Chris Colfer has heard nothing about the “Glee” revival that creator Ryan Murphy says is taking shape, and the actor who played Kurt Hummel says he cannot yet say if he would join it.
Colfer told Bustle he has received no call, no script and no briefing. He described the original production as grueling and said returning would be hard without Naya Rivera, who died in 2020. Still, he acknowledged the pressure from viewers. Fans, he said, would chase him down with “pitchforks and jazz hands” if he refused.
His comments follow Murphy’s announcement that he had finished a script with fellow co-creators Brad Falchuk and Ian Brennan, the writers behind the show’s first two seasons. Murphy told Entertainment Tonight he has spoken to around 10 original cast members, and that they responded with enthusiasm. In an August interview with The Hollywood Reporter, he said he began weighing a revival because viewers now in their twenties grew up on the series and attach real meaning to its music.
The project remains an idea rather than a production. No network or streamer has ordered a series, and no cast member has been announced.
Colfer’s reluctance has history. In a 2019 interview, he said a reboot was “not for me” and that no payment could persuade him to repeat the experience. His latest remarks sound softer, if noncommittal. He said he hopes to learn more and then consider it seriously. He also said he talks to someone from the cast nearly every day, so he is unlikely to stay uninformed for long.
“Glee” aired on Fox from 2009 to 2015 and won six Emmys. The ensemble included Lea Michele, Amber Riley, Dianna Agron, Chord Overstreet, Kevin McHale, Jenna Ushkowitz, Heather Morris, Harry Shum Jr., Darren Criss and Jane Lynch. Three cast members have died: Cory Monteith in 2013, Mark Salling in 2018 and Rivera in 2020. Any revival must find a way to honor those losses.
Some fans have offered their own blueprint online, suggesting the original actors return as teachers who hand the stage to a new generation. Amber Riley has previously said she would prefer to see the show pass to younger performers.
Representatives for Murphy did not immediately comment on Colfer’s remarks.
