn’t a done deal. “They have an option on me,” Gustin said. “Basically, if I am to be back next year, that’s most likely what would happen. But they haven’t asked me back yet, and I don’t know if that’s going to be the case.”
But does Sebastian deserve an encore? Gustin, 22, says he hasn’t been given a backstory for the guy outside of his likes — lacrosse, Lima Bean, Scandals, Courvoisier — and he doesn’t deny that the guy’s been pretty uniformly awful. But rather than looking to outright bad guys, he says he drew inspiration from Coach Sue (Jane Lynch). “I wasn’t playing the ’80s villain thing,” he said. “Actually, the first thing I obviously thought to channel was the energy that Jane Lynch brings to Sue Sylvester. We’ve seen her softer side, and she does both mean and soft in this incredibly honest way. So I tried to do that. I tried to think, OK, this guy believes everything he’s saying, and maybe he’s doing it for insecure reasons or maybe he’s just that confident. I just tried to be honest about it.” And just as Sue has been revealed gradually — through her sister, romantic relationships and a bout of depression — Gustin hopes the same might be done for Sebastian. “There are plenty of possibilities if they do bring me back,” he said. “What happened to Karofsky hit very close to home for him. It shocked him into reality, I think. I was surprised it happened so soon. I don’t know if the snarkiness is gone now or if he’s a nice guy, but seeing a different side of him is exciting.”
But Glee still has a lot of work to do if they’re going to try and ingratiate the guy who nearly blinded Blaine (Darren Criss) with fans. “After the Michael Jackson episode, after that slushie… yeah, everyone hates Sebastian,” Gustin laughed. “It’s hard sometimes, but I guess that’s the point. I just have to appreciate that.” And while it made sense for Blaine to join New Directions once he and Kurt became a couple, none of the writers have communicated a Season 4 Sebastian game plan to Gustin. He and the other recurring actors — including Vanessa Lengies and Damian McGinty — are called back on an as-needed basis.
“It’s very last-minute, but that’s not their fault. They’ve got a huge cast and an unbelievable amount of material and people that they’re working with,” Gustin said. “The fact that it’s last-minute, you just have to understand and respect it. It’s been crazy, though. I was in Virginia visiting my family when I found out I was gonna be in the ‘Michael’ episode, and they asked if I could be in the studio the next day. I said, ‘Sure!’ and got on a red eye that night. It’s just the way it is, and you kind of roll with it because it’s an amazing experience.”
Amber Riley: I Dropped Two Dress Sizes
Glee star Amber Riley turned heads when she stepped out in a blue Theia sequin gown – and showed off a slimmer silhouette! – at the NAACP Image Awards on Feb. 17.
The actress tells PEOPLE she decided to revamp her eating habits last July after chronic stomach pains drove her to the doctor.
“I decided I was going to make a change and eat healthier,” says Riley, 26, who cut out the fast food and burgers that she says “were attacking my stomach.”
After seven months of sticking to a new diet and exercise plan, she has hit a weight loss milestone: “I dropped two dress sizes!”
The red carpet darling also says that getting dolled up for events is a little easier now. “I’m a lot more comfortable in dresses, especially gowns,” she says.
On set, Riley’s trimmer figure has been causing quite a stir in the costume department. “We had to revamp the wardrobe,” she says. “They bought a lot of new clothes for me and we have to take in a lot of my pants and dresses.”
But no matter what size she’s wearing, the actress has always been a body confident role model. “I’ve always been comfortable with my size,” says Riley. “I just decided it was time to get healthy.”
What’s Next for Quinn?
Ok, while a lot went down during last night’s Glee – New Directions won Regionals, Rachel nearly married Finn, Sue got pregnant — I am only interested in talking about Quinn Fabray’s episode ending car accident.But before we dissect the ramifications this traffic jam might have on the remainder of season three, let’s first reflect on the total hatchet-job the writers (cough Ryan Murphy cough) have inflicted upon Quinn — and, to a large extent, Dianna Agron) this season.
Rumor has it that creator Ryan Murphy loathes Dianna and that’s why Quinn’s storylines have been the leftovers from a sh*t sandwich.
If true, that is wildly unprofessional, but not at all surprising given the fact that Quinn’s personality has changed so wildly from episode to episode (anhedonic goth, vindictive child snatcher, baby-hungry near-raper, good christian, anti-glee club beeyotch, dearly devoted glee-club princess all in the span of 14 episodes) that fans who’ve stuck with her have suffered case after case of whiplash.
