Bringing the Cheer with Billy Lewis Jr.

Season six newbie, Billy Lewis Jr., spills all about his time playing the quirky 'Mason McCarthy' on Glee!

Billy's got stories! Get ready to hear all about his 'surreal' screen test, why he was freaking out before his second audition, and how crew members would react to different Glee cast members! He also shares what it was like working with the OGs, the actor who was like a mother hen to the newbies, and why his story about 'Annabelle' has Kevin and Jenna laughing out loud!

Plus, Billy has another talent ... sewing! You can check out his handiwork on Instagram @highviewhouse_archive. 

For fun, exclusive content and behind-the-scenes clips, be sure to follow us on Instagram @andthatswhatyoureallymissedpod! 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:01):
And That's what you Really missed with Jenna.

Speaker 2 (00:04):
And Kevin an iHeartRadio podcast.

Speaker 3 (00:09):
Welcome to and That's what You're Really miss podcast A
Season six newbies.

Speaker 1 (00:14):
One of the face.

Speaker 2 (00:16):
Oh wow, wow, wow, wow, what a conversation. We have
Buffalo up, strap in because.

Speaker 1 (00:22):
This puts on and let it, let it run.

Speaker 2 (00:25):
We have Billy Lewis Junior, who is just so thoughtful
and insightful and kind and so talented as you all
know it and really breaks down his Glee experience. And
we're so grateful to have him here and we're so
happy and excited for you to listen to him. So
here is Billy Lewis Junior.

Speaker 4 (00:44):
Look at these faces.

Speaker 2 (00:45):
Oh hello, it's so good to see you.

Speaker 4 (00:49):
It's so good to see you. Go.

Speaker 1 (00:51):
It's been a really long time.

Speaker 4 (00:52):
It's been a hell of a long time.

Speaker 2 (00:54):
Yeah, just a little decade. Just a bigual, sweet little deck,
you know, like it happens.

Speaker 1 (01:01):
My god, oh my god, thanks for doing.

Speaker 4 (01:04):
This, Thank you for contacting me.

Speaker 2 (01:06):
My gosh, my god, yes, oh my gosh. We are
in the thralls of season six, hearing your beautiful voice,
seeing your wondrous acting abilities.

Speaker 1 (01:18):
Not comedic chops.

Speaker 2 (01:20):
Yeah, your voice is just so stupid. But before we
get there, tell us about how this entertainment, theater all
of it started for you, Like how did you end
up on Glee?

Speaker 1 (01:35):
But you know, yes, But the long way is the
long version.

Speaker 4 (01:41):
Basically when it comes to like theater and singing, I
got into it pretty late, like in high school, like
ninth grade, freshman year, which is where feel like some
theater kids really get into it early, you know, and
like really commit to the bit.

Speaker 2 (01:53):
But it's a lifelong bit for a lot.

Speaker 4 (02:00):
But when I was growing up, my cousin, my older
cousin name is Catherine. She was always doing community theater
out on Long Island and she was in like a
production of Annie at least like once a year. You know.
We were always like as a kid, I was always
dragged to some theater to go see something that she
was in. And she was amazing. She was always good.
There's always home videos of her like singing, you know
what I mean, at all the parties and stuff. But

(02:22):
later on, so in high school, my younger siblings actually
I'm the oldest of four, so my younger siblings got
into the community theater where she was at. They were
doing production of I want to say it was Jesus
Christ Superstar, and they were like, hey, they need someone
to run the spotlight. You know, do you think you
can like just come and do that, And like me,

(02:43):
being like a freshman, like emo kid, you know what
I mean, I was like, yeah, come in and you
know what I mean, just do this, like leave me alone.
I'll stand in the dark. And I I was listening
to the music a lot and like started to really
just kind of get into it. In time, I was
also really diving in to like the alternative like emo
rock and roll scene was like huge back then and

(03:03):
like you know, there were two thousands, so I was
super into that. So I started to kind of sing
that music at the same time that I started like
picking up theater and I realized that you could like
kind of marry them both, and so I started messing
around just like singing stuff. And then they tried to
get me in a show. Eventually, you know, they were like, hey,
we're doing the Wizard of Us, Like just stand in

(03:26):
the background and be a Winkie, you know, come and
be a call, come be a guard, and just stand
in the background. And I was like, all right, cool.
I had friends that were doing it at that time,
and I think my siblings were even doing it too, So.

Speaker 2 (03:38):
I love that your younger siblings were like the ones
that accidentally got you into Yes.

Speaker 4 (03:42):
Oh ye, yeah absolutely they they definitely It's the opposite
how siblings normally worked normally.

Speaker 2 (03:48):
They saw all the oldest one.

Speaker 4 (03:49):
Yeah, exactly. Yeah. So it was a couple of days
into rehearsal couple and the guy who was playing the
tin man just like never showed up. Something happened. He
just like backed out, you know, community theater classic. He
was like never mind. So at the one point the
director turned to me and he was like, all right, you're
gonna be the Tiamma now, and it was like burn
And that was basically it. Man. From that moment on,

(04:12):
I got like thrown into the show and it was
my first role in my first thing, and I was
I was hooked. I was absolutely hooked, Like I couldn't
stop from there. So it was just then from there,
it was years of high school musical theater, community theater
doing like that NonStop and doing it all like working backstage,
like on stage, running sound. I was trying to just

(04:34):
learn it all. It was a new it was a
new outlet for me because I grew up playing sports
my whole life. You know, I got up playing sports.
My dad coached me and like everything, but I always
kind of wanted to do other stuff. I always felt
creative other than sports. I actually took break dancing at
like a young age.

Speaker 2 (04:52):
Wow.

Speaker 4 (04:53):
Yeah, I actually like went. It was like probably started
and then maybe like fifth grade and then went all
the way almost up until up unto high school, maybe
just before high school.

Speaker 2 (05:01):
And they never had any breakdown did you break dance
only at all?

Speaker 4 (05:05):
Actually? I was like I was watching it back actually
because I was like I have to yeah movies. It
was I think it's we did rather be? And at
what point do you want to do something? And I
was like, I'm going to do a backflip off this
riser and they were like yeah for sure, which like

(05:26):
I learned, I learned like early on not to volunteer
yourself for stuff that's ridiculous because it's going to have
you do it like over and over again. After I
did the backflip, because like at the last shot, they
were like, all right, do you think you have one
more in you? And I was like, god, I hope
so you know. Yeah, they used actually motion shot of
me doing like a backflip off the riser, like over

(05:47):
the camera. It's really cool, but like it was crazy.
And then I do a little bit of breakdancing, but
it's not you know, I'm not like by any means professional.

Speaker 2 (05:57):
There was like you were definitely better than the rest
of it, so.

Speaker 4 (06:03):
They had me do that. That's kind of where I
got like my rhythm from, I think too, you know
what I mean, always into like hip hop music as
well growing up, So I was grateful to have break
dancing under my belt, I think too.

Speaker 2 (06:13):
So you're doing double duty, Like were you doing community
theater and doing theater in high school at the same time.

Speaker 4 (06:19):
You know, I was doing so much community theater that
I didn't really have a lot of time to commit
to the high school. I was doing like three shows
at a time. You're in the children's student show, and
you're during the main stage show and maybe the team
programs going to you know. So it was just like
it was just I was doing so much of it,
you know, and yet the I just felt so welcomed
by the theater community immediately, you know, as you do.

