So today was my first day back working background on one of my favorite sets – Glee! I was in the New York Diner set where Rachel & Santana work (on the Paramount lot, of course!)
I got to cross Lea Michelle and flirt with the waitress who came to ‘take our order.’
But the crazy thing was, because of how Glee shoots 2 episodes at once, the first thing we saw, coming into Background Holding (in the High School set) was the lockers, complete with a tribute to Cory Montieth’s Finn. It was heartbreaking. And all through the day, the actors were coming by to record their special messages for Cory and the fans that will air during the episodes in October. The actress that played Cory’s mom about lost it.
This is one of the times you wish you were not as connected to the show – I mean, I was a fan and emotionally invested in the characters before I moved out here. And since I’ve worked here several times, I know several of the crew, and feel a deeper connection to some of the actors than even before. Lea Michelle was thinner than usual and not at all her bright, cheerful self. They told us not to interact with her because she was struggling to stay focused, but I really wanted to just give her a hug.
On another note, the Second Second (who used to work with Lea on Broadway no less) selected me and a couple of other ladies to work two days in a row – featured Background roles in the almost empty Diner for a special musical tribute. More on that tomorrow.