But even given this track record, it seems pretty cruel that Quinn would only get redemption — and a Cheerios uniform — moments before she gets hit by a car while texting and driving. An act that will (presumably) ruin Rachel’s wedding, making Quinn the ultimate objector.
And not to diminish the impact of Glee’s important Don’t Text and Drive message, but Quinn did not run a stop sign or a stop light as a result of her texting (or at least the show didn’t properly imply that she had). So in reality, the guy who barreled into Quinn was truly at fault (way to botch that message, Glee). But I digress.
So yes, Quinn’s car was demolished by a deficient driver, leaving us to wonder what happened to the newly reinstated Cheerio over the upcoming 7 week hiatus.
Thankfully I have some spoilers about what’s to come on Glee – so read on if you want to know.
First of all, this photo was snapped on the Glee set Tuesday, revealing that Quinn not only survives but Dianna will get an upper arm workout in the weeks to come.
As for the next episode back, titled Big Brother, it features the first appearance of Matt Bomer as Blaine Anderson’s brother, Cooper.
Yes, that’s right. Cooper Anderson. Bathe in that one boys and girls. And that’s not the only nugget to come out about Big Brother — click here to find out more.
Max Adler: ‘Glee’s’ Emotional Suicide Story Will Create Hope For LGBT Youth
“Glee” star Max Adler, who turned in his most powerful performance to date this week as Kurt’s former bully, David Karofsky, says the team behind the hit FOX series is hoping to raise awareness of cyberbullying and its effects on LGBT youth.
Max stopped by Access Hollywood Live on Wednesday, where he shared how he prepared for the moving performance.
“I put the work in to figure out what motivates that stuff and if you read the articles and talk to the people out there that are cyberbullied, you understand that it’s such a desperate action and there’s no way out,” Max, whose character attempted suicide on Tuesday’s episode after his classmates at his new school discovered he was gay, told Billy Bush and Kit Hoover.
“This is an important issue to tackle. The main message is that there is hope,” the 26-year-old actor said. “You’ve just got to find someone that loves you and accepts you for who you are, which Karofsky found in [Chris Colfer’s character] Kurt.”
Max believes the advances in technology have made bullying easier for the bullies and much harder for the victims.
“It’s kind of gone from the old school, hand-to-hand combat method, where you could see someone’s face and really see the emotions, to now, it’s just the click of the button — from another country you can crush someone’s spirit,” he told Billy and Kit. “I feel like people don’t realize that because they’re desensitized because it’s just a screen… they don’t feel it. It doesn’t feel connected… Not only do we hope to give a message to the victims of bullying, but to the people who are doing the bullying to show just how you can really affect somebody.”
The “Glee” star is also hoping that schools and educators take bigger steps to combat to sometimes deadly issue.
“You’ve got school districts telling principals and teachers that you can’t say the word gay. You can’t teach about homosexual poets and they’re trying to push it away like it doesn’t exist. It just makes people more curious and I feel like it does need to be talked about,” he continued. “Hopefully, we’ll change people’s mind and their perception of things.”
GleeHab Review: “On My Way”
Whoa. I almost feel like that’s enough to sum up the whole episode. Almost.
I’d just like to put this out there: this episode contained some seriously heavy material. A lot of people are upset that Glee, a comedy, dug so deep into this but I have to say that I applaud them. The only beef I have is that they did not put a major disclaimer before the episode warning the audience that some of the material could be triggering. At the end of this review, I have posted the phone numbers for several support lines. I beg of you, if you are suffering, please call them. And I’m not even joking when I tell you that my inbox is always open.
Let’s continue…
Young Barbara Streisand & Old Betty White
Oooh Sebastian you are so easy to hate. And I loathe you. I love Grant though, super cool dude I’ve heard.
Sebastian crashes Kurt & Rachel’s bridal bliss to threaten New Directions, and more specifically Rachel, with some mega blackmail. Finn Hudson naked…in heels…and Photoshopped. That little brat threatened to upload that picture to the internet if Rachel didn’t drop out of Regionals all together. He encourages her to come down with the Asian Bird Flu like Tina had (is that how they’re explaining her complete disappearance from one and half episodes?) and drop out of competition.
Rachel is of course horrified and is left in quite the conundrum. She knows they’ll win if she sings but she knows Finn will be mortified if she doesn’t drop out. Back in the choir room, Finn is livid and shocked that Rachel has decided to perform and Will tries to convince them all to take the high road.
Can’t say I blame Finn in this one and what Rachel said was a little harsh. I know he doesn’t have a clue what he’s doing after he graduates but she didn’t need to kick him in his ego by telling him that their future depends on her. It’s all just ugly.
