EXCLUSIVE: Rachel Berry’s mom is back. Tony Award winner Idina Menzel is in final negotiations to return to Fox’s musical dramedy Glee in the upcoming third season for a major arc that could span as many as 10-12 episodes. In what is described the only significant cast addition on the show next season, Menzel will reprise her role as Rachel Berry’s (Lea Michele) biological mother Shelby Corcoran, which she originated in 5 episodes of Glee‘s first season. Back then, Shelby was the coach of New Directions’ rival glee club Vocal Adrenaline. She tried to bond with Rachel after Rachel found out that she was her mother but ultimately left town after adopting Quinn and Puck’s baby girl. Next season will see Shelby returning from New York to Ohio to join William McKinley High School as a new teacher and complicating things for Rachel as well as former flame Will Schuester (Matthew Morrison). “I’m really excited the that Idina is joining the family again,” said Glee co-creator Ryan Murphy. “We missed her last year and we’re happy that she is coming back.”
Idina Menzel To Return To 'Glee' Next Season For Big Arc
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Did Ryan not just state that there would be no guest stars and it was all “story, story, story?”
I am Glad he change is mind adding Idina Menzel to the cast is amazing I missed her last season, for me Lea Michele and her are a Dream Team, superhuman their voices together are amazing. Because their duets Glee is my favorite show. Plus i get to see my favorite Broadway star doing what she does best. Love it. Thank you so much Ryan :)
If she’s going to be on for 10-12 episodes, then she’s not really a guest star, is she?
Well that didn’t last long. Less then two weeks ago Ryan said no guest/stunt casting this year.
Didn’t Ryan Murphy say this was the season of no guest stars, that last long?!?
When is glee going to be canceled? How cheesy can a show be? Glee sucks big time
Now, this is one of the things that could help this show out. Indina is a great actress who was underused at times when she first came on Glee. If the new writers know what they’re doing, they will do a good job with developing her character. Indina is the best guest actor they have had on the series, besides Kristin Chenoweth.
Perhaps we would take your opinion more seriously if you knew how to spell the name of the actress you’re praising.
(And for the record: Stephanie D’Abruzzo deserved the Tony that year, not Idina)
Hold on a sec…they’re REVIVING the reviled baby storyline from season one? Genius.
So the no more guest stars thing was just another lie. Good to know.
Well they really need to close the shelby story line so I love that they are bringin her back, I think when they say no major guest starts they might mean NEW people. So in theory they could bring back a few people, but they just wont introdue any new majoe gues stars. than again it is Ryan Murphy so who knows.
Despite John Lithgow’s run on Dexter and Cloris Leachman’s nonsensical nomination as a Guest Actress for her regular, actual Supporting role on Raising Hope, a 10-12-episode run is large enough that the actor is essentially taking a recurring (loosely: non-lead-credits supporting) or supporting (read: lead credits supporting) role and NOT a guest-starring role, even if she’s billed as a Guest Star.
I think when they said guest stars, they meant NEW guest stars that haven’t appeared in the series before. Just my opinion. I for one would like this season to focus more on the original characters than the guest stars.
Don’t forget about the guest star role they’re creating for whoever wins “The Glee Project”…
Just when I thought I was out, they pull me back in.
I didn’t agree with the choices that Idina’s character made, but wow, never were two actors more perectly cast as mother and daughter and what perfect harmony they have… though the creators stupidly chose “poker face” as the going away song. I hope they create a bridge between the two characters… and possibly, with fresh writing blood, it will be done right for a change.
“Poker Face” was such a bad choice!
Just like “Rolling in the Deep” as the reunion song between Jesse and Rachel… Worst song performance in the history of Glee.
Another reason to skip GLee….first Chord reduced then this chick back…one of the coldest most emotionless actress on the tube…..maybe painting her green would help….SNOREFEST,,,,unless of course they find a way to undress Darin Criss……and have him fall in love with Mark Sail Glee on Brokeback Mt!
No, thank you. I have no interest in guest stars. I guess Ryan Murphy continues to be a liar.
THANK YOU GOD OR WHOEVER HEARD MY PRAYERS!! IDINA RETURNS!! NOW IF THEY COULD GIVE QUINN A MEANINGFUL, EMOTIONALLY REAL STORYLINE AND STOP USING HER AS A PLOT LINE SCAPEGOAT, I WOULD BE THE HAPPIEST LITTLE GLEEK ON THE PLANET!!!
Yes! What a brilliantly written character. To be diabolical enough to convince your top student to transfer schools in his senior year, infiltrate the rival glee club, and seduce your long lost daughter just to be able to slip an old cassette tape into an old box so the long lost daughter figures out who you are, just so you can decide to desert her again like 2 minutes after you’re reunited because you’d rather start over with a stranger’s baby than your own flesh and blood because she’s too old?
Simply genius. More of that please.
please let this lead to an actual storyline with quinn and puck and the babe
So will be there drama for Queen and Puck? You know if she will return then their baby will be with her. Would they want to see her?
Yay!! Idina, Idina!!! They just found the way to get me back to watch their lousy TV show. Maybe she’ll get a Emmy nomination like Kristin Chenoweth who did basically nothing but got it like last year!
Shelby’s back means Beth is back. Beth is back means more Quinn, and also Quick. I’m in the sky.
I think this season is just gonna be too painful to watch if they are gonna get rid of Corey, lea and chris and chord among others — it may just not be worth it to watch. Ryan murphy, I think it’s a stupid move and Fox should spinoff these characters to another show if Ryan doesn’t want them.
fact check please. Cory, Lea and Chris are leaving the show AFTER the third season, to coincide with their graduating from high school. it’s not that ‘Ryan doesn’t want them’.
Yay! Beth! Quinn can sing Baby of mine!
Outstanding!
She gave good moon in Rent.
yay!!!!!! Luv her!!!
Does this mean Beth is back in the picture? I hope so because Quinn or Puck never mentioned her at all in season 2 and they both seemed to ignore eachother even though they had a baby together. If Beth does come back this might make season 3 the best season for me :)
Sorry, I don’t care if they sign Barbara Streisand to tap dance across the gym with Jane Lynch I’m done. I really enjoy Idina Menzel–but this last season was a travesty and a waste of talent and my time. Season 1 was fantastic and well done. Season 2 was a jumbled mess of inconsistencies and pandering to certain overstuffed egos, (yes, Mr. Murphy that would indeed be you). You had a good show, now you don’t.
Yay more Glee news.
So, clearly the writing staff is not in on this decision, because a real writing staff (which they supposedly have this season) would immediately question the logic in an adoptive mother returning to the high school where the birth mother is a senior (or whatever she is). I mean, wtf? this is the sort of thing that is driving even the less sophisticated watchers crazy on this show — there is no integrity to these characters. They make no sense! They change from episode to episode, at the whim of a creator who is driven by whether it’s a sweep week, or not. Ryan, please stop writing your show and leave it to real writers. You can be the idea guy, and make the big bucks.