(06:42):
So I realized, first of all. It shook me, you know,
again a kid growing up in the early two thousands,
I realized how like ignorant I was growing up. You know,
the things that you're taught as a age boy. You know,
we're idiots, you idiot things, the phrases, the things that
we grew up saying. Obviously we were all you know

(07:04):
a lot of a lot of terrible things, a lot
of politically incorrect things that you know, people are still
saying and bringing around these days. But it really it
shook me, you know what I mean, And like it's
so crazy that people can't just have that moment where
you're like, oh, oops, I was doing this wrong the
whole time now, or you know what I mean, you're
just like nothing nice before, but like just take the

(07:25):
l man, just like be like oops, you know what
I mean, I didn't know any better. You know. Yeah,
you meet I met like gay people for the first time,
you know what I mean, like people being happy and
just being out and proud, and immediately you're like, what
the hell was I told? Or what did I or of?
Or you know what I mean, like, yeah, these people

(07:46):
were nothing but loving and just just it was It
was so it was so eye opening for me that
I really I I had no choice put to fall
into it so far it was so to commit, like
kind of what gave to me, you know what I
mean immediately, you know? So, yeah, so I had I
was doing so much community theater. I did a couple
of the high school shows. We did like Blame Mis

(08:09):
and we did The Whiz. I got to play the Lion,
which is like, if there's videos of that, I would
be mortified somewhere. You know, anything goes. Was my senior year,
so I got to play Billy Crocker, Oh my fat.

Speaker 3 (08:22):
I did the very first production, a high school production
of lay Min's. So Cameron McIntosh came to our show
because who was like the big producer on the show,
because we worked on the high school version, so we
workshopped the high school version, so the version that you
did was created or molded by our cast, which was.

Speaker 4 (08:49):
That's crazy, that's crazy.

Speaker 2 (08:50):
Who are you?

Speaker 1 (08:52):
I was just an the ensemble.

Speaker 3 (08:53):
I was a freshman and we were originally going to
do The Baker's Wife that year, so I got cast
as one of the sisters in the Baker's Wife, and
then I got demoted to ensemble and I was young
Eponine's understudy.

Speaker 1 (09:09):
Which we know that young Ethnen doesn't.

Speaker 4 (09:12):
Do no poor girl poor.

Speaker 1 (09:18):
But anyway, yeah, so I was.

Speaker 3 (09:21):
But but it was a big thing because freshmen weren't
cast in musicals in high school.

Speaker 2 (09:25):
But you had already been away.

Speaker 3 (09:28):
Yeah, but it doesn't matter that it was a high
performer of high school and everybody to take it very years. Okay,
so freshmen didn't get cast, and there were quite a
few freshmen that got cast.

Speaker 4 (09:36):
That year or so. I'm sure you had eyes on you.

Speaker 3 (09:39):
Yes, exactly like the fresh I'm sorry I interrupted you.
So anything goes that's a good one.

Speaker 4 (09:48):
Yeah, it was a fun one. I want to They
called what a Teeny Award is like the Tony Awards
out on Long Island for amazed. I think I don't
know if it was a NASA thing or a Suffolk thing,
but you know, I yeah, so I was. And then
I went to actually after high school, I still wasn't
sure what to do, you know what I mean, I

(10:10):
didn't know. I also wanted to teach kids. I love kids.
I love children. I was like, maybe like kindergarten, you
know what I mean, would be a lot of fun
to do as well. I took a all education course
when I was like just at my senior year and
we got to like do a preschool class where they
bring the kids in during the day, and I just
was obsessed. I loved it. I thought it was so
that was kind of on my mind too. And then

(10:31):
I had a lot of friends who were just leaving
the community theater thing and trying to pursue the thing
in New York, and I was like, you know what,
like when when am I going to do it? You know,
I was. I was at I was at community college
for a semester out here, and I just wasn't feeling it.
It was just an acting program, and I wanted to
do more musical stuff, you know. I wanted to do

(10:53):
the thing. I was also trying to audition in the
city at the time as well. All right, let me
see if I could get any of these shows and
of these tours, you know what I mean. And I
would get a call backs, but I would all get cut
at the dance calls, you know, while you know, like
they're looking for dancers, you know what I mean. It
was it was hard there. So I was like, realistically,
I have to get myself trained dance wise for me

(11:16):
to keep up with everyone. So my mom had mentioned
AMDA because we knew a couple of people who went
through there, and I was like, you know what, let
me just let me just check it out. And I
and I auditioned for AMDA and that was that was it.
And you know ervatory. So the program is it runs
in trimesters too, so it's real tight. It's real quick.

(11:36):
It's like, yeah, camp for theater, you know, and you
don't do it's just theater, you know, you don't the studies.

Speaker 1 (11:43):
The liberal arts, none of that.

Speaker 4 (11:44):
Yes, yeah, so it was it was it was I
got my butt kicked. I was in ballet, I was
in tap, I was in jazz, I was in dance belt,
you know what I mean, Like, you know, it really
hipped my butt, But it was it was important, you know,
it was really important for me to get the proper
training for that so I could feel confident, you know

(12:04):
what I mean with the triple threat that the industry
demands of you. You know what I mean, yeah, you
know it. And it just kept getting more and more intense,
as it does every musical. The notes get higher and
the dancing gets more insane. And you know when I
was at school the time too, newsies had like just
come out to Yeah, the word dancer changed in the audition. Yeah,

(12:28):
the word dancer changed when newsies came around because they
were like, oh, are you a dancer, and you had
to specify immediately. I would say, I'm a mover. I
move well, I have rhythm, but don't bring you dance
because if they called you to a dance call, like
I did one time they called me in for like
Tuck Everlasting, right when they're oh yeah, it was like
me and like seventeen of the newsies and they're like

(12:49):
doing like across the floor, yeah, weeping routines.

Speaker 1 (12:52):
You know what I mean.

Speaker 2 (12:53):
And I was like, yes, like I'm trying to like
I moved to LA and got a dance agent, yeah,
and showed up to one audition and I was like, oh, oh,
never mind, I uh, I take it back, never mind
never mind.

Speaker 4 (13:11):
Yeah. Yeah, so you had to you had to be
cut a specific you know.

Speaker 1 (13:15):
Yeah.

Speaker 4 (13:17):
So it was it was interesting that honestly having Glee
on at the same time. I was thinking about this
before too, because you know, I was in high school
when Glee came out, so I'm doing you guys, are
you know what I mean? Doing the thing? So it
was it was such a huge, huge cultural thing, especially
for like theater kids. It was it was bigger than

(13:39):
big and it brought it mainstream and.

Speaker 2 (13:41):
Did you watch it?

Speaker 4 (13:43):
I watched the like the first couple of seasons, and
then I think I fell off. Actually I had like
when we when we most people it, you know, I
think I think I was like, Okay, it's just as
it is. I think I fell off, But then I
tried to jump back on. When I got cast, was
like I got to do my homework now, you gotta know, yeah,
going on, and I think I actually started to just
try to pick up where I left off, and I

(14:03):
was like, there's so much going on. And then I
was like I was like character choice, I'm a new kid.
He wouldn't know any of this. Yeah, and it works,
you know, here we are the new kids, you know.
But yeah, I think I think having Glee around the industry,
the Broadway industry was also changing at the same time

(14:25):
to like going from the like classical you know, pieces
of theater and like doing the more modern like pop
rock stuff, temporary stuff, and Glee. Really I just feel
like it really brought that to the audience in you know.

Speaker 2 (14:40):
The theater helped bridge the gap.

Speaker 4 (14:42):
I think so, I really do, because when I was
at AMDA, actually they like I had a teacher who
like fought us on not wanting to teach us pop songs,
Like they didn't think it was necessary to learn how
to act and do pop songs because that wasn't that
big at the and we're just talking fifteen years or so,
like it was just before this kind of like flip

(15:05):
where everything they were like okay with making things contemporary,
but the old dinosaurs we're still holding on, you.

Speaker 2 (15:11):
Know what I mean.

Speaker 4 (15:12):
While I'm like I get that you don't want to
teach us this, but every call now is like bring
up a pop rock yeah you know what I mean. Yeah, yeah,
just this whether you want to or not. You know,
like it was, it was a big thing, but I
think Glee really kind of milded the two things together,
you know, really opened that up and made sense of

(15:33):
bringing like a modern way of just like speaking and
interacting on stage even to you know, the theater audience.

