Justin Timberlake Almost Played This 'Glee' Character, Ryan Murphy Reveals

It has been several since "Glee," the hit TV series premiered its first-ever episode. It has amassed a cult following, and fans can probably say the lines in their sleep-however, the creator of "Glee," Ryan Murphy, dropped a bombshell: Matthew Morrison was not Murphy's first choice to portray Mr. Schuester.

In his interview with Jenna Ushkowitz and Kevin McHale, co-stars from "Glee," for their "And That's What You Really Missed" podcast, Murphy revealed that he wrote Mr. Schuester's character with Justin Timberlake in mind.

"When we were writing the pilot, I've never really talked about this," said the 56-year-old filmmaker, "That pilot was written for Justin Timberlake. Mr. Schue was written for Justin."

However, since many are now well aware, Timberlake was never associated with the hit TV series, and instead, Matthew Morrison landed the role.

Could've Been

Mr. Schuester is one of the major characters on "Glee," as he looked after William McKinley High School Glee Club, and its members.

Elsewhere in the interview, Murphy also revealed another detail that was definitely far off from what fans and audiences know the TV series as now.

According to him, "Glee" was intended to be a "dark comedy." The co-creator of the show, Ian Brennan wrote "a very dark comedy," which involved some illegal substances.

In addition to his cheery personality, Mr. Schuester was also supposed to be a drug addict and had inappropriate relationships with students, reports say.

"Mr. Schue, I believe, was a crystal meth addict in Ian's script," Murphy shared. "It was sort of like [the 1999 film] Election, but like the NC-17 version of show choir with a weird protagonist who was unraveling."

However, along the way, they decided that the dark comedy genre was not going to fly, so they settled for a more upbeat and cheery deposition for the show.

The podcast episode did not tackle why the "Can't Stop The Feeling" star was not cast for the role, but reports note that they might discuss it in the following episode.

"Glee" is a musical, comedy-drama that aired on Fox from May 2009 to March 2015. It follows a group of students who are members of their high school glee club.

The TV series tackled several social issues, like sexuality and race. It also highlighted teamwork, friendship, and family relationships.

"Glee" bagged several awards during its six-year run, including five Satellite Awards for Best Musical or Comedy TV Series, a Peabody Award in 2009, and Golden Globe for Best Television Series under the musical or comedy category in 2010, among others.

Tags

Justin Timberlake, GLEE, TV Series, Casting, Ryan Murphy