Who Knocked Up Sue?
Quinn is summoned to Sue’s office to be the first to know that Sue is all sorts of pregnant. Was she asking for advice? Apparently not. Quinn however, thought she’d seize the moment and ask for her spot on the Cherrios back. Aaaaaand Sue shoots her down. I guess her “nice” preggo hormones hadn’t kicked in yet.
Gird Your Loins
And no, I’m not talking about Dreamy Darren singing his beautiful heart out. I’m talking about the sequence that goes on throughout his incredible performance of “Cough Syrup”. I have to say, I have not been the biggest fan of Darren’s solos to date but this one was absolutely phenomenal. I was literally shaking in my seat from the whole thing. I would post the whole performance and the sequence that goes along with it but to be honest, it is still hard for me to watch. The long and short of it is that Karofsky’s bullying hits its peak when his peers write “fag” on his locker. He goes home and gets online and sees all of the horrible things people have posted about him. He puts on his Sunday best, walks into the closet, and attempts to commit suicide.
I would like to stop right here and give major props to Max Adler who plays Dave Karofsky. I can’t imagine what an emotionally taxing role this was for him. He did a superb job and really needs his own shout out on this. You could actually feel his pain. Bravo, Max. Bravo.
Whose Job Was It?
Continuing with this heartbreaking plot, we now find ourselves in Figgins’ office where Bieste, Schue, Emma, and Sue are all talking about what happened. Emma asks probably the most poignant question, “whose job was it?” Something like this isn’t anyone’s fault. Figgins was right to want to tell the student body of what happened. The sick thing is, is that it takes something like this to make people understand the horrible repercussions bullying can have.
Cut to Kurt calling Quinn out on her bullshit. Dave was not being selfish and her comparing herself to be anything close to what he was going through was asinine in my opinion. I’m not discounting what Quinn went through but I didn’t agree with the reasoning behind her words. Thank God Kurt stepped in and told it like it was. We also learned that Kurt was holding himself responsible for what happened.
Let’s Get Married!
On to some lighter subject matter. So Finn & Rachel are still being stupid in their quest for premature marriage. Ugh I hate this storyline with the fire of a thousand suns. Love Finchel, hate this plot. So they agree to get married after they win Regionals…and blah blah blah.
Sebastian Has a Heart?
Sebby calls the gang to Lima Bean to institute a truce. He destroyed the photos and tells them that he wants to win fair and square. He then goes on to explain how he played a part in bullying Karofsky. And then he utters a sentence that makes me so mad that I want to punch a wall, “It’s all fun and games, until it’s not.” I have news for you, it is never fun and games. Okay, I’ll step off my soapbox now…
Will Schuester. Teacher of the Year.
THANK THE GLEE GODS that Will had a chance to redeem himself after that Spanish Teacher debacle. Now this deserves a playback.
This was perfect.
IAN BRENNAN
I’ll discuss the Regionals performances in a second but let’s all pause right here:
Yup, that’s none other that Glee co-creator, Ian Brennan. This made me giddy.
So, now on to Regionals. AMAZING! PERFECT! INCREDIBLE! And a much-needed lift after such a depressing first half. Whew.
I loved the Warblers’ performances but I have such a soft spot for the New Directions in competitions. I ALWAYS cry when they perform. Ugh it just destroys me in the best possible way. How cute was Finn making everyone get up? AND YAY!!! They won and they deserved it. Duh.
P.S. Long live the Troubletones
After all is said and done, Quinn gets her cheer leading cred back, Rachel gets her buddy at her wedding, and it looks like the wedding is on.
It Gets Better
Kurt brings this heart wrenching storyline to an emotional head when he visits Karofsky in the hospital. He apologized for not returning his calls and Dave apologized for making his life miserable. The saddest part about all of this is that this is not a storyline created by Ryan, Ian, and Brad. This is real life and every day people suffer like Karofsky did. What people don’t always see though, is that it really does get better and Kurt painted that picture for Dave. It was beautiful.
Going to the Chapel
Hold the phone…when I was pregnant I was never nice. But kudos to Sue for using her hormones for good and being genuinely happy for Will and New Directions. I always love it when they humanize Sue but I’m hoping we’re not seeing the last of her nasty ways. She’s the perfect villain and I’d love to see a balance of the two. My guess is that as she gets further along in her pregnancy (it’s going to be so weird to see this play out), she’ll resume her normal bitch behavior. Lord knows I did.
I’m asking this question again, can Rachel’s dads just stay on the show forever? I can’t even tell you how much I love these two. Add Burt and Carole to the mix and it is like an epic foursome of awesome. I love their plotting to stop the wedding. I was giggling so hard. They need a spin-off.