Speaker 2 (15:40):
You know, was your experience at AMBDA anything like the
I guess like the Glee version like the Glee world.
Like you went to school, Jenna, you went to a
music and performing arts high school. Were those things similar

(16:02):
to like I guess us doing show choir on Glee
in anyway?

Speaker 4 (16:08):
Okay, so, Jenna, I don't know for you, but like
we didn't. I didn't do like the show choiry thing,
but I know other schools that did the show choir stuff.
I still go to, Like my my girlfriend's nieces and
nephews are in like the productions, the show choir stuff
that they do the Glee you know, productions that they
do at their school or whatever it is, and they'll
come out and they'll perform. They do the whole thing.

(16:29):
It's so funny to watch, you know what I mean.
You come out in the costumes and do like three
songs back to back, and I'm like, where's the cream
camera coming?

Speaker 2 (16:38):
Where you only have to do each of these songs once?

Speaker 4 (16:40):
Whatever? No? Well, yeah, no, exactly, exactly.

Speaker 2 (16:44):
Yeah, yeah, I don't know.

Speaker 3 (16:46):
Are you talking about like Niata Kevin? Are you talking
about like this like.

Speaker 2 (16:50):
The mentality of like you know, the Rachel Mary's and
all the kids and like familiar I mean, obviously like
the high schools are different, but in the schooling is different.

Speaker 3 (17:00):
But Ama and Marymount and the whole thing was like
you have to eat, sleep, breathe this and if you
don't do something else, that's like that was the mindset
that we were told, Like truly, there's something else you
can do, go do it, because there's other people.

Speaker 1 (17:18):
Who are like there's nothing else.

Speaker 3 (17:21):
In the world that I want to do, like Rachel Barry,
you know, yeah, yeah, the sentiment was very similar.

Speaker 4 (17:27):
It was it was almost militaristic in that way, you
know what I mean, Like especially like at AMDA, Like
I don't know how the program is now, but like
they have you line up world dressed in our black
you know, like leotards and like out dance outlets, and
we have to like stand in line and we step
out almost like like a sound of music style of
the kids like and then you step back in line

(17:49):
and then they give you notes on how you step
out and say your name and they're like, oh you
you you went up at the end of your name,
like you know what I mean. Like it was like
they like picked you apart, you know what I mean.
Like it was it was. It was pretty intense.

Speaker 2 (17:59):
Man, I could probably some of that training.

Speaker 4 (18:02):
Now they really bring it in, you know, they like
you know, like just so you know, if you're not
serious about this, like you said, like there are there
are one hundred other kids.

Speaker 1 (18:12):
Yes, you're all here.

Speaker 4 (18:14):
You see them in the hall. So if you're not
ready up, like.

Speaker 2 (18:17):
You know, being hungry, stay hungry.

Speaker 4 (18:20):
Yeah. It was intense, man. Actually it was one of
the like surreal moments. Was recording at at what is
it the studio capital, Recording Capital and across.

Speaker 2 (18:34):
The street, Yeah, directly across the street.

Speaker 4 (18:37):
I'm just right there, and I'm like, also, I I
lift two blocks away from the Paramount lot. I found
a place to stay literally two blocks away, so I
didn't have I had a scooter. I had a Razor
scooter that I like literally scooted.

Speaker 2 (18:50):
I remember that.

Speaker 4 (18:56):
Straight up, like and would like fold it up and
like walk past Darren's tesla. You know what I mean.
What's good? You know what I mean?

Speaker 2 (19:04):
Like it wasn't your apartment to where everybody like all
the new kids, you guys would like hanging out because
it was so close.

Speaker 4 (19:10):
It was so close, so we were just like over there.

Speaker 5 (19:12):
It was.

Speaker 4 (19:12):
It was a lot of fun kind of like just
walk our way over. Yeah, people would come by. Actually,
Cord came by one time and I was like, this
is the nice thing. Yeah. I was like yeah, yeah, yeah.

Speaker 1 (19:23):
How did you get on the show?

Speaker 4 (19:25):
So I'm in the city. I had been in and out.
I was doing like tours in and out of the city, like,
so I was coming and going. And then the last
season was coming around, and I think they switched casting
they switched casting companies. I think the last season. I
feel like that's what I was old. So they were like,
we're putting everyone you know on tape again. We're just
like redoing the thing. We just want to get some

(19:47):
new faces. I remember like reading lines with my friends
who were also being called in. I thought, yeah, throwing
the dragnet out just for you know what I mean?

Speaker 1 (19:56):
Yeah, yeah, purposes.

Speaker 4 (19:57):
So I went into Telsea and and saying, and they
like put me on camera, you know, as they do.
And it was just a quick little thing and I
didn't really think anything of it. And then like a
couple of weeks went by and I got an email
and they were like, hey, they're like interested in you
for this new season. They're going to fly you out
and do a screen test. With you, and I was like,

(20:18):
what hell.

Speaker 2 (20:19):
I was like, you know, zero to one hundred, you know,
had you ever done TV at this point?

Speaker 4 (20:24):
Never? Never? Never? Even before even after that, I still
haven't done stuff. So it really is such a dream
to the whole, the whole situation. In the back of it,
I'm like, what the actual hell happened? You know, like, yeah, crazy.
So they flew me out and I and I went
out and I did the screen test and I'm like,
you know, I'm on set after watching it for so long?

Speaker 2 (20:44):
Yeah, where did they have you screen tests?

Speaker 6 (20:46):
Like?

Speaker 2 (20:46):
What was that?

Speaker 4 (20:47):
It brought me to the auditorium. They brought me to
the stage literally, and then I'm waiting in Sue Sylvester's office.
I'm taking my I'm taking pictures and sending it to
my teenage like sister. I'm like, girl, you're You're never
gonna believe where I am right now.

Speaker 2 (21:01):
You know, that's so not fair.

Speaker 4 (21:03):
It was crazy.

Speaker 1 (21:05):
It was like the most sterile fox.

Speaker 4 (21:07):
Like I know it was. The whole thing was so surreal,
truly so surreal. And that's where I met Marshall actually,
because I originally went in for Spencer, Oh wow, for Spencer.
The Spencer role. And so I was there with Marshall
and we were reading the sides and I heard him
do the song. I heard him sing, and we like

(21:30):
had our goodbyes, you know what I mean, like after
we're like you man, like good luck to you, and
then I like didn't hear anything.

Speaker 2 (21:36):
Wait, hold on, I have a technical question. I'm so
sorry to Yeah, when you're auditioning on the auditorium stage,
it's like Marshall and whoever else auditioning, are you all
like on the wings, like waiting to go out there?

Speaker 4 (21:48):
You're like waiting. They had us like waiting in Sue's
office was.

Speaker 1 (21:52):
The green room? Okay, fair enough, fair enough?

Speaker 2 (21:57):
Okay, that is right, that's close. Okay, yes you can.

Speaker 4 (22:00):
Hear it because I remember because they So I go
home and then they call me again. They're like all right,
I didn't thought I didn't get it, and they were
like they want you to come back actually for one
of these twins that they're like trying, and I was
like okay, So they fly me back out. It was
like a week later, like fly me back out. And
I get there and actually something came up and like

(22:20):
Ryan Murphy was busy and I had to stay in
the hotel for like at least five days, like just
like sitting there like waiting to have my like screen test.
And I got sick the day after I landed, and
I lost my voice. So I'm at this hotel freaking out,
trying to recover, trying to get a voice. By the
time they get me back, I have no singing voice.

(22:42):
I was like, I could read the lines though, you
know what I mean, Like I can do this, And
they were like, oh, for sure.

