Kevin McHale wouldn’t go back to a Glee reboot, says he couldn’t play a character in a wheelchair

"Knowing what we know now, I don’t think I should be playing a character that’s in a wheelchair.”

By Sam Barsanti  |  November 17, 2022 | 7:55pm
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Kevin McHale wouldn’t go back to a Glee reboot, says he couldn’t play a character in a wheelchair
Kevin McHale Photo: Jeff Spicer

In an interview earlier this month that succinctly illustrated the complex and confusing nature of both Ryan Murphy and his very popular co-creation Glee, Murphy suggested both that Glee should’ve ended long before it did, specifically with the death of Cory Monteith, and also that the show could someday come back as a new thing—either a reboot or a Broadway adaptation or whatever. If it does come back as a reboot, though, don’t count on original cast member Kevin McHale to reprise his role as Artie Abrams.

Speaking with Insider about his podcast with Glee co-star Jenna Ushkowitz, McHale (who, it should be explicitly noted, does not use a wheelchair in real life) said that, if a reboot or revival or whatever were to happen, “I don’t know if Artie could be in it.” He added, “knowing what we know now, I don’t think I should be playing a character that’s in a wheelchair.” Insider also notes that, in an episode of the podcast from years ago, McHale said that “we didn’t know any better” at the time, saying, “What were we thinking? I can’t play that part.”

Still, that doesn’t mean he’s completely against some kind of new life in the Glee universe, adding, “If they let me grow out my beard and play a different character, I’ll do it.” The smart thing to do if they wanted a reboot, not to give out free ideas, would be to do a totally new cast of kids with all of the old Glee kids playing new characters who are unrelated to the old Glee canon. Then certain cast members don’t need to be addressed at all, and other certain cast members won’t necessarily come in and monopolize the entire thing.

 
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