How Gleeky Were These Stars Before 'Glee'?

By Kristina Lucarelli Posted Feb 6th 2011 05:55PM

We know, we know. It's hard to believe the 'Glee' cast was ever anything more than a bunch of singing, dancing, cavity-inducing kids. Or in Sue Sylvester's case, a cringe- and quote-worthy tyrant. But they all had lives and gigs before they became award-winning household names -- however weird and embarrassing they may have been. Hollywood Life recently reported Cory Monteith was a Wal-Mart greeter before his big break. You know who else had a sucky part-time job in a department store? Finn Hudson. Which got us thinking -- how similar are the actors to their 'Glee'-ful alter-egos?

We did some digging, and rated the best pre-'Glee' careers against their characters. See how the stars match up after the jump.

Chris Colfer
When he was younger, Colfer played Sancho Panza in a high school production of 'Man of La Mancha.'
Gleek Factor: 9. If McKinley High did normal musicals -- read: not 'Rocky Horror' -- Kurt Hummel would be all over that. Though we think Sancho's costume would turn Kurt off. He'd much rather go for Don Quixote.

Lea Michele
Not only was she all over Broadway since she was a kid, in shows like 'Les Miserables' and 'Spring Awakening,' but she also went to theater kid haven, Stagedoor Manor.
Gleek Factor: 10. Theater camp? Come on, if Stagedoor Manor existed in the fictional world our Gleeks live in, you know Rachel Berry would beg her gay dads to send her there every summer. See Lea and the 'Spring Awakening' cast perform at the 2007 Tony Awards:

Matthew Morrison
Basically a male version of Lea Michele. Except replace 'Les Mis' and 'Spring Awakening' with 'The Light in the Piazza' and 'Hairspray.'
Gleek Factor: 7. They're both pretty much theater nerds. But Morrison was never a teacher, so we're docking his Gleekiness a few points. See him do a song from 'Hairspray' on Caroline Rhea's show:

Jenna Ushkowitz
Pre-'Glee' Ushkowitz was a host of the YES Network's 'Yankees on Deck.' But don't let the sportiness fool you -- she also starred in 'Spring Awakening,' like co-star Lea Michele.
Gleek Factor: 3. If it wasn't for her foray into sports journalism and her overall sunny disposition in interviews, her Gleekiness would rank higher thanks to the stint on ol' Broadway. But Tina Cohen-Chang is not the cheeriest of the bunch. And baseball? Please. As if any of the Gleeks have a clue who Nick Swisher or Mark Teixeira are, especially Tina. All she cares about is Mike Chang's abs and her Hot Topic wardrobe. See her 'Spring Awakening' vid:

Kevin McHale
So ... remember boy bands? Yeah. Kevin McHale (sans trademark specs) was in a boy band, one called NLT. Uh huh. That's pretty much all there is to say about that.
Gleek Factor: 6. So what if Artie can't walk and wears terrible Cosby sweaters? He's kind of a ladies man, scoring with both Tina and Brittany. And every time he has one of those fever dreams where he magically regains functions of his legs (see The Safety Dance) we remember that Artie, despite his handicap, can really dance, just like McHale in his boy band days. See an NLT music video:

Heather Morris
She's one of the biggest surprises to come out of 'Glee' since the show premiered. Before she perfected the "dumb blond cheerleader" cliché, she was one of Beyonce's back up dancers -- which is why she was originally hired to teach the 'Glee' cast the 'Single Ladies' dance to perform in an episode. And that was enough for Ryan Murphy to cast her as Brittany, only one week later.
Gleek Factor: 3. We all know Brittany S. Pierce can dance, but that's about where the similarities end. Morris has much more going on between the ears than Brittany ever will, which is why both Brittany and Morris are our favorites. Not everyone can seriously deliver lines like "I'm pretty sure my cat's been reading my diary." But somehow she pulls it off every single time. See Heather Morris as Beyonce's back-up dancer:

Darren Criss
Before coming on as the newest cast member and Kurt's love interest, Criss co-wrote and starred in the most amazing thing ever: 'A Very Potter Musical,' which is exactly what it sounds like. And yes, you should watch the whole thing immediately.
Gleek Factor: 10. Blaine is the hot star of The Warblers, and charming and clever to boot. Criss is the hot star of our hearts. So basically, they're the same person. Plus, we don't think it's beyond Blaine to be so, totally awesome that he writes a whole musical in his free time. Check out 'A Very Potter Musical Pt. 1':

Jane Lynch
She's been doing comedy for years, showing up in Christopher Guest and Judd Apatow films, but one of her earliest gigs was in a Frosted Flakes commercial way back when.
Gleek Factor: 7. Jane Lynch is just as witty and hilarious as Sue Sylvester. But there's no way Lynch is anywhere near as cold-hearted as Sue, thank goodness. See the commercial:

