From Tragedy to Continued Success, the Cast of Glee Then & Now (2024)

Lea Michele as Rachel Berry

Lea Michele led the talented Glee pack as student diva Rachel Berry, which earned her an Emmy nomination in 2010. She later scored a role on Glee creator Ryan Murphy's follow-up project, Scream Queens. Though the show only lasted two seasons, she secured another small-screen role in 2017 on ABC's The Mayor.

Off-screen, Michele famously dated Glee costar Cory Monteith, who tragically died in 2013. She moved on to actor Matthew Paetz, with whom she dated for two years, before dating Dimension 404 costar Robert Buckley. She was later in a relationship with clothing company president Zandy Reich; the two announced their engagement in April 2018 and wed in March 2019. The couple welcomed their first baby in August 2020.

In 2020, Michele's former Glee costar, Samantha Ware, accused the actress of making her life a "living hell" on set and said she threatened to have her fired from the series. Michele later apologized for her behavior.

Michele joined Broadway's Funny Girl in the lead role of Fanny Brice after Beanie Feldstein exited the production in July 2022.

Jane Lynch as Sue Sylvester

Although Jane Lynch found Hollywood success long before Glee, the show increased her star power and helped her land her own series, Angel from Hell, in addition to stints on Criminal Minds and The Stinky and Dirty Show.

After portraying the rude cheerleading coach on the series, Lynch went on to host Hollywood Game Night, for which she won two Emmys. She also appeared on The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, which earned her another Emmy in 2019. In addition, Lynch voiced the character Donna on the HBO Max series Velma. Like her Glee costar Michele, Lynch also starred on Broadway in Funny Girl but exited the production in August 2022.

She married Dr. Lara Embry in 2010, but the two split in 2013. In 2022, she revealed she'd quietly wed partner Jennifer Cheyne one year earlier.

Matthew Morrison as Will Schuester

After starring as beloved teacher Will Schuester, Matthew Morrison moved on to roles on The Good Wife, Grey's Anatomy and American Horror Story.

Another Broadway vet, Morrison returned to the stage post-Glee in the musical version of Finding Neverland. In April 2022, he was a judge on season 17 of So You Think You Can Dance but was fired soon after for sending text messages to a contestant that made her uncomfortable.

He married his longtime love, Renee Puente, in 2014, and they welcomed son Revel in October 2017, followed by daughter Phoenix in 2021.

Chris Colfer as Kurt Hummel

His role as Kurt Hummel on Glee is still the standout on Chris Colfer's acting résumé. Colfer continued to act after the series ended, most notably appearing on the TV Land sitcom Hot in Cleveland. However, he found his true passion in writing, penning five volumes of his Land of Stories series for children and young adults.

Colfer made headlines in October 2022 for his response when asked if he planned to support fellow Glee alum Michele on Broadway in Funny Girl. "My day suddenly just got so full," he told Michelle Collins on SiriusXM, adding, "No, I can be triggered at home."

In January 2023, Colfer celebrated ten years of partnership with boyfriend Will Sherrod. He captioned a photo of the two on Instagram, writing, "Thank you for a decade of laughs and adventures! I love you."

Kevin McHale as Artie Abrams

Before Glee, Kevin McHale was a member of the boy band NLT, which helped shape his musical chops for his role as Artie Abrams. Although he went on to host the TV series Virtually Famous and landed a handful of other gigs (including a role on the spin-off American Horror Stories), McHale has mostly stayed out of the spotlight since the series wrapped.

McHale has also pursued a music career, releasing his debut album, Boy, in 2019 and scoring writing credits on the children's TV musical The AlphaBeatZ.

In 2018, McHale came out as gay after sparking speculation when he posted a photo of himself cuddling up to actor Austin P. McKenzie. McHale and McKenzie first met in 2016 while filming the miniseries When We Rise and have been in a relationship since 2018.

Naya Rivera as Santana Lopez

After starring as the tough but loyal cheerleader Santana Lopez on the hit Fox series, Naya Rivera continued acting with roles on Lifetime's Devious Maids and the YouTube original Step Up: High Water.

But her personal life kept her in the news, first with a whirlwind romance, engagement and breakup with rapper Big Sean, followed by a surprise wedding to Ryan Dorsey. Rivera and Dorsey welcomed their son, Josey Hollis, in 2015 and announced plans to divorce not long after — only to reconcile several months after that. On Thanksgiving weekend in 2017, however, Rivera was arrested in West Virginia and charged with misdemeanor domestic battery after she allegedly hit Dorsey while on a walk with their son.

On July 8, 2020, Rivera went missing in California's Lake Piru. Rescue workers began searching for her after the pontoon boat she rented was found near the shore, with her son Josey, who was 4 years old at the time, alone and asleep on the vessel. On July 13, authorities confirmed they recovered her body floating in the water and called the incident a "tragic drowning accident" with no signs of suicide or foul play.

Jenna Ushkowitz as Tina Cohen-Chang

Although Jenna Ushkowitz's stint as Tina Cohen-Chang is still among her bigger roles, she's also appeared in Yellow Fever (2017), Hello Again (2017) and Rosé All Day (2022).