Soon we cut to Finn seeing Rachel in her wedding dress for the first time. He’s awestruck (she was gorg) and they seemed genuinely happy. I will say this about them, they are in loooooooove. I still don’t think they should get married though.
And perhaps they won’t because something HUGE happens that may indefinitely postpone the nuptials.
Cliffhanger, meet Cliffhanger
Quinn is rushing back to make it time for the wedding after picking up her bridesmaid dress. Rachel is bugging her to hurry and Quinn dutifully ignores the first text as while she’s driving. But it is the second one that causes the biggest cliffhanger in Glee history. She goes to answer is and is broadsided by a truck. And then it’s over. Fade to black. To be continued.
WHAAAAAAT??? We don’t know if Quinn is OK and we don’t know if Rachel & Finn got married. It’s like the biggest double whammy ever. And SO RUDE!! Now we have to wait seven freaking weeks to find out what happened. Ugh damn you Glee and your constant and painful hiatuses (is that the plural of hiatus?)
Well, there you have it. This episode emotionally drained me. I thought Glee was about opening yourself up to joy. I can’t say I’m particularly joyful after that but it was an incredible episode.
Tell me, what did you think? Hit the comments and let me know!
And for your information:
Depression Hotline: 1-630-482-9696
Suicide Hotline: 1-800-784-8433
LifeLine: 1-800-273-8255
Trevor Project: 1-866-488-7386
Sexuality Support: 1-800-246-7743
Eating Disorders Hotline: 1-847-831-3438
Rape and Sexual Assault: 1-800-656-4673
Grief Support: 1-650-321-5272
Runaway: 1-800-843-5200, 1-800-843-5678, 1-800-621-4000
Exhale: After Abortion Hotline/Pro-Voice: 1-866-4394253
Various Max Adler Interviews
Glee‘s Max Adler Spills on One of the Series Most Shocking Moments Ever!
Tonight’s episode of Glee was everything a mid-season finale should be: shocking, emotional, funny, and full of surprises. Add the series’ most shocking cliffhanger to that mix, and you’ve got the makings of a historic Glee episode.
And a huge part of tonight’s crazy twist-filled episode was Dave Karofsky, played by Max Adler. We saw the bully’s journey come full circle, and if you haven’t watched tonight’s Glee yet, please avert your eyes. Because we spoke with Adler about his reaction to Karofsky’s surprising storyline, and he had lots of great things to say about it. Plus, he reveals if he’ll be back after the looong hiatus…
This is one of the most controversial, if not the most controversial, and intense storyline that Glee has ever done. What was going through your head when you first heard this is where your storyline was going?
Max Adler: I was incredibly happy that the writers and producers chose to go there, and I said that to them, ‘It’s so brave and honest, and you’re really treating this character with the integrity that he deserves.’… I felt like to not show the struggle and to have him just kind of flip over and be nice and be happy, I just felt like it wouldn’t have done it the proper justice and it wouldn’t have been treated with the honesty that it deserves. So I was incredibly happy that they decided to kind of push the envelope and go there because I feel like the message that results out of that in the end is one of hope and optimism.
Glee‘s specialty is combining high school comedy and high school drama.
To me I feel like you’ve got a show like Glee, where it deals with high school and it deals with all the excitement and the optimism and the hope of your future and being able to go anywhere and do anything you want to do. But on the flip side, you have to show the struggles and the anxieties and the fears that kids can go through…so paradoxily you can understand that the light and the hope and the happiness in the comedy that Glee does.
We first saw you this season in the “First Time” episode. Did you know then what was going to happen or did you find out later?
I found out later. I didn’t know until I got the script. Nothing was ever discussed with me, they just kind of provide it and then I’m just thrilled to be able to experience it and portray it. So, I had no idea where it was going. When I got cast in season one, it was just a two line, slushy-throwing thing. I don’t think anybody had any idea that it would kind of become this incredibly complex, rich character. And I [give] all the credit to the writers for seeing what is happening in the world and in the news and being able to tell a story that can shed light on it and open people’s minds and have them gain perspective about what’s really going on.I think that after people see the episode, a lot of the credit is going to go to you, because you were really great in the scene.
