‘Glee’ Fans Lobbied for Idina Menzel to Play Lea Michele’s Mom
Idina Menzel is a true triple-threat entertainer. A singer, actor, and stage performer who has earned critical renown for excellence in entertainment, Menzel is beloved by legions of fans worldwide. Well-known for her powerful singing voice, Menzel has acted extensively in both television and film projects. One of Menzel’s most enduring and notable TV roles was as Shelby Corcoran on the hit series Glee – a role for which Menzel earned many accolades. Interestingly enough, well before Menzel landed the role of Shelby, a vocal contingent of fans lobbied hard for her to get the part.
Idina Menzel’s fans lobbied for her to land a role in ‘Glee’
Glee premiered on TV in 2009, earning fans right from the jump. Many viewers gravitated to the show’s unique combination of humor and music, and younger watchers found themselves relating to the characters. Almost from the moment the show premiered, many fans couldn’t help but notice that Lea Michele, who played Rachel Berry, bore a striking resemblance to Idina Menzel, who was a major Broadway star at the time.
As reported by BuzzFeed, because Menzel and Michele looked so similar, many fans started to lobby for Menzel to appear on the show as Rachel’s biological mother. It wasn’t long before Glee creators made it happen – and by the end of Season 1 of Glee, it was announced that Menzel had been cast as Shelby Corcoran, the coach of McKinley’s rival glee club Vocal Adrenaline. While fans didn’t know it at the time, it would later be revealed that Menzel’s character was also Rachel’s mom.
How long did Idina Menzel act in ‘Glee’?
The character of Shelby was first introduced into the world of Glee in 2010, going on to become a recurring character. Shelby’s relationship with Rachel became one of the series’ focal points, and even though there was some tension between Rachel and Shelby, the two could form a bond over their shared love of music – even performing several duets over the course of the series.
Shelby departed the series in the third season, although the character reappeared in Season 4 when she returned to help Rachel with her audition for Funny Girl. Of course, by the time Idina Menzel made her final appearance on Glee, she was a huge star, having landed several major movie roles, including the voice role of Elsa in Disney’s Frozen franchise.
What has Idina Menzel said about her time on the show?
While Idina Menzel has consistently spoken positively about all of her roles, including the one of Shelby in Glee, she has been mildly critical of one aspect of the show. In a 2021 interview with InStyle, Menzel dished about the unrealistic age gap between herself and Lea Michele. “The scene that was the most memorable (on the show) was probably singing ‘I Dreamed a Dream’ with Lea Michelle,” Menzel said. “She was 26, and I probably should’ve been her older sister. But I don’t have a chip on my shoulder about that.”
At the time that she was playing Shelby on Glee, Menzel was around 40 years of age. With the two being only about 15 years apart, it’s clear that creators could have made the two older sisters – but either way, fans were thrilled that their dream casting came true. These days, Menzel is at the top of her game, with a recent role in Disney’s Disenchanted that spawned another hit song for the award-winning performer.
