It seems like it’s been ages since a new episode of Glee has aired. Only a few episodes into the new season, the show is on hiatus until November 1stand for some – myself included – it’s getting a little hard to remember why the show was so great.
Glee’s second season was hit or miss to say the least. The finale left me not overwhelmed but not entirely convinced I would be tuning in for season three. With a talented cast portraying characters we spent an entire season falling in love with, it’s hard to understand where the writers went wrong. It felt like it should be working yet it wasn’t.
I wasn’t a big fan of more contemporary, popular songs or plot points that felt preachy to near after school special levels. That isn’t to say the show was bad. It just hadn’t been the show that gained so many fans over the course of the first season.
Then season three began and those fears seemed to be almost entirely put to rest. Glee felt like it had gone back to its roots and focused on what we loved so much in season one. Now that rumors are spreading that Chord will be back, the show seems poised to return to its former glory and people are once again excited to see where things are going – if only this hiatus would end and we’d get to see if we’re right. To help tide you over, I’ve put together this handy little guide to the girls of Glee complete with pictures and stats. Enjoy!
Lea Michele
Full Name: Lea Michele Sarfati
Birthday: August 29, 1986
Birthplace: Bronx, New York
Character: Rachel Berry
Character Bio: Rachel Berry is a star – the rest of the world just hasn’t realized it yet. She has big dreams and refuses to let anyone stand in her way. While she can sometimes ruthless in her pursuit of fame and fortune we do see glimpses of her softer side; most notably in her relationship with Finn (Cory Monteith), her friendship with Kurt (Chris Colfer) and her rivalries with Mercedes (Amber Riley) and Quinn (Dianna Agron).
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Amber Riley
Full Name: Amber Patrice Riley
Birthday: February 15, 1986
Birthplace: Los Angeles, California
Character: Mercedes Jones
Character Bio: While not as ruthless as Ms. Berry, Mercedes definitely has stars in her eyes. She doesn’t have quite the confidence Rachel has but what she lacks in confidence she makes up for in true diva attitude. She refuses to be overlooked but she also sometimes refuses to do her fair share of the work. While Mercedes’ future with New Directions is currently in question, I have a feeling she’ll be back in the fold before the season is over.
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Dianna Agron
Full Name: Dianna Agron
Birthday: April 30, 1986
Birthplace: Savannah, Georgia
Character: Quinn Fabray
Character Bio: Quinn is sort of a walking contradiction and toward the end of last season, we really began to learn what makes Quinn the who she is. Once teased mercilessly, Quinn moved away from hr old town to start over; reinventing herself and becoming the stereotypical head cheerleader. She was dating Finn, the captain of the football team and things were great – until Rachel Berry, Glee club and a baby with bad boy Puck (Mark Salling) screwed everything up. Entering season three, there is brand new Quinn with a brand new attitude. Her goal? Get her baby back.
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Jenna Ushkowitz
Full Name: Jenna Noelle Ushkowitz
Birthday: April 28, 1986
Birthplace: Seoul, South Korea
Character: Tina Cohen-Chang
Character Bio: Tina started out the series as a gothy girl with a mean stutter, gaining her spot in the glee club after auditioning with Katy Perry’s I Kissed a Girl. After dating Artie (Kevin McHale) throughout season one, the two break up between seasons one and two before Tina begins dating Mike Chang (Harry Shum Jr.). Tina rarely has solos but seems to be just fine with that.
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Naya Rivera
Full Name: Naya Marie Rivera
Birthday: January 12, 1987
Birthplace: Valencia, California
Character: Santana Lopez
Character Bio: Santana is Glee’s resident Queen of Mean. Full of snarky one liners and witty put downs, she once said, “The only straight I am is straight up bitch”. No one would argue with that. Quick to do whatever it takes to take her enemies down and get what she wants, Santana is not one to back away from a fight. She does have a softer side though, especially when it comes to one Brittany S. Pierce.
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Heather Morris
Full Name: Heather Elizabeth Morris
Birthday: February 1, 1987
Birthplace: Thousand Oaks, California
Character: Brittany S. Pierce
Character Bio: Speaking of the object of Santana’s affection, we now come to Ms. Brittany Pierce. What can be said about Brittany? Brittany may be the most quotable of all Glee characters, always guaranteed to spout off at least one ‘huh?’ line per episode. It’s her thing and it’s why we love her. Although she hasn’t yet committed to Santana, I’m sure it’s only a matter of time. These two are perfect for each other.
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Jayma Mays
Full Name: Jayma Suzette Mays
Birthday: July 16, 1979
Birthplace: Bristol, Tennessee
Character: Emma Pillsbury
Character Bio: Lovable Emma is the adorably neurotic guidance counselor at McKinley High but over the last few seasons, we’ve really started to see just how deep her problems run. While she’s now in a committed relationship with Mr. Schuester (Matthew Morrison), her problems are still very much a focal point of her character’s development. Her wide eyed innocence can be one of the most endearing things about her but it’s really when we explore the heartbreaking depths of her illness that we get to see just how complex this character really is.
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Jane Lynch
Full Name: Jane Marie Lynch
Birthday: July 14, 1960
Birthplace: Dolton, Illinois
Character: Sue Sylvester
Character Bio: Earlier, I referred to Naya Rivera’s Santana as Glee’s Queen of Mean but perhaps I spoke too soon. Santana is mean but Sue Sylvester takes the cake, sometimes rising to cartoon levels of villainy in her attempts to destroy the Glee Club. There is light in Sue’s soul that peeks through every now and again but that light never shines for long. One has to wonder what exactly happened to this woman to make her the way she is. Perhaps we’ll never know. Perhaps we don’t want to. Surely it was bad – very bad.
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