That means a lot, thank you. We took it very seriously. I think the really important thing in that scene as you saw was the decision to commit suicide was made after the Facebook messages, and to me, I feel like the locker room is heartbreaking and tragic but you can deal with that a little bit more because it’s kind of face-to-face, and you feel the emotions. But I feel like when cyber-bullying happens, and you are kind of getting hit from all different angles, and you don’t know who these people are and bullying takes on this life of its own, it becomes incredibly scary and you want to hide in a hole. And for Karofsky there is no other way to express himself anymore. He tried the bullying and the hard bravado outer shell and that didn’t work. And then he tried to accept who he was and experiment and try going to gay bars and ended up being sensitive with Kurt with the Valentine’s-gram and that door got slammed in his face. And I feel like he was just kind of out of questions and out of possibilities.For gay teenagers who might be in the same position that Karofsky was in, what do you hope they took away from the episode?
My dad always told me a quote that I loved whenever I had problems in school and he said, “Suicide is a permanent solution to a temporary problem.” And I feel that kids watching this will see that [suicide] is absolutely not the answer, and that there are people in the world who will accept you for who you are and your genuine true self. I feel like people are afraid to speak their opinions, to voice what they want to voice and it’s a matter of everyone kind of fitting into a role, and I feel like that is what Glee does. [Glee] breaks that down and shows you that you can’t let society get the best of you because it’s such a narrow-minded and ignorant way of thinking. This show I feel like will create that gained perspective for people and show that it’s not wrong being gay or being who you are or being an underdog of any type because we’re all just individuals. And I feel like if people watch this show and realize that it’s not necessary to hide from yourself and that there are people like Kurt (Chris Colfer) who will be there for you no matter what. That is what I hope they take away. And also the other side—when Mr. Schuester (Matthew Morrison) and Beiste (Dot Marie Jones) and Sylvester (Jane Lynch) all start talking about how they saw the warning signs, and they wish they would have talked to me or done something, I feel like that is an incredibly important message, too. Society and school districts tell teachers that they have to stay away from it and that it’s a delicate issue and nobody really wants to talk about it, but if one person stepped up and defended him in that locker room, or if one teacher tried to get through to him or asked like, ‘What’s up? What’s going on with you?’ it could have saved a life.W
Will we see Dave Karofsky again after the hiatus?
I would love it. To have experienced that life and to have this role has just been incredible, and I think it’s really important for people to see it. I’ve talked with a lot of people that see themselves as Karofsky or know Karofsky’s out there and they kind of need to see how he deals with it and what happens, to know that they will be okay in their own lives. So for me, yes I would love for him to come back.
At least we saw he got a happy ending with a little flash-forward, which made us cry, by the way!
I hope so, I hope you’re moved. But that to me is a way to deal with it because you are showing that there is a happiness to be found, and I feel like rather than money or success or career it really boils down to finding someone who will love you for your true genuine self. And if Karofsky can find that, and as long the audience sees that if you just find one or two people out there that will just love you and accept you and embrace you for everything that you are, that is the hope right there, and that is what gets you through all the negativity.
Glee Post Mortem: Max Adler on Life After [Spoiler] and a Possible Kurt/Karofsky Romance
Glee officially turned the tables on Kurt’s tormentor-turned-admirer Karofsky this week when the bully became the victim — a turnabout that had near-fatal consequences when Max Adler‘s alter ego tried (and failed) to commit suicide. In the following Q&A, Adler reflects on the powerful storyline, weighs in on a possible Karofsky-Kurt romance, and answers the question on the minds of his insanely passionate fans: Will he be sticking around Glee long-term?
TVLINE | What was your reaction when you found out you would be involved in such an intense storyline?
I was thrilled to be coming back. I found out in early January that I would be returning for these episodes, but I didn’t know the story at the time; I didn’t know where they were going to take Karofsky, but I’m thrilled they went there. I really think it’s incredibly brave and honest and it’s treating the character with the integrity that he deserves. For me as an actor, I’ve always been fascinated with the human struggle… I think you can’t truly appreciate [all the fun parts of high school] without experiencing the other side, which is the fear, the anxiety, and the struggle that teenagers go through identifying themselves.
TVLINE | That was a wonderful life Kurt envisioned for Karofsky.
That’s basically what gives Karofsky hope that there will be someone that will love him for who he is and he won’t have to keep this mask on and continually hide himself from the world. And that, to me, is the message that I would love for people to take away; you can be yourself. Although society might try to suppress who you are, there are people out there who will love you for who you are. And I think that is the message of hope.
TVLINE | Do you think part of Karofsky dreams of a future with Kurt?
