Matthew Morrison Planned on Leaving Glee, But Cory Monteith's Death Changed Plans, and More News

Sign up for the Socialite Life newsletter. A three-time weekly dose of divas, drag queens, hot male celebrities, models, & pop culture news. Get it in your inbox.

Matthew Morrison, best known for his role as teacher Will Schuester on Glee, opened up about his challenging times on set during an appearance on the And That’s What You REALLY Missed podcast. Morrison revealed his desire to leave the show to pursue new opportunities. “I actually was trying to get off the show,” he confessed. Motivated by a sense of underutilization in season 5, he expressed, “I’m no longer being used in the way I wanted to.”

Morrison sought different creative avenues beyond Glee, stating, “No disrespect to the show. We were riding high, and I thought maybe stepping away could open doors to other projects, maybe even a movie.” The show’s producers initially agreed to his departure.

However, the unexpected passing of his co-star, Cory Monteith, in 2013 at the age of 31 dramatically altered these plans. “Cory passed, and then they said they couldn’t do it,” Morrison shared. The loss meant that the show couldn’t afford to let both of its leading men go. “It was definitely a complex time,” Morrison admitted, grappling with personal ambitions and the profound loss of a dear colleague.

Despite initial frustrations regarding his diminishing focus on the show, Morrison realized the shift made sense, given the show’s evolving demographic interest. “Initially, I took it personally, thinking maybe I wasn’t good enough. But, understanding that the audience preferred to see more of the students rather than Mr. Schuester helped me see the bigger picture.”

Throughout it all, Morrison maintained his professionalism. “Obviously I understood. Balancing my own desires with mourning a phenomenal friend was tough. There were mixed feelings. Yet, I stayed committed to my role, and fortunately, there was also a favorable bump in my pay,” Morrison concluded.

Plus, Mariah Carey, Ariana Grande, Shakira, Asaf Goren news, and more! Keep scrolling to check out today’s entertainment and pop culture news.

QUICKIES

Drag Race Pit Crew member Asaf Goren joins OF & he can take our money. [Out]
The wait is finally over for a new Shakira album! [People]
It seems that Marcus Jordan lost his temper in a major way at the Real Housewives of Miami reunion, and it was not pretty. [Page Six]
Comedian Amy Schumer is addressing the comments about her “puffy face” on social media. [ABC News]
New York Judge Arthur Engoron ruled that former President Donald Trump and his companies and fellow plaintiffs must pay $364 million in the civil fraud trial over his business practices and barred him from practicing business as an officer or director of a corporation in New York for three years. [New York Times]

INSTAGRAM QUICKIE

How is former RHOSLC star Jen Shah doing in prison?

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by People Magazine (@people)

VIDEO QUICKIE

Ariana Grande – “yes, and?” with Mariah Carey.

VIDEO QUICKIE

Jung Kook in Calvin Klein for the Spring 2024 Campaign.

LINK LOVE

Andrew Garfield and Monica Barbaro were the cutest couple at Wimbledon. [Celebitchy]
Rachel Brosnahan bet it all on black in London [Go Fug Yourself]
Suicide Is Painless: A review of Riot Act starring David Mills. [Boy Culture]
Maggie Q is more than a worthy successor to Harry Bosch in Amazon Prime’s Ballard. [Pajiba]
Matteo Berrettini wasted no time taking off his whites. [Kenneth in the 212]