In 2022, Ushkowitz and former costar McHale announced a new podcast on iHeartRadio titled And That's What You Really Missed, where they discuss memories and happenings from their time on Glee.

Ushkowitz married David Stanley in 2021, and the couple welcomed their first child together in June 2022. During her pregnancy, Ushkowitz appeared on season 2 of RuPaul's Secret Celebrity Drag Race.

"When we filmed, I was actually nine weeks pregnant," Ushkowitz told PEOPLE in an exclusive interview in September 2022. "I had agreed to do the show, and when I found out I was pregnant, I was like, 'This is crazy. Is this wild to do?' So Drag Race was actually the beginning of my journey into motherhood. And I couldn't tell anybody, nobody knew. It was my own little secret."

Amber Riley as Mercedes Jones

Amber Riley twirled from her role as Mercedes Jones on Glee into the Dancing with the Stars ballroom, winning the coveted Mirrorball Trophy on season 17. She also appeared on the NBC TV musical The Wiz in 2015 and made her own theatrical mark in the London production of Dreamgirls in 2016. Riley went on to star in the 2022 Lifetime film Single Black Female, which was inspired by 1992's Single White Female.

In 2022, the singer and actress won season 8 of The Masked Singer and was featured on the docuseries The Black Beauty Effect, which explores the beauty industry from the perspective of Black women.

She also announced an amicable split from then-fiancé Desean Black in April 2022.

Mark Salling as Noah "Puck" Puckerman

Actor Mark Salling made a name for himself as bad boy "Puck" on Glee and even dated costar Rivera for several years during the series' run. But his life took a turn in 2015 when he was arrested and later charged with receiving and possessing child p*rnography. He pled guilty to the charges in October 2017 and faced four to seven years in prison.

In January 2018, Salling was found dead of apparent suicide weeks before he was scheduled for sentencing.

Prior to Salling's child p*rnography possession charge, he was accused of sexual battery in 2013 by then-girlfriend Roxanne Gorzela. The actor settled out of court and paid Gorzela $2.7 million.

Heather Morris as Brittany S. Pierce

Heather Morris, former Glee star and professional dancer, went on tour with Beyoncé in 2007 and found success on the dance floor in 2017 on season 24 of DWTS. Although her stint wasn't as long as Riley's, it came with plenty of controversy, as critics cited her extensive dancing experience as an unfair advantage. However, in 2022, Morris returned to competition reality TV, performing in (and winning!) season 2 of The Masked Dancer.

She was especially close to her late costar, Rivera, and has been vocal about her grieving process, including honoring Rivera on Instagram on what would've been her 36th birthday on Jan. 12, 2023.

Since 2015, Morris has beeen married to husband Taylor Hubbell, and they share two children, Elijah and Owen.

Cory Monteith as Finn Hudson

Cory Monteith starred as Glee's crooning quarterback for four years before his untimely death. Although Monteith was happily dating Michele off-screen at the time, he was plagued by a long history of substance abuse issues. In July 2013, at age 31, he was found dead in a Vancouver hotel room.

Shortly before his death, Monteith had completed two unreleased films, All the Wrong Reasons and McCanick, which premiered at TIFF posthumously in 2013.

Darren Criss as Blaine Anderson

After a few smaller theater and TV roles, Darren Criss joined Glee and became a fan favorite as Blaine Anderson. Following Glee, he starred in Broadway's How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying and Hedwig and the Angry Inch. He then set out on a solo tour with the release of his 2010 album, Human.

In 2018, he teamed up with Murphy for The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story; his work as Andrew Cunanan earned him a Golden Globe, Emmy and SAG Award. He worked with Murphy again on the 2020 Netflix drama Hollywood.

Criss and Mia Swier tied the knot in New Orleans in February 2019 after dating for nearly eight years, and the couple welcomed their daughter Bluesy Belle in April 2022. Criss also supported Michele's turn on Broadway in October 2022, posing for a photo with his Glee costar and wife backstage.

Dianna Agron as Quinn Fabray

Dianna Agron played the role of queen bee cheerleader Quinn Fabray on Glee. Near the series' end, Agron starred in Luc Besson's 2013 mob comedy The Family opposite Robert De Niro. Her other films include Shiva Baby (2020), The Laureate (2021), As They Made Us (2022) and Acidman (2022). She also directed and starred in 2019's Berlin, I Love You. Agron has had a repeated singing residency at the Café Carlyle in New York City.

The actress made headlines in 2016 when she quietly married Mumford & Sons musician Winston Marshall. The two reportedly separated in 2020 after three years of marriage.

Jonathan Groff as Jesse St. James

Jonathan Groff, Michele's off-screen BFF, was only a guest star on Glee but made a lasting impression as Jesse St. James. He continued his TV career with roles on Looking and Mindhunter. Groff also voiced Kristoff in the Frozen film franchise and appeared in 2021's The Matrix Resurrections.

Before Glee, Groff was known for his role in the Broadway productions of Spring Awakening and Hair. After the show, he was cast as King George III in the original production of Hamilton. Groff continues to act on- and offstage and will star in the M. Night Shyamalan thriller Knock at the Cabin in February 2023.