No. I never thought Karofsky lusted after Kurt. I never saw it as sexual; I always saw it as a yearning for a genuine human connection. Karofsky’s whole life has kind of been playing this role and being what everyone wants him to be and tells him to be. But [then] he sees Kurt as a beacon of hope — somebody that can truly be who they are, say what they want to say, feel what they want to feel, and not really care what society has to say about it. And I think that’s such an admirable trait. Karofsky finds that so incredible and has such respect for Kurt. I think that’s what it’s been; I don’t think he imagines this life-long love with Kurt. I think there is a true friendship there. Kurt really is the guy that helps Karofsky see the light and brings him out of his darkness.
TVLINE | There are some fans who prefer Kurt with Karofsky instead of Blaine. Is it your understanding that that isn’t going to happen?
That is my understanding. I think there’s been too much history between the two of them to just completely forget about that and start a full-fledged romance. I think at this point, Karofsky is still dealing with his own struggles and his own identity and is not really stable or healthy enough to jump into a real relationship. I think at this point, Kurt is just an incredible friend, and in a way, a mentor for Karofsky. And I think at this point in their lives, Kurt is just an incredible friend that Karofsky truly needs. And my analogy in reading the script is picturing Karofsky hanging off a cliff by a really thin rope, and Kurt is the only one that is hanging onto him to bring him out from the depths of that.
TVLINE | How big a role will you be playing on the show moving forward?
I won’t be in the next episode after that, but as for the future? There’s [nothing certain]. I would love to portray this character the rest of my life. It’s an incredible experience and I’ve learned so much. It’s just been a complete dream to have this opportunity. But as far as actually knowing what’s happening down the road? I don’t know; we’ll just have to see what happens.
TVLINE | So this week’s episode could potentially be your swan song?
It could end here. But my personal thought is that there might be something else down the line to show where Karofsky goes post-hospital. But that’s all up to the writers. They’ve done everything amazingly well and treated this character with incredible consistency and honesty and integrity. Whatever they do, I think it will be genius.
TVLINE | It’s insane how passionate your fans are. A day doesn’t go by where I don’t receive at least a dozen emails from them asking when you’re returning to Glee.
They’re amazing. That’s what is so gratifying and rewarding about this; this character is so real — the way he is written and the way I get to play him and experience him and talk about him. I think the fans have a connection to him… What I’m so happy about with this episode is that it gives that really amazing, powerful message to victims of bullying and to people who are or have contemplated suicide that there is hope; there are people who accept you for who you are, and you don’t have to change yourself for what society tells you to be. It also shows the bullying aspect, and what your words on Facebook or Twitter can really do. You almost get desensitized because you type a few words and hit send and then you go on with your day. It’s just so powerful how human beings can affect each other. I think that’s the message: if people are in need of help or crying out, we need to be there for one another and stick up for one another. I think [it would have been different] if one guy in the locker room would have defended me. People are afraid to speak their minds or speak up because they want to fit in. I think that’s [another] message: we can all be ourselves and we can all open our minds a little bit and have some perspective, and we can treat each other with the respect that we deserve.
Glee Postmortem: Max Adler on Karofsky’s Dark Moment and Message of Hope
Closeted jock Dave Karofsky may have reached his darkest hour on Tuesday’s episode of Glee, but actor Max Adlerfelt it was necessary because he says “it provides a message of hope.”
While New Directions worried about how to take down the Dalton Academy Warblers at Regionals, Karofsky (Adler) faced a more personal crisis that put the whole high school experience into perspective. Tuesday’s episode marked the culmination of his journey as the student who once terrorized McKinley’s glee club, struggled to accept his sexuality and then relocated to Thurston High to finish out his high school career in relative anonymity. After being seen talking to openly gay Kurt (Chris Colfer) on Valentine’s Day, however, Karofsky’s new schoolmates began to call him homophobic slurs and cyberbullied him, eventually pushing him to attempt suicide.
“The director of the episode, Brad Buecker, and I had some very long and serious talks about the whole situation,” Adler tells TVGuide.com. “How to handle everything delicately but as honestly and with as much integrity as possible. I know a lot of people had to have been curious as to why this comedy show decided to tackle it. But my interpretation of it was, there are the comedy and tragedy masks [the Greek symbols for theater]. You can’t have just all optimism and comedy and hopes without showing the other side of the struggle: the anxieties and the fears of being in high school and not really knowing who you are or where your future is going to go.”
Fortunately, Karofsky was discovered in time and hospitalized. His survival created a dialogue not only in the student body but also between the feuding New Directions and Warblers — even the usually underhanded Sebastian (Grant Gustin), who had once insulted Karofsky’s attempts to flirt, had a change of heart.
Check out our interview with Adler about Karofsky’s virginity, feelings towards Kurt and dream love interest:
Why do you want to make me cry? I can’t imagine anyone could watch what Karofsky was going through and not be moved.