Speaker 2 (22:48):
So I and Ryan was there for the first one.

Speaker 4 (22:50):
Ryan was there for the first one. Yes, he'd see
me singing and do the thing. Yeah, And I had
gotten that. I sang maybe I'm amazed by Paul McCartney.

Speaker 2 (22:59):
Oh, I want to sing that.

Speaker 4 (23:01):
That's my go to. That's like my you know, I sing.
It's good and it's got the piano under it, so
you never have to worry. So I I sing that.
So I'm they bring me back for the second screen test.
I do the lines and and I can't sing, but
I'm like a son of a gun. But there was
another kid that they had there also reading who was

(23:22):
another like cheeky. You know, they're trying to put in
this like cheer liter role and like no offense to
this kid. I don't know who he is, so but
I was like sitting there in the room on the
chair and I could hear him. I can't remember what
the song was, but I heard him singing the song
and I was like, Oh, I'm going to book this
because it was just us, you know what I mean.

Speaker 3 (23:43):
So I was like, yeah, I'm.

Speaker 4 (23:46):
Gonna Oh, I'm you know, I felt, Yeah, that's amazing.
I bring what they're looking for, you know, like.

Speaker 1 (23:59):
You just now some of them you don't, you know really.

Speaker 4 (24:02):
Do you know what I mean? Sometimes in there like
there's no one else you're going to get who's going
to do this, Like I can you know. But I
just knew in that moment between me and him, I
was like, Oh, this is this might actually.

Speaker 1 (24:13):
Happen, you know, yeah, yeah, yeah yeah.

Speaker 4 (24:16):
And then I went home and I think I had realized.
I think I was already talking to Laura about it
because Laura and I were friends before this. We were
on the hair tour together. Oh, I known each other
before this for years, you know, So we had been
talking that we were going back and forth, and then yeah,
when we got cast we like message each other, and

(24:37):
you know, the casting doesn't know that we know each other,
but they don't even understand what they just did for themselves,
you know, because we were already friends.

Speaker 2 (24:45):
So amazing built in chemistry exactly because you never had
to do any chemistry read.

Speaker 4 (24:51):
No, no, literally no no. That's the thing too, is
that they cast us as twins without having us in
the room together, you know what I mean, Like that's
that's wild.

Speaker 3 (25:02):
It worked out though, because you guys obviously had that
you know history, like.

Speaker 2 (25:06):
From your very first scene six, you guys are just
like that. It was.

Speaker 4 (25:13):
It was a lot of fun. It was a lot
and very different obviously from like I'm like a like
dirty like rock and roll hippie, So like playing a
cheerleader was like, uh, you know what I mean, like
a different you know way of being for I remember,
I would have to say before we would started rolling
all the time, like smiling is my favorite, so I
could get this here, you know, which I definitely.

Speaker 2 (25:37):
That was such a good way.

Speaker 4 (25:40):
And it makes you smile when you say it smiles
my favorite, and it's all you are, you know, But
like sometimes it was hard, you know, to go from
like chilling, like all right, like put it on and
you're like you're like, wa, get up, like.

Speaker 1 (25:54):
A good slap across the face, you.

Speaker 2 (25:56):
Know, yeah, oh my god?

Speaker 1 (25:58):
What was it like that?

Speaker 3 (26:00):
And coming into the show having never been on TV
before as the new class, new new class, Like, what
was that like for you?

Speaker 2 (26:09):
Because we had beca you know. Becca admitted that she
had never even auditioned for TV before before Glee, and
when she first showed up on set, they were like, okay,
you just go stand on your mark, and she had
no idea what that meant. And so she was just
like faking it completely and we had no idea that's it.

Speaker 4 (26:28):
And of course she would she just is.

Speaker 2 (26:30):
Like yeah, exactly, Yeah, So what was that like for you?

Speaker 4 (26:35):
Same thing, all the all the terms that are being
thrown out there. For like the first couple of weeks,
I was like, who is Annabelle? I must be the
hardest working woman in show business? Like Annabelle who I
don't know? Someone go find her. They're looking for her,
you know what I mean?

Speaker 2 (26:51):
Like for those of you who don't know, they would
somebody would shout on a bell about three different words,
because they would you would literally hear a little bell
ring and then a red light would go on, so

(27:13):
like outside the stage, so they knew we were filming.

Speaker 4 (27:16):
Keep your mouth shut, we're on a we're on a.

Speaker 2 (27:19):
Bet film is being wasted. Let's go so good.

Speaker 4 (27:25):
Oh so yeah, like literally little things like that. I'm
just learning. I'm learning, you know what I mean? Yeah,
And had I had no idea the amount of time
that went into all of it, to the setups for
the lights, just like literally the in between and then
like moving the setups and changing everything. And I just
didn't know how much actual time went into it all, you.

Speaker 1 (27:48):
Know, like really how much time you would be there?

Speaker 4 (27:52):
Oh oh yeah. And we were the new kids, so
they were like you just when the sun comes up,
you just get here and.

Speaker 2 (28:00):
Maybe me you know, no a couple hours later.

Speaker 4 (28:04):
Yeah, now getting those crazy calls like that, are like,
all right, we're doing this at three in the morning,
you know, like like thinking, I was watching back the
Home when we shot Home at night. It was like
two o'clock in the morning and we were shooting off
fireworks in the Paramount lot. I remember being like these
people around here, obviously they're used to like the movie lot,
being in their car but I was like, bro, it
is three in the morning and.

Speaker 2 (28:25):
We're out there, you know, like it was, yeah, it was,
and nobody else is filming on the lot that late.
Like we were always the latest show showing.

Speaker 1 (28:34):
That song was really late at night.

Speaker 2 (28:37):
You always remember that it was.

Speaker 1 (28:39):
It was never forgot that in.

Speaker 4 (28:40):
The middle of the night. Yeah, it was. It was nuts.
It was. It was things like that that. It was
just like, man, the ins and outs of how they
have to move around doing the daytime the nighttime, getting
everyone's schedules to line up where we need to be
on site, are we not? You know? It was just
it was so much like and I'm just learning also
like etiquette, where to go, what to do. On first
days on set, I had like my guitar with me

(29:02):
and it was like lunchtime and I was like jamming
out my guitar like and then we got out and
one of the like eighties was like, hey, just so
you know, like you don't play your guitar during lunch
because I was trying to sleep in the trailer next
year and I was like whoa. I was like, oh
my god, I'm so sorry, like literally no, never again. Never,

(29:26):
you know what I mean like I was like learning
the ins and outs again. New kids here, man, I'm
not trying to annoying.

Speaker 2 (29:35):
Or it's the complete opposite of like the theater. It's
the complete opposite. Like obviously you're performing, but theater is
instant gratification. You show up and you go on stage like.

Speaker 1 (29:48):
Two, you know how you did? You go home again?

Speaker 4 (29:51):
You know what I mean? Good job?

Speaker 2 (29:53):
You know what I mean?

Speaker 4 (29:54):
You holding out that note at the end of the
song and they'd be like, all right, cut and it's
just silence, and you're like, it's that. I like it.
I don't know. And then you go out and you
get changed and you go home. Yeah, it's weird. It's
it's definitely after doing theater for so long, if the
audience you.

Speaker 3 (30:11):
Know, yeah, so no it said you guys watched together,
and you know, obviously it was like nice to.

Speaker 1 (30:25):
Have everybody like you all going through it together.

Speaker 3 (30:27):
You weren't like by yourself as like the newbie, But like,
what was it like watching yourself on the show.

Speaker 2 (30:34):
That was weird?

Speaker 4 (30:35):
That was weird. It's still weird, you know, to see
the shops and stuff, to see it back. Yeah, it
was wild. It was definitely wild. I remember like not
knowing what to expect.

Speaker 2 (30:46):
I'm sure, like, how can you even conceptualize what that's
going to be?

