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You\u2019ll never look at slushies the same! Glee<\/em><\/a> introduced the world to quite a talented group of actors. The musical comedy-drama debuted on Fox in 2009. It was Ryan Murphy<\/strong><\/a>\u2018s third series, following teen drama Popular<\/em> and dark medical drama Nip\/Tuck<\/em>.<\/p>\n The series focused on the William McKinley High School glee club, the New Directions, as they tried to balance choir competition with high school life. The show\u2019s cast sung covers of both show tunes and chart-topping hits \u2014 sometimes on stage, other times while walking down the halls of McKinley.<\/p>\n Although it altered over the series\u2019 six seasons, the original cast was made up of Lea Michele<\/a><\/strong>, Dianna Agron<\/a><\/strong>, Chris Colfer<\/a><\/strong>, Kevin McHale<\/a><\/strong>, Cor<\/a>y<\/a> Monteith<\/a>, Amber Riley<\/a><\/strong>, Mark Salling<\/a> and Jenna Ushkowitz<\/strong><\/a> as the club members. Matthew Morrison<\/strong><\/a> served as a teacher and the glee club director while Jane Lynch<\/strong><\/a> played his nemesis, the cheerleading coach who didn\u2019t want her cheerleaders getting distracted by singing. Naya Rivera<\/a>, Heather Morris<\/strong><\/a> and Harry Shum Jr.<\/strong><\/a>\u2018s characters later joined the club, as did Darren Criss<\/strong><\/a>\u2018 Blaine Anderson.<\/p>\n The series aired from May 2009 to March 2015, spanning six seasons on Fox and winning four Emmys and four Golden Globe Awards.<\/p>\n In 2011, The Glee Project<\/em> debuted, a reality series that featured performers fighting for a role on Glee<\/em>. The prize was a seven-episode arc on season 3, given to two winners. The two other finalists would earn a two-episode role. Alex Newell<\/strong> was a runner-up, but after starring in his two episodes, was asked to return to the show in season 4 for more episodes. Newell went on to appear in 39 episodes.<\/p>\n The show also launched concert tours. After the show\u2019s first and second seasons completed filming, the cast toured around the country. In 2011, Glee: The 3D Concert Movie<\/em> was released.<\/p>\n Five years after the series finale, former costars Ushkowitz and McHale revisited each episode as part of their \u201cShowmance: The Glee Recap\u201d podcast. Michele appeared on the first episode in January 2020.<\/p>\n \u201cWe were really having the time of our lives,\u201d the Broadway actress recalled of her time on the Fox show, with McHale adding, \u201cThat\u2019s what people don\u2019t understand. We would work all day together and then actively want to hang out afterwards.\u201d<\/p>\n Michele continued, \u201cPeople will always focus on the negative. It\u2019s just one of those things to show you that you always come back. I\u2019ve always felt that way about the show. I always look back. It was just the best.\u201d<\/p>\n Though \u201cShowmance\u201d went on an indefinite hiatus amid Rivera\u2019s 2020 death, McHale and Ushkowitz returned to the airwaves in late 2022 with a new recap podcast, \u201cAnd That\u2019s What You Really Missed.\u201d The two promised to be more open and honest about their experiences on the hit show.<\/p>\n \u201cI think when I said I\u2019m not gonna sugarcoat it \u2026 we\u2019ve danced around a lot, right? Because I would always say to Kevin, \u2018Sometimes it\u2019s not our story to tell,\u2019\u201d Ushkowitz exclusively told Us Weekly<\/em><\/a> in November 2022. \u201cThere\u2019s like dancing around, obviously, the Glee curse and the deaths of our friends and some of the on-set drama that you hear. And I think this time, it\u2019ll be hard, but like, I\u2019m gonna tell it from my perspective and my experience \u2019cause that\u2019s all I can do.\u201d<\/p>\n Scroll through the gallery to catch up with the cast today.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n