Max Adler: I’m glad that I was able to move you. I’m flattered. That really means a lot. We put some work into that, so I’m glad it came across. It’s what we all strive for.
Were you aware of any behind-the-scenes writers’ discussions about having Karofsky actually succeed in his attempt to kill himself?
Adler: I think originally that might have been the plan. I’m not 100 percent sure, but I do think that was certainly talked about and discussed. And of course it would have been equally strong of a message. But I love this outcome a lot better. Thank God his father finds him and it’s all OK. It’s a long road back, I think, to the happiness and the hope that we would all want for him, but I think now he’s on that road. Honestly, I think it provides a message of hope to show that he does have people like Kurt to reach out to him and show him that there can be happiness in the future.
How was it working with your onscreen dad again?
Adler: Daniel Roebuck is one of the best guys. His call time that day was about five, but we were running a bit behind, so they pushed it. He didn’t get on the set until about 11 at night, and all he had to do is that one scene… He didn’t know how serious and how dark we were going to take it. But he actually came on to the set from his trailer, and he watched the last few takes of me climbing up on this chair and looking at that beam in that closet. And he came up to me afterwards with tears in his eyes saying, “OK, now I know what we need to do.” And he just came and brought it, and I felt his tears fall on my face. It was just an incredibly gratifying scene to shoot with him.
We were so glad to see Karofsky again, first at Scandals and then the Valentine’s episode. We weren’t certain he would be back this season. Were you concerned too?
Adler: I was in New York for New Year’s, and the first couple days of January I got the call saying that I would be coming back for these couple episodes. But I didn’t know what the story line was. I had no idea where they were going to take it. I’m really glad the writers were so brave and so honest about Dave Karofsky’s story line, because I as an actor and as a person am just kind of fascinated by the human experience. I’ve always been fascinated with Karofsky’s inner struggles. I never really saw him as flipping on a dime and just being happy overnight. I thought there would have to be some kind of a rock bottom or a breaking point to have him shift to realize that there is light and hope on the other side. I was really glad that we were able to show this message on national TV.
Did you create any sort of backstory of what’s been going on with him beyond just playing football at Thurston High School?
Adler: I think the same thing as the last year at McKinley, which is basically I think he’s been kind of laying low. Like he said in Scandals, “I’m just trying to have a normal senior year, and play football, and have no rumors.” It’s like he was wearing a metaphorical gorilla suit; he was constantly guarded and had that air of bravado, and confidence, and was trying to fit into to a mold as much as possible and not show any sensitivity, not show any weakness, because you’re afraid that would give something away. So I think that he sort of walked on eggshells at this point, and then when the character Nick (Aaron Hill) sees him at Breadstix I think it all kind of comes crashing down and becomes a really scary reality for him.
But Karofsky also found himself a gay hangout at Scandals…
Adler: I think that was just Karofsky trying to find himself and have some kind of a communication, and experience something. I had always played Karofsky as a virgin. I feel like he never really had a girlfriend, never really did anything sexual, and so for me it was a matter of him finding a connection with somebody — whether it’s a girl or a guy, just to be your genuine self. That was the main struggle, and I feel like Scandals, the Valentine’s grams and all of that, is just some kind of a method to try to express himself and free himself from himself. When that fails, I think that’s when he turns to the desperation of not having any more questions or not knowing where to go or what to do. So the only way he knew to call out for help and express himself was suicide. But I don’t think he thought of the aftereffects or how it can affect the teachers, his dad, his parents, his friends. That didn’t enter into his head space.
What do you think Karofsky’s feelings are towards Kurt? Is it merely romance or is there something more?
Adler: Dave’s never been sexual, ever. To me it’s always been that connection. I think Kurt has always kind of been that beacon of hope and guidance for Karofsky because of what he said in the Sugar Shack, how he’s so proud, and comfortable, and confident with who he is… The connection that holds them together and what draws Karofsky to Kurt is — an analogy I thought of is holding a rope, trying to hang off of a cliff. If I’m just hanging on by a thread, Kurt’s the guy holding the top and not letting me go. There were many calls made from Karofsky to Kurt trying to talk things out, and that last kind of try for hope, but Kurt had ignored his calls. I think that is when he let go of the rope… If just one person in the locker room would’ve defended him or stepped up or taken him under his wing, everything could’ve been different. Had one of the teachers at McKinley like Coach Beiste (Dot Jones) or Mr. Schuster (Matthew Morrison) recognized something and actually discussed it, that could’ve saved him. It’s a way to kind of reflect afterwards on all the warning signs and show society that we need to speak up and help people that are not comfortable being themselves.
