Glee: Idina Menzel Thinks She Should’ve Played Rachel’s Sister, Not Mom

Idina Menzel says that she shouldn’t have been cast as Rachel’s mom on Glee. Created by the trio of Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk, and Ian Brennan, the musical dramedy premiered in 2009. Though it would shift its focus over the course of six seasons, Glee initially centered around a diverse group of high school students and chronicled their lives as they competed in show choir competitions. The show boasted a large ensemble of main actors, including Lea Michele, Chris Colfer, Matthew Morrison, and Jane Lynch.

Glee was also notable for bringing in memorable guest stars for high-profile recurring roles. Menzel, well-known at the time for originating the portrayal of Elphaba in the Broadway musical Wicked, joined the show in season 1. She played Shelby Corcoran, the biological mother of Rachel Berry (Michele). She was a part of 12 episodes overall, making her last appearance during season 4. During her time on Glee, Shelby grew close to several of the series’ other characters. Menzel also participated in a number of duets with her onscreen daughter. Most notably, the duo took part in a much-discussed, memorable rendition of Lady Gaga’s “Poker Face,” and “I Dreamed A Dream” from Les Miserables.

In new comments speaking to In Style, Menzel reflected on her most memorable moment as Shelby. She also admitted that, given the age gap between her and Michele in real life, she would have rather been Rachel’s older sister than her mom. When she first showed up on Glee in season 1, Menzel and Michelle were only 15 years apart. Read Menzel’s full comments below:

“The scene that was the most memorable [on Glee] was probably singing ‘I Dreamed a Dream’ with Lea Michelle. She was 26, and I probably should’ve been her older sister. But I don’t have a chip on my shoulder about that.”

Menzel’s comments speak to a large trend of how age is handled in Hollywood. Actresses have routinely joked, with varying degrees of seriousness, that they don’t want to be cast as the mother in a reboot of a franchise that they previously starred in. As an example, Jennifer Love Hewitt recently said that she doesn’t want to be the mom in the upcoming I Know What You Did Last Summer reboot. These narrow casting decisions can also limit the ability of performers to seek out roles. If, in general, mothers on high-profile projects are played by actors in their late 30s to early 40s, that leaves fewer big opportunities for actors in their late 40s and beyond.

Menzel did leave a strong impression while recurring on Glee, becoming a much-loved character. Perhaps for that specific character and storyline, given her iconic status as a Broadway star, she was the right performer, regardless of her age. However, it can’t be denied that film and television, particularly with hit shows and big movies, have a bias that tilts in the direction of selecting younger performers, particularly when it comes to female characters. Menzel’s remarks are, on the whole, lighthearted, but it does shed a light on an unfortunate and out-of-date reality about casting that will hopefully change in the coming years.

Source: In Style

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Abdullah Al-Ghamdi
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Abdullah Al-Ghamdi joined Screen Rant in August 2019, focusing on movie and television news. In January of the same year, he wrote a 3500+ word piece on why Primo Colón is underrated. He considers it his finest work. When he’s not arguing for the merits of his favorite wrestler, he can be reached at: [email protected].

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