Speaker 4 (30:50):
Yeah, you know, like what does this mean as a person,
especially as like a performer? You know what I mean?
You're like, yeah, oh, you know what I mean. Like
it was. It was just so interesting, and of course
it's always hard. Some people enjoy watching themselves.

Speaker 2 (31:01):
Back, but you know, it's terrible.

Speaker 4 (31:06):
I realized now that I should have jumped behind the
screen and watched all of the shots back after we
took them, So I like, what was I doing with
my hand? Like, let me do that again?

Speaker 1 (31:14):
Yeah?

Speaker 4 (31:15):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, it was definitely it was definitely a
weird and wild experience. Yeah, to watch that back, and
we did. We the the house that I was in,
I lived with two sisters who were close by. They
rented me a room at the house that was close by,
and they had this big pull down like screen projector.

(31:36):
It was huge, a big pull down projector screen, and
we would just post up on the couch. I have
some pictures like watching a couple episodes, you know what
I mean. Cool, It was definitely really cool, you know,
but for surreal you know, I watched. By the time
we were done filming, I had or by the time
the last episode was airing, I was already back home
on Long Island. I was like sitting in my family's house,

(32:00):
like watching the episode back like with them, you know,
like to have already done the thing and have the journey, you.

Speaker 2 (32:07):
Know, and like did this ever happens point?

Speaker 4 (32:12):
You know, like because my parents are like, what's going on?
Who's you know what I mean, Like they're asking questions,
the dogs running around, you know, no one's really paying attention,
you know what I mean. Like I was just like
and back to reality, you know. Yeah, sure, you know
it's such a bubble, you know, you're.

Speaker 3 (32:26):
Not care amount anymore to Yeah, it was wild.

Speaker 4 (32:30):
It was wild and like also something to be said
when you asked before too, like joining joining a Joining
the show late is such an interesting energy you guys,
that's gotta.

Speaker 2 (32:40):
Be hard, so hard.

Speaker 4 (32:41):
Yeah, it's just you're aware of of what you guys
have done and the ships that you guys have had before.
So it's you're just like, I'm not trying to like
sho like be to pushing your like be anyone's best friend,
you know what I mean? Not in a bad way,
like you know, like cut into stuff that's already around,
you know what I mean. And you can see that,

(33:02):
like you guys were also coming to an end, so
people's heads were kind of onto the next thing. Yeah,
you know, kind of ready to get it.

Speaker 2 (33:09):
Yeah.

Speaker 4 (33:10):
So it's an interesting energy to be around for because
we're so gung ho, you know, like as the you know,
we're like, oh this is you know, like everything's exciting.
So yeah, to come to the end of that is
an interesting feeling. You know. I've also tours late, I've
joined like people, so I've had that experience before this
as well, like coming in learning your role that'sah thrown in.

(33:34):
That's how I got thrown into the hair tour. And
they had been out for a year. They had been
on Broadway and they went to London and came back again.
You have all these you know, experiences that you're just like,
I'm just trying to like add to it, you know,
so that like I'm neutral and I appreciate being here,
you know what i mean, Like I'm not trying to inquire,
like you know, be you know whatever. It is, Like

(33:54):
the energy is specific and you're you're aware of it.

Speaker 2 (33:58):
You can just feel you know what I mean, Like
you really can't. Yeah, it's just I feel bad that
you guys were And one hand, it's like I feel
really bad that you guys came into that because you
can feel it, and it is just like I wish
we were at a place to probably be more like
welcoming and like gung ho like you guys. But on

(34:19):
the other hand, that's also why it was so important
that you guys were there, because there's a large crew
and it's like everybody is sort of feeling like, you know,
we're coming to an end, but you were probably the
biggest motivating factor on that set every single day, and
so I remember being around you being like, Okay, yeah,

(34:41):
I'm still here, Like let me just like pick it
up a little bit because you guys are. And so
it's very very helpful and I think necessary for all
of us to get through it that you guys were
all there. And it's so nice. Everybody was so nice
and so respectful and it was very rare. But you know,

(35:02):
there'd be a couple of times where people would come
on and they like were just trying really hard to like,
I don't know, take up space you guys did the opposite.
But now it makes sense because you're also experienced in
that way. Yeah, because you had been in similar situations that.

Speaker 3 (35:18):
You knew respectful, right, Yes, it was respect that's it.

Speaker 4 (35:23):
Yeah. One of the costumers thanked me for hanging up
my clothes, you know what I mean, like after filming,
and I was like, well, I would get fined, equity would.

Speaker 1 (35:32):
Find exactly you know what the theater kids are like.

Speaker 4 (35:39):
Exactly you know. So it was energy was interesting.

Speaker 2 (35:41):
But I also found out who was not hanging their
clothes because I remember getting thanked about it, and I
was like, who was not hanging up their clothes?

Speaker 1 (35:49):
I could tell you.

Speaker 4 (35:52):
Later.

Speaker 1 (35:52):
It's like love you lie or tell him You'll never
nobody will ever know.

Speaker 2 (35:56):
Okay, yeah, text me later.

Speaker 4 (35:58):
Yeah, gosh.

Speaker 1 (35:59):
Yeah.

Speaker 4 (36:00):
I want to say though that you two especially were
so lovely and welcoming. Never never felt good.

Speaker 2 (36:12):
You never know.

Speaker 4 (36:13):
And I think a big thing. I just like love
watching like people and dynamics and you know what I mean,
like in places. So when you come in, like you said,
there is a big crew. The crew is a big
part of the show. It's it's it's just as big
as the cast. But people don't know the crew. Don't
you know the cast, but the crew knows the cast,

(36:34):
so to see you can see the energy shift when
people came up and who loved loved are you kidding me?
And who who? They were just so happy around you
know what I mean. It was just so nice and
light and like if I knew Kevin was going to
be on set, I was like, it's gonna be fine.
We're gonna get through the day, you know what I mean,

(36:55):
Like this is We're gonna get through it, you know
what I mean.

Speaker 2 (36:57):
Like I loved being around you guys. And I was
always like at that point, like I guess you know
the seniority of like I've been around here, I got
you guys, I know the things to look out for.

Speaker 4 (37:07):
Yeah, felt very Yeah, like you took us under your wing.
It felt very I absolutely felt that warmth, man, I
really did, so I appreciate that. Oh good and and
and Jenna, like you can also tell again the crew
who everyone like warms up and beams around, you know
what I mean, come on set and everyone would just
be so happy to chat her up, you know what

(37:28):
I mean, immediately cameras and just be like what are
you doing? How are you like the makeup and hair
people would just come to set just to hang out
with you, you know what I mean.

Speaker 2 (37:39):
Like it's true you're the first person to bring this
perspective up, and you're completely right, you know.

Speaker 4 (37:44):
Yeah, again, the dynamic that you guys had created was
apparent all around, you know what I mean. Watching that
and just kind of seeing how everyone interacted with each other,
that was just my way of being, like, that's who
I want to make sure I hang out with while.

Speaker 1 (37:59):
I'm here right right, the crew.

Speaker 4 (38:01):
Welcomes and who you can that's the that I want
to bring and be around. You know, well, that's very nice.

Speaker 3 (38:07):
Thank you for saying that, because yes, I think like
it was so easy to lose the steam and lose
the appreciation for what we were doing because we were
just so deep in it. And like one of the
important things that I think we both walk away from
is like making people feel welcome on a set and
also like knowing your crew's names, knowing who they are,

(38:29):
making them feel as important as they are on a show.

Speaker 6 (38:33):
You know, you they know everything about you know when
you know you know what I mean, they are so
crucial and they're there for so long, much longer than
us sometimes and like it's just so important no always
like and and just they're so good at what they
do and they are so professional, and like I think

(38:55):
professional can also come in different forms of them being
like oh, we don't talk to this actor or we
don't do this, and I'm like, well, like we're all
eagles here, you.

