Glee: 5 Stars Who Got Their Big Break On The Show (& 5 Who Guest Starred)

An instant phenomenon from the moment it premiered in the spring of 2009, Glee served as the platform to launch the careers of many young and promising performers. Since ending in 2015, many of the show’s actors have gone on to find great success, some starring in their own television shows, and others even winning major awards for their work.

While the show was still on air, it also welcomed a wide parade of already famous stars, big names who appeared in a couple of episodes to sing a tune or two. Many of them received acclaim for their performances, and two even won Emmys for their work in the show. And in a show as vibrant and over-the-top as Glee, their characters were everything but boring.

10 Guest Starred: Jeff Goldblum

Iconic actor Jeff Goldblum portrayed the role of Hiram Berry, one of Rachel’s fathers, for two episodes during Glee’s third season. Playing opposite Broadway legend Brian Stokes Mitchell, Goldblum’s Hiram arrived for the Valentine’s Day episode, “Heart,” before making one final appearance in “On My Way” for Finn and Rachel’s canceled wedding.

In true Glee fashion, Goldblum recorded a song for the show alongside Stokes Mitchell, a truly quirky, upbeat, and quite bizarre version of “You’re the Top” from the hit musical Anything Goes.

9 Big Break: Alex Newell

Alex Newell was one of the four finalists of season 1 of The Glee Project, a short-lived reality show that aimed to find the next star for the show. Ironically, both of season 1’s winners failed to make an impression, while Alex himself stole every scene his character, Unique, was in. Unique soon became a recurring character in season 4, before leaving the show in the middle of season 5.

Since the show ended, Newell has gone on to star in the 2017 Tony-winning Broadway revival of Once on This Island, where he played the role of Asaka. He currently stars in the NBC hit Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist, playing the role of Mo.

8 Guest Starred: Ricky Martin

Puerto Rican superstar Ricky Martin visited McKinley High for the twelfth episode of season 3, “The Spanish Teacher.” He played the titular character, who obviously charms all the girls and Kurt, with his ridiculously good looks and contagious dance moves.

Martin lent his voice to two songs, a rather inappropriate cover of LMFAO’s “Sexy and I Know It,” sung alongside Artie, and another duet, Madonna’s “La Isla Bonita,” this time with Santana. And while the episode received mostly mixed reviews, Martin’s performance was welcomed by most reviewers.

7 Big Break: Grant Gustin

Introduced early in season 3 as a potential rival of Kurt for Blaine’s attention, Grant Gustin’s Sebastian soon became one of the main antagonists of the season. He sang an electrical cover of “Smooth Criminal” alongside Santana during the Michael Jackson tribute episode, and caused quite a few problems for the New Directions before eventually becoming a good guy.

Shortly after his stint on Glee, Gustin was cast as Barry Allen in the CW’s The Fash. Gustin received acclaim for his performance, and he’s gone on to become one of the cornerstones of the Arrowverse.

6 Guest Starred: Kristin Chenoweth

Tony Award and Emmy winner star Kristin Chenoweth was one of the earliest big names to appear on the show. Playing promising singer turned high school dropout, April Rhodes, Chenoweth first appeared in the season 1 episode “The Rhodes Not Taken.”

Chenoweth would return to the show three more times, receiving Emmy nominations for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series for her participation in the first two seasons. One of the most beloved guest stars to ever grace the show, both Chenoweth and April rank high in Gleek’s lists of most likable actors and characters.

5 Big Break: Melissa Benoist

One of the so-called “newbies,” Melissa Benoist first appeared in the season 4 opening, “The New Rachel.” She played Marley Rose, a shy girl with a huge voice, who quickly became the new star of the Glee Club. Most of her storylines focused on her relationship with Jake, her shyness, song-writing ambitions, and her unfortunate eating disorder.

While still in the show, Benoist began making smart choices with her career. She had major supporting roles in 2014’s Oscar-nominated film Whiplash and 2015’s The Longest Ride. In 2015, she began playing the role of Kara Zor-El in the tv show Supergirl, a role she continues playing to this day. In 2018, she made her Broadway debut playing a limited run as Carole King in Beautiful: The Carole King Musical.

4 Guest Starred: Gwyneth Paltrow

Academy Award winner Gwyneth Paltrow went to Lima during Glee‘s second season. Playing substitute teacher Holly Holiday, Paltrow first appeared in the seventh episode, the aptly titled “The Substitute.” She went on to appear two more times during the season, in “Sexy” and “A Night of Neglect.” Paltrow returned one final time, to celebrate the show’s 100th episode.

A big movie star on her own right, Paltrow is known for films like Shakespeare in Love, The Talented Mr. Ripley, and Shallow Hall. Starting with 2008’s Iron Man, Paltrow played the role of Virginia “Pepper” Potts in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, which culminated with her wearing the Rescue armor in 2019’s Avengers: Endgame.

3 Big Break: Amber Riley

One of the original cast members, Amber Riley was a part of Glee from day one and stayed a regular in the show for its first three seasons. She was reduced to a recurring capacity starting in season 4, becoming a regular again for the sixth and final season.

Known for her towering voice, Riley had several triumphs during and after her days in the show. She won season 17 of Dancing With the Stars in 2013, and made her West End debut in 2016, playing Effie White in Dreamgirls. For her performance, she won the 2017 Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Musical.

2 Guest Starred: Neil Patrick Harris

A lot of people forget that Neil Patrick Harris guest-starred in Glee. He played Bryan Ryan, a former superstar of the Glee Club and an antagonist to Will Schuester. Harris appeared in only one episode, season 1’s “Dream On,” performing a duet of Aerosmith’s song of the same name with Will. For his performance. Harris earnt the 2010 Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series.

Harris was in the height of his How I Met Your Mother fame when he went to halls of McKinley High. Two days before HIMYM‘s controversial ending, Harris has appeared in the first Broadway production of Hedwig and the Angry Inch, for which he won the 2014 Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical. From 2017 to 2019, he played Count Olaf in Netflix’s A Series of Unfortunate Events.

1 Big Break: Darren Criss

Shortly after making his memorable entrance to the show, singing a cover of Katy Perry’s “Teenage Dream,” Darren Criss became a fan favorite. His relationship with Kurt made his character, Blaine, a staple of the show, and made him one of the main actors for the remainder of the series.

After Glee‘s ending, Criss focused on his music career, touring with co-star Lea Michele. In 2018, Criss received widespread critical acclaim for his performance as serial killer Andrew Cunanan in FX’s The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story. For his role, he won the Golden Globe, Screen Actors Guild, Critics’ Choice, and Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries. In 2020, Criss was one of the leading players in the Netflix miniseries, Hollywood.

About The Author

David Caballero
(805 Articles Published)

David is a twenty-eight-year-old Mexican writer and reader. Having studied Marketing in school, he spent three years working a nine-to-five desk job before deciding to pursue a writing career. He now works as a Senior Writer in ScreenRant and does some more freelancing job, talking about the entertainment business he so loves. Currently, he’s also writing his second novel while actively working to get his first one published.

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