Speaking of reaching out, I know you did an “It Gets Better” video. What’s your continuing involvement with The Trevor Project?
Adler: Yeah. Whenever they have events in LA, I’ll go out and support them and talk to the people that come to the events, and speak with everyone. I also interact with the other charities that I work with like the Muscular Dystrophy Association because my mother and my grandmother both suffered from that, and they’ve passed, and that’s really close to my heart. I’m also working with City Arts, which is in its first year in LA, and that raises money and it helps underprivileged kids around LA, things like after-school programs for drama and photography and music and dance, and kind of takes them off the street. Instead of getting into trouble they’re expressing themselves through the arts. So between both of those charities I talk to a lot of people. They really have connected with the character, and they share these incredible stories and messages. People all around the world have told me about how Karofsky and the story line have made their lives better, and they’ve been able to kind of reflect on themselves and accept themselves more or come out proudly to their friends and family, because they see what a struggle this can be for somebody.
What do you hope is in Karofsky’s future?
Adler: In the episode there’s a really beautiful scene in the hospital, and Kurt says, “Picture your life in 10 years.” It’s a whole beautiful flashforward of Karofsky in a really flashy suit and this successful office. He’s a sports agent and he has this really good-looking partner, and they have this beautiful boy, and he’s taking him to his first football game. I think it’s not about this job, and this success, and the money. It’s really about the connection and being able to be yourself, and his true self, around somebody who loves him for that, and accepts him, and appreciates him. I think that’s his happiness.
Fast-forward another season or two and let’s assume Karofsky is ready for love. Are there any dream guest stars you’d like to have as his love interest?
Adler: Ryan Gosling. He’s my man-crush. So if I’m going to be having a relationship and kissing any man, you could sign Ryan Gosling up. I think he’s the best actor of any of us.
E!’s Glee-dux: What Lies Ahead
Update, 6:42 p.m.: New information on the fate of the actor in question has been added below!
That really did just happen.
If you haven’t yet seen tonight’s episode of Glee, stop reading now. ‘Cause something huge just went down. Like, life-threateningly huge. So is a certain long-time fan-favorite (understatement?) actor off the show for good? Here’s the scoop:
WHAT LIES AHEAD
Quinn got in a car accident. Specifically, she got hit by a truck while texting and driving. And news flash: It did not look good.
So why did this happen? And is Dianna Agron leaving Glee?
The brutally honest truth is that we do know the scoop on Quinn’s/Dianna’s fate, however, we have been asked by the Powers That Be to keep it under wraps until the show returns, because the “What Happened to Quinn?” mystery is obviously Glee‘s huge winter cliffhanger, and they want to keep the fans guessing. The show does not intend to answer what happened to Quinn until the very next episode airs, in seven weeks.
What we can tell you is that there certainly will be major repercussions of Quinn’s crash, throughout the rest of the current season. And one possibility we can rule out for you is the idea that Quinn will be dancing around the choir room in the very next episode. That is not happening, Quinn fans. Sorry.
Update, 6:42 p.m.: We’ve been given clearance to tell you that Dianna Agron will return to the Glee set in some capacity, whether it is a dream sequence, a reduced role, a flashback or a flashforward, etc. We have it on good authority that nothing has been set in stone yet as far as the fourth season of Glee —including whether Dianna will be a series regular—so say a little prayer for Miss Quinn Fabray tonight! Just don’t do it while driving…(Too soon?)
So why did the car crash happen? A source tells me the idea for a character to get into a texting-while-driving accident has been in the works ever since the Glee cast appeared on Oprah and she had them sign contracts saying they will not text while driving.
Note to “Faberry” Fans: Not only did you “Faberry” (Quinn and Rachel) shippers own our TV’s Top Couple mega-tournament (you nearly broke all of E! Online with all your votes!), you also trended #DontCutFaberry last night on Twitter (worldwide!), after hearing that a Rachel-Quinn scene shown in the promo for tonight’s episode had been cut from the actual episode. So what happened? According to a reliable source, the scene was cut “for time” (this does happen, people!) and the plan is to release it online after the episode airs. Hopefully that lessens your sting and hey, maybe you’re watching said scene right now.
Max Adler Speaks: Quinn wasn’t the only one in jeopardy tonight. Dave Karofsky attempted suicide after being outed and bullied at his high school, and trust us, Max Adler was very nervous shooting tonight’s episode. How do we know? Well, we talked to him all about it, so check back after the West Coast airing (9 p.m. PST) for our exclusive Q and A with Max.