Speaker 3 (39:05):
Know what I mean, Like nobody's better than anybody else.
Nobody's job is more important than anybody else. Like we're
just all here to do the same thing.

Speaker 2 (39:12):
And they looked out for us and they took care.

Speaker 1 (39:14):
Of us always, yeah, especially when so young. So I'm
so lady to hear.

Speaker 2 (39:19):
You say that they loved you guys too, though, I
because you know, we would text with certain people and
the crew because we weren't there every single day, and
they're like, oh, these new kids are good. Yeah, Like
there was something about by the way, we told Noah
this too, like we you know, like sort of get
advised by the fans about like what do we have
to look to? Yah and unanimous everybody loves like the

(39:45):
new season six new cast.

Speaker 4 (39:47):
Like nice, yeah, that's nice. Again. It's it's hard to join,
you know, a fandom at the end of the fandom,
you know, like it's hard to I have my shows
that I watched that I'm like, who did they add
this last? Right? Totally you come in here and thinking
you're a part of the office cast, I don't.

Speaker 2 (40:06):
Think, yeah, you know, like watching you come in, but
especially because like some of you had never done TV,
you all feel so settled and like confident. There was
like a real confidence from the very first moment you
guys are on screen, and it's palpable, and it like
it makes us as a viewer because I remember nothing

(40:27):
from this season like it makes and I feel like
I'm watching it for the first time, where yeah, that
it makes like you have to give your audience that
security of like we know what we're doing, like you
can relax, no, and you do that and which is
what you do in theater. And so it's it's nice
that from the moment like you and Laura are on

(40:50):
screen and yapping away at each other and having that
like comedic timing, and then when you start singing and
you're like like, oh, they it feels like they've been
doing this for five seasons before this.

Speaker 4 (41:02):
Wow, thank you you guys. Set a blueprint, you know
what I mean, Like the everything was kind of there,
almost given for you, so you just have to wiggle
your way into this already created you know process. Just
pull out your bag of tools and make sure paying attention,
you know, and and and they wouldn't do obviously if
you weren't good, So just do what you do. Yeah, yeah,

(41:24):
it was a lot again, it was a lot of learning.
Still I'm figuring out. Like they would come up to
me for some scenes and like maquing uh for like
DP would come out and he'd be like just turn
your head, like the littlest bit y light is hating you,
like here and we need it. And I'm like, oh, okay,
so now I'm trying to be aware of like where
I'm like, oh yeah. Yeah.

Speaker 2 (41:43):
He would tell us that too. Until the last day
we were all like not doing what we were supposed
to do.

Speaker 5 (41:49):
Also, the vocal coaches the addiction like yah and yeah,
oh my god, they hated me. Oh my god, they
hated me, absolutely hate that.

Speaker 2 (42:01):
Soging is harder than people think it is.

Speaker 4 (42:03):
It really is. Because you think all you you know,
you're like, oh, I'll just sing and you're like no,
because the way your mouth forms notes isn't how it
looks like you are supposed to speak sometimes like you
really enunciate. Yeah, watching they'd be behind the camera like
you know, like try and try it so hard to

(42:23):
get like get things out.

Speaker 2 (42:25):
You know, You're like, I don't have to live syn.
I'm from the theater and I know how to.

Speaker 1 (42:31):
Do this live, like lady, at least I'm singing.

Speaker 2 (42:44):
We would just watch you do the Will You Love
Me Tomorrow? And head over Feet.

Speaker 4 (42:51):
Yeah, so good.

Speaker 2 (42:54):
It is so good because I was a little upset
we didn't get to hear you sing too much before that,
and then you really sang on that and I was like, yes,
that voice is stupid, Billy.

Speaker 4 (43:08):
I appreciate it. Thank you, think again. I'm just trying
to keep up. Man. That's it.

Speaker 3 (43:12):
No, do you have any other favorite numbers that you
guys did on the show, or like anything memorable so much?

Speaker 4 (43:19):
You know, I really everything was an insane whirlwind, you
know what I mean. So every day was like something new,
you know, Like I tried to go through and I
was like try literally trying to like take notes because
I was like this is crazy, Like I'm remembering things
for the first time again, like being like I can't
even believe we did that number the whole wedding episode itself.

Speaker 2 (43:36):
Oh yeah, just crazy.

Speaker 4 (43:38):
You know, because you get everyone was there, you.

Speaker 2 (43:41):
Know, eighty thousand cast members.

Speaker 4 (43:43):
Like it was wild and like I forgot that you
were basically like the mc keV like you like say,
like I listened to that at last again and I was.

Speaker 2 (43:50):
Like, oh god.

Speaker 4 (43:53):
Right, Like you know, you get hay On there too.
I was like, yeah, it was a lot of fun.
Like I just I like watching you guys have fun,
you know what I mean. I like to put you
guys in a setting that you guys again because this
was a long thing and you guys have been through
a lot as people, as a cast, as a show,
so a lot of it was huge when you guys

(44:13):
all did come together. You know, people weren't there a lot,
But like when Harry would come to set, I didn't
know him, he wasn't there a lot, but another one
who he come to set everyone his feet ye purpose
because he's like the nicest guy in the world. So cool,
these people come back in and out. I always loved
it like that or again out of body, I'm sharing

(44:35):
a trailer in between shots with Gloria Stefan.

Speaker 1 (44:39):
Yes, I mean that's for us.

Speaker 2 (44:42):
We were all.

Speaker 4 (44:44):
Talking about you know what I mean, like again, like
I'm like, bro, like a couple of years ago, I'm
sitting you know what I mean, in my basement, you
know what I.

Speaker 1 (44:52):
Mean, he's sharing a trailer course, yeah, you know. Yeah.

Speaker 4 (44:58):
Really, other than that, like the big stuff, they really
let me do a lot of numbers that I was
very grateful for, like being able to do I Want
to break Free, which was like to do that because
I had been understudying the role a role on We
Will Rock You, which is the Queen musical. Yeah, I
understudying the lead role who sings I Want to break

(45:19):
Free during the show. So I had been singing it
on the road like here on the show though, like
for real and having it be like my song and
not an understudying song. Moment, you know, I was, this
is a cool full circle. I feel this right now,
you know, like I'm it was. It was really cool.
And I love Queen. I love Freddie mccury, you know
what I mean, So to be able to pay homage

(45:41):
to him as best Yeah, actually they fit me. When
we did a fitting for that. They put me in
his like white tank top white. Yes, wanted he did,
like the Live Aid concert. Yes, yes. We got to
set and it was all it was all the all
black leather jacket and I was like, what happened and
they were like, oh yeah, like the producers just like
said no, and I was like, yeah, probably because I

(46:01):
don't look like the guy from Vocal Adrenaline and a
tank top, you know what I mean. Like I was like,
that's probably why I like, you know what I mean,
like never mind, never mind, none of Adrenaline.

Speaker 2 (46:13):
Yeah, it was.

Speaker 4 (46:16):
It was really it was really cool to be able
to have that. But again you feel the way You're like, man,
all these cameras are rolling better.

Speaker 2 (46:22):
And doing a clean song. You're like, yeah, do this.

Speaker 4 (46:25):
Just let me make sure I'm doing this the right way.
We did come sail Away as well, which was which.

Speaker 2 (46:30):
Is really good numbers.