Mike O'Malley
No matter how many shows he's on or how many Emmys he's nominated for, Mike O'Malley will always be remembered for one thing: Hosting Nickelodeon's 'GUTS,' aka the greatest sports game show of all time.
Gleek Factor: 6. O'Malley and Burt Hummel actually have quite a bit in common. They're both the total guy's guy, they both like sports, they're both adorably awkward and sweet. But, as far as we know, O'Malley doesn't have a gay teenage son ... or a heart problem. See a 'GUTS' clip:

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Tags: cory monteith, Glee, jane lynch, lea michele

Comments

(28)

Sunday 06 February

By alena

Vote down Vote up Report this

DIANA YOU CLEARLY HAVE DEMONS ON YOUR BACK...I FEEL SO AWFUL FOR YOU, BUT HOPEFULLY YOU NEVER REPRODUCE AND BRING YOUR DEMON SEEDS INTO THIS WORLD WITH YOUR ANTI GAY OUTLOOK....BLESS YOU!

By Fin

I saw lLa Michelle (and Jonathan Groff) in Spring Awakening at least a dozen times. Saw Matthew Morrison in South Pacific and then he did a performance during Broadway in the Park at Bryant Park (NYC) the summer before GLEE first aired. It was funny because no one had a clue as to what the heck he was doing but he is hot in person. I wish I had kept the promotional buttons they were handing out of the cast! And the writer should have mentioned Jane Lynchs' GREAT performances in Best In Show and A Mighty Wind specifically. She was hysterical!
BTW - Love that Broadway vets/greats Idina Menzel, Cheyanne Jackson and Kristen Chenowith have also done Glee among some other big names - but I could have done without Paltrow.

I'm just sayin'.

By kmjj

Does anyone else remember Kevin McHale as a fang banger on "True Blood"? I remember, but only because my husband's name is Kevin McHale, too!

Monday 07 February

By deane francia

i always knew kevin mchale was in a boy band but i didnt know it was NLT! i cant believe i didnt figure it out before!

By what stupied people dome of you are.

It amazes me how some small minded people are pointing the finger only at predatory and pedipile gay men. WHAT ABOUT ALL THE STRAIGHT MEN!!!!!! CASE AND POINT I WAS VIOLATED BY MANY STRAIGHT MEN AS A CHILD! so cut the crap people STRAIGHT GUYS CHEAT ARE PREDATORY AND HAVE BEEN PEDIPHILES SINCE THE BEIGING OF TIME! LADY'S YOU THINK YOUR GUY ONLY LOOKS AT YOU???? DUH! SORRY TO BUST YOUR BUBBLES! HOMOSEXUALITY DOES NOT GO AGAINST NATURAL LAW! IT'S JUST AS NATURAL AS HETEROSEXUAL NOT EVERYONE GET MARRIED AND HAS CHILDREN! NOT ALL SO CALLED PEOPLE JUST STRAIGHT!ARE 100% STRAIGHT. CUT THE CRAP!HAVING SEX BEFORE MARRIAGE IS A SIN! it's in the Bible. stop de-humanizing people for being diffrent! God loves all his children and sees all sin as equal. remember population control!!!!!!! thank you gay people for helping the world not be over crowed!!!! I am straight and will beat the crap out of anyone who puts down my little sister for being born gay! no one can make you gay you are born that way! gays unite! and dont let idiot's push you around! Gay people should change the name "GAY" and call you all something more diginfied!!!! ignore the biggots they are not perfect!!!!!!!

Monday 21 February

By Gwena Swan

I was WAITING for this; a recognition of Darren Criss' super-mega-foxy-awesome-hot pre-glee days! I remember counting down the days till November 9th, when he was first on the show. I really hope that they have him sing one of HIS songs on glee sometime, that would be TOTALLY AWESOME!!! But I guess I'll be extremely happy as long as he stays on the show. Well, unless he stays but has to "take this knife, and SIT ON IT!" cause there is NO WAY we're gonna sit around and watch (that happen). :)

Tuesday 05 April

By Rhali

I'm a christian and I love this show. It does not glorify sex and in fact incourages people to be individuals and stand out from the crowd- not to mention encourages abstienence. do i like the fact that it glorify's gay relationships, not so much- but I'm not about to judge them. It's God's place to judge not ours. And even if they are Gay no one deserves to be made fun of or bullied by a bible thumper. Instead of preaching fire and brimstone we should live what we say. You can hate the sin and love the sinner, Jesus proved this- for he loved us while we were still sinners and we should do the same for others.

Friday 24 June

By Chrissie

I used to be in choir, and I absolutely LOVE this show! We too had cheerleaders,a football player, and even a few gay guys in our choir...This show reminds me how much I love and miss my high school choir days.

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