Speaker 4 (46:33):
Yeah, it was. It was really cool man. They like
really let me lean into the rock and roll stuff,
you know, yeah, which I was very appreciative. But then
being able to watch like them do like Uptown Funk
that like watching that back That's that Dawn set was
like so much fun and you can see everyone in
the audience, everyone on stage freaking out. Like it starts
with the like only a couple of the cast on

(46:56):
stage and the rest of us in the wings are
like bugging out. You can see every time they panned
us that were just waiting to be unleashed so we
can go in the rest of the number and uptime
Funk had only been out for a little while too. Yeah,
show the things that like are just out so like
we were fiending for it. Like it was so that
every time I watched that or hear that song, I

(47:16):
was like, man, that was such a fun day, you know,
like it was cool. It was so cool from all
the choreographers were so nice, you know what I mean.
Everyone was just happy to I'm never really happy to
have us there.

Speaker 3 (47:27):
You did feel that new energy new Yeah we needed
professional yeah exactly, you know it was.

Speaker 4 (47:36):
It was wild, man, But you guys have been through it.
You guys have done a lot. I was like, who
who else shoots? Uh, you know, like a full series
and then tours to get we were literally and the
two groups of people who like shoot all day and
then we'll also arena tours and then like like it's

(47:58):
crazy and.

Speaker 2 (47:58):
I think that's why I don't read remember of season six,
because my brain was just friede of course I didn't
know what was happening. I do remember, you know what's interesting.
I don't remember what we filmed, but I remember like
my relationships with you guys. Yeah, yeah, I remember the
feeling of like that. Yeah, and like we watched an

(48:19):
episode earlier this week. I'm like, I don't remember doing
this at all, but I remember hanging out with everybody.

Speaker 4 (48:26):
Yeah, I remember that.

Speaker 2 (48:27):
I feel like I was around you all the time.
And I don't know because I'm not in every episode,
but I like the feeling of season six to me
is obviously the very end.

Speaker 1 (48:35):
Yes, yeah, it's ken there a lot.

Speaker 4 (48:39):
I'm like watching it back, like literally, you were there
a lot, man, and we really like mother henned you,
Like we all were like yeah here, like we like
all of us like were immediately like around him and
talk like yeah.

Speaker 2 (48:51):
Because I would also be like, Okay, tell me what's up,
what's the secrets? What are the secrets?

Speaker 4 (48:55):
G from Kevin?

Speaker 3 (48:56):
CaAl, that's right, And then Kevin would come home and
text me and tell me what was going on. Un said,
He'd be like saying all these people's names and like,
I don't.

Speaker 1 (49:02):
Know who that is. I've never met them before.

Speaker 2 (49:05):
I mean, because it was sort of our way, like
we learned, you know, to like protect ourselves because like
they don't tell you much like what you're doing before
you're doing it. And so the little like gossip chain
in a respectful way was very helpful. It was very calming, yes,
and so like.

Speaker 4 (49:25):
Yeah, they want to catch you off guard, right, that's
the thing that they love about, Like out in Hollywood.
They're like, We're going to kind of give it to
them fresh so we can see if we can get
a good.

Speaker 2 (49:31):
Shot out of this.

Speaker 4 (49:32):
Yeah, they don't like to tell you to give you
the script.

Speaker 2 (49:35):
That morning or I was never trying to play that.
I want to give everybody enough time to mentally prepare
ye physically and emotionally for what we're doing. What does
tomorrow look like for us?

Speaker 4 (49:47):
Really? Yeah, because they did that to us when we
first our first day on set for me and Laura
was when they did the Cheerios song with the three
girls out in the field at the school. I was like,
but the first day at the school, we had shot
the scenes of us like going down the hallway as
the group first, and then that it brought us into

(50:10):
the room, the course room for the first time, and
there was the cast standing there. We had never met anyone,
we had never said hi to anyone before then, so
we did those lines and all that stuff, all those
reactions of everyone watching like me and Laura like say
those and everyone just being like shocked. This Literally they
had never heard us do anything before. They didn't know
who we were, they didn't know who they just hired
to be on the show with them for the next

(50:31):
six months. Literally they were throwing us to them so
they could just be like, let's just see how everyone
reacts to each other, you know, and like that's so Hollywood,
you know what I mean. Yeah, reaction, you know, like
it was wild. It was wild to see you guys
who have been seeing on my you know, TV for years,
to be like, oh now you're now they're literally right here,

(50:53):
like this.

Speaker 1 (50:53):
Is this is in front of me, and here they
are again.

Speaker 4 (50:59):
Super super shy, you know what I mean. At moments,
you know, it was always so weird and out of
body where you'd be sitting there and I'm like, who
am I talking to right now?

Speaker 3 (51:06):
Yeah?

Speaker 4 (51:07):
Yeah, yeah.

Speaker 2 (51:07):
Yeah, what's so funny is that, like that would have
never crossed my mind.

Speaker 1 (51:12):
Never, No, you guys never would ever.

Speaker 2 (51:15):
And then but like because you guys never acted like that,
but like I remember just like kicking it with you guys,
like just talking to you, like I would talk to Jenna,
and like hearing you and Know say that, I was like, oh,
I didn't even consider that.

Speaker 4 (51:26):
Yeah, No, trually, and I absolutely love Noah. I cannot
leave this without saying, no, it is my dude. I
absolutely love him. He's one of the best people I've
ever met in this industry, this show. I'm so grateful
for the show because I have him in my life.
He's so such a good person. I remember talking to
him on the back of the golf cart one day.

(51:47):
We both commented about something and and we both just
looked at each other and I was like, we like
basically like shook hands. Mentally, this is the deal. Yeah,
Noah was even younger than we were. Forgetting he was
like so what it was just twenty or twenty one
or something. It was like he was like really young
still and new to this. He hadn't acted before either, too,

(52:10):
so it was it was all new you know, like everything.
It's just like we would we would go back afterwards
and be like, what the hell even happened today? Like
did it go well? You know what I mean, like
did you? Did you do it for everything right? You know,
like how was your scenes? You know, we were just
trying to make sure that yeah, we didn't I don't know,
like put a put a weird wedge in this already
you know solid.

Speaker 2 (52:30):
Yeah, I mean that's what we would do too. When
we first got on the show, like we were doing
the pilot, We're like, hopefully this is good. We don't
know what we're doing, yeah exactly, which means you care
and that's nice that like exactly the show was in
good hands with you guys because you cared. You all
wanted to do good work and like represent the show well,
not make way.

Speaker 1 (52:49):
Yeah, yeah, And.

Speaker 4 (52:51):
I just it was such a huge it was such
a huge part of my like life growing up, and
like people doing theater obviously that you should be on Glee,
like you should audition for Glee.

Speaker 2 (52:59):
And you know annoying. Yeah, number one eight hundred gleet
you know.

Speaker 1 (53:05):
The biggest show in television. Let me just call them up. Yeah,
So I had been.

Speaker 4 (53:09):
Pushing it out of my my brain and my body
like my entire like theater career, so that by the
time it's around, it was just so.

Speaker 1 (53:16):
Crazy to me.

Speaker 2 (53:18):
That's crazy.

Speaker 4 (53:20):
It was huge watching, you know, I did. I was
sports and theater and was like in between and was like, oh,
you know, you know you're not hanging out with us
that much anymore because you know what I mean, like
straight up like the cliche guy theater thing now. So
to watch the characters back the main you know, storyline
from the beginning of him coming in and being like

(53:40):
I immediately was like, oh that yeah, and that's that's me.
I relate to that, you know, like crazy. It had
a part. It always had a part. Even if I
didn't watch it, it was I was aware of it
and what it meant to me as like, uh, a
straight white performer. Yeah, yeah, so it was. It was.

(54:00):
It was a lot, man, And again, I know, you
guys had been through so much, so it was just
I didn't want to come there and not take it seriously.
I think that's what we all, you know what I mean,
And we were just like, let's just make sure that
we do this justice, yeah, and support you know, a
lot of the days you're not even saying anything too.
You're on set and you don't know those.

Speaker 2 (54:23):
We know those you're.

Speaker 4 (54:25):
Just sitting there and you're just like hanging out. But
you know, you're like, man, I was nice though. I
was happy to be there. You know, it's happy to
be for these things because some of these things, some
of these moments, I mean, all of these moments will
never have again. But the the oh my gosh, the
literally chills thinking about it that I know where I've
been episode I was. I can't express and explain the

(54:51):
energy in the room that day, you know what I mean.
Like I remember just like crying after every take. You know,
like it was just like so unbelievable. This just the
energy and and and the love, and it was just
where that you're like a part of something much bigger
than yourself. If you're having a bad day, or if
you're having a bad ego day or whatever it is,

(55:13):
it's like when they shut the lights off and the
camera starts rolling, you're like, I don't really think about
my bullet right now, Like like we're all going through stuff.
But it's like when you know, step out and Alex
starts singing.

Speaker 1 (55:25):
You're like, I'm here, Yeah, this is what.

Speaker 4 (55:28):
We're doing right now, you know, you know it's it's
obviously so hard to go back and just watch, you
know what I mean. Yeah, yeah, which I'm so sorry
you guys, Like that's I haven't even spoken, you know
what I mean. I'm just so sorry for you. I mean,
like just everybody, Yeah, another one who went on set.
You were like, this is the queen bee.

Speaker 2 (55:49):
Yes, really everyone here on set here like you knew man,
like just everyone, And it wasn't a bad way.

Speaker 4 (55:58):
It was like nonew you would just watch. I just watched.
You would watch her and be like, oh, she's whatever
she does next, she's gonna nail it.

Speaker 1 (56:06):
That's it.

Speaker 3 (56:06):
It was like professional and yet like just beyond your expectations,
like the delivery itself too. You're like, I even if
she would like we would all like joke around, but
as soon as this camera.

Speaker 1 (56:20):
Started rolling, like it would always get done.

Speaker 2 (56:23):
Yeah.

Speaker 3 (56:24):
The crew revered her like yeah, yes, well it was
yeah something We could literally talk to you for hours,
but before we let you go, we have.

Speaker 1 (56:34):
To ask you, what is the feeling that Lee leaves
you with?

Speaker 4 (56:38):
Wow? The biggest again The biggest thing for me to
take away was the fans after the show, how much
this show means to people still the same way I
fell into theater because I felt it was such like
a welcoming place, you know what I mean. It ever
place everyone has, you know, is welcomed. It's it's a

(57:01):
place for misfits alike, you know. So I think the
show really opened up a door to show, like, hey,
doors are open, man, you know, like everyone could come
in here, whoever you are. You could be a part
of the club, and you can express yourself however you want,
you know, being over at those conventions and just like
seeing the kids with Glee tattoos and you know, like
and it's just it's just it attracts a lot of

(57:27):
people who have had like some hard pasts too, you know,
so it really opens up a path for people to
feel like they're being seen in a way that they
haven't been seen before or heard. So you hear a
lot of stories too, of some really like really messed
up stuff that people have gone through, but the show
and the characters like really brought them out of that
dark place and they go back, you know what I mean.

(57:49):
Day week after we have that happy place, you know,
that comfort you know, like cheers, you know what I mean.

Speaker 1 (57:56):
Where you know, yeah, everybody knows.

Speaker 4 (58:00):
Hit it. Number are we doing today? You know? For me,
it's just it's the what it did for.

Speaker 2 (58:07):
For the people, for the kids, for beautiful youth out.

Speaker 4 (58:10):
There, you know what I mean.

Speaker 2 (58:12):
Yeah, oh, I mean especially you know what I mean,
and the time think of that Billy.

Speaker 1 (58:17):
Yeah, no, I get it, I get it.

Speaker 4 (58:21):
It's really important to make sure that that stays part
of like the revisit in the show, you know what
I mean.

Speaker 3 (58:29):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, I mean that's why we do this podcast.

Speaker 1 (58:33):
It's like, yeah, yeah, they lead this.

Speaker 4 (58:37):
I'm grateful for them, man, I don't you know what
I mean. They'll they'll share my stuff and they'll always
be like grateful for anything that I'm doing, you know
what I mean. The most important people I have li
for like the fans, you know what I mean, Like
still who are still there, you know, like the diehard
kids who've been there.

Speaker 2 (58:52):
Speaking of which, Yeah, you have anything you want to play?
You have new music.

Speaker 4 (58:58):
As I am sewing. I'm sewing so much started years.
I have a page, actually a separate Instagram page. It's
called high House Archive, Hive you House Underscore archive. I
just started. I gotten to the up cycling thing, like
I think it started watching all like people like the
Mike stuff. And so yeah, I got a sewing machine

(59:19):
a couple of years ago for a pack. I made
Noah pair of pants. Actually recently I made the check
him out. He's got pictures of him, honest thing too.
I got pictures on my thing too, Like, so you
guys need some stuff, you let me know, I'll hook
you up.

Speaker 2 (59:38):
Everybody go follow that. Oh my god.

Speaker 4 (59:41):
Yeah, yeah, it's just it's it's actually it's opened up
a whole new part of my my brain. Actually it's like, uh,
I'm much super hyper fixated on it now.

Speaker 2 (59:48):
But in a creative you're just the most creative person ever.

Speaker 4 (59:53):
Have a lot of ADHD and and and and a
little bit of free times.

Speaker 2 (59:59):
Incredible. Oh thank you.

Speaker 3 (01:00:02):
Yes, we'll put that on our in the notes as well,
so that you guys, in case you miss it, you
can go back and click through and please follow that.
And people are really enjoying and we're really enjoying watching
season six and that whole thing. So please thank you
so much for sharing your such honest experience and being

(01:00:23):
so respectful and yet like bringing that energy and that
new vibe to the show was so needed at the time.
And you guys were so great and we were so
grateful for you and to continue the legacy a little
bit while we were like halfway out the door, really
half way, yeah, exactly, but really appreciate it. And it's
so good to see you and chat with you, and

(01:00:45):
thank you for coming on you truly.

Speaker 4 (01:00:48):
Like again, you guys were really a lot of the
more memories I have, you know what I mean, the
welcoming memories were for are with you guys, you know,
so I really really appreciate that, truly.

Speaker 2 (01:00:59):
Truly, thank you spending Thank you for spending so much
time doing some homework before that is literally sweet man.

Speaker 4 (01:01:08):
There's so much and we missed so much and it
was so crammed and it feels like a dream.

Speaker 2 (01:01:12):
It happens very very quickly.

Speaker 1 (01:01:13):
Thank you so much.

Speaker 2 (01:01:14):
Billy was really Billy.

Speaker 1 (01:01:15):
It was so good to see you so much.

Speaker 4 (01:01:19):
So much love. I love you, guys.

Speaker 2 (01:01:22):
See it. My face does hurt.

Speaker 3 (01:01:26):
I know, I just can't say smiling what it was
the saying that he said, I love smiling so much. Wow, well,
what nice A nice perspective those new kids man.

Speaker 1 (01:01:40):
And how observant he was, do you know what I mean? Like,
it's just so sweet. I loved having Billy.

Speaker 2 (01:01:47):
Thank you for teaching this show, you know.

Speaker 3 (01:01:49):
Yeah, right, a new perspective, Billy. Thanks for taking them
time to come on the show. We hope he's enjoyed
an interview.

Speaker 2 (01:01:57):
And we really looked out having them joined the show.
We really really. And you also just see, like I
love hearing people's stories from where they came from, because
like the impossible odds that every single person had to
sort of like overcome to end up on that show.

(01:02:18):
It's just like no, and it's like an insane thing.
And he like just happened to end up on the
show and here it's perfect. Gods, thank you, Billy.

Speaker 1 (01:02:33):
That's what you're really missed.

Speaker 2 (01:02:34):
Thanks for listening and follow us on Instagram at and
that's what you really miss pod. Make sure to write
us a review and leave us five stars. See you
next time.