And That's What You REALLY MissedMcKinley High's favorite foreign exchange student, Rory Flanagan, is on the pod!
Damian McGinty joins Kevin and Jenna to talk about his time on Glee, including how he got on the reality competition series The Glee Project, why he thinks he won, what it was like walking onto the set as the 'new kid,' and the insane welcome he got when he returned to Ireland after starring in Glee!
Plus, Damian talks about his new upcoming role … fatherhood!!
And that's what you really missed with Jenna.
And Kevin An iHeartRadio podcast.
Welcome to you, and that's what you really missed podcast. This is a this is the pot of Gold episode. We've got the sweetest irishman you will ever ever encounter.
And that's because the Irish are very sweet.
I know, especially Jamien mckintie. Are you kidding? Are you kidding?
Rory? Rory?
I am. I'm excited for you guys to get to know Damien Moore if you haven't already. He is a really good human, good human.
And hasn't changed, has always been the same and all the great and every right way.
And what a.
Lovely, lovely conversation we just had. So here is Damian McGinty.
Hey, what's up guys? Those two faces out and seeing in a while. How you doing? Oh good are you?
I know, it's been so long.
It's good to see you guys. Host things good. How's everything with you? It's good month.
Yeah, I'm a I'm in Nashville noise. So moved here a couple of years ago. Well yeah, so fall of twenty one, so yeah, I love it here. Great city, Hi, big fun so like it a lot.
I've never been to Nashville.
Oh, it's great.
It's really really good.
Yeah, there's kind of it's like, I feel like it's a good hybrid between like LA and kind of normality a little bit kind of you know, you can get the LA thing here, but then you also get like the kind of neighborhood friendly value as well family friendly and.
So so yeah, it's a it's a great place pokon and.
It's such a great place for music you have. Yes, there's so much going on there, right.
I know, Yeah, songwriters and producers and the mean, it's kind of it's kind of words.
So I feel like so many songwriters I know in LA a big portion of the year they spend there. They go back and forth and.
Yeah, yeah, it's kind of back and forth. Yeah.
I also feel like, and since COVID, I was put in this category by local whatever they're called Nashvillians maybe where everyone that left California a band of COVID or sort of in the middle of COVID. They're like, oh, you came and you raided every house in Nashville, and you know, you're not really welcome.
It's like Texas. Yeah, that's like a lot of places in the country. I think it was La the second most populous city in the country or something like that.
And then there's a mass accident.
Yeah, yeah, there's people to spare here, right, it's so true.
Well, it's so good to see you. We're so happy that you came on. There's lots that's happened in between Glee and you're about to be a dad, So exciting, Grass.
Thank you so much. It's crazy and you're and you're a mom.
Yeah, it's huge, so life changing in the best way possible. Mom and dad.
Yeah, I need tips, Jenna, I need.
Just trust your you know, you get to know them real fast, and you just trust your instincts. You'll get the hang of it real quick. And then as soon as they do you get the hang of it, they're like, oh, we're just kidding.
Well, actually, it's what me and my wife we have a conversation a lot where we're like, I wonder how our daughter is is we're having a Garrett, I wonder how daughter is going to talk?
Right.
So I'm like, because there's certain things that my wife would say or just you know, your typical sort of American language would say that I would like never say, I don't know.
Is my daughter going to say that? She probably she probably won't.
If she's brought up here. Yeah for sure. Right, that's so funny.
Maybe what's going to school?
Yeah, I think you're right.
Actually, I think like school will define what she actually probably talks like.
That's why you got to get in there early before she goes to school. Just got to brain her with the Irish.
Yeah, I know, like by hole, Like we never say mom, do you know what I mean?
Like mom, mom, such it, whereas I would say mommy.
My wife's like I don't think she'll call me mommy.
You know, depends whatever your teacher, whatever your teacher. Well, that's very exciting. We're so excited for you. It's really awesome.
Guys.
Okay, let's talk about all of this. We got to get into this because you had such a unique experience, unique with the Glee project into coming in and being like the first of like the the little like lab rats to come in and have you know, a huge role on the show and join the you know us crazy hooligans who had already been doing this for you know, quite a bit of time. So I'm curious to hear it about all of it. Can you tell me about the Glee project when you heard about it, what made you audition, and how you kind of got into the show.
So, first of all, I remember seeing back Home. It was on I think it was on E four at the time.
Yeah, it was E four, Channel four. I'm pretty sure it was E four.
It was like a Monday night, like ten pm or something, and I actually had seen the pilot and I remember watching the pilot and it was like this, the first of all, this show was fascinating. I thought it was really really interesting, really well written. I obviously was in music myself, so I loved the idea of like a TV show. First of It's kind of a TV show that was that had music integrated in it and obviously danced as well, but you know, I couldn't dance. So I just remember seeing that and like it kind of peaked my curiosity at the time, just in terms of like a typical TV show I seeing. I didn't necessarily watch it religiously, but like whenever I would whenever I was kind of around at home, I would turn it on and you know, it was there and be like, oh, watch gleet tonight, you know, and so so yeah, I mean, and then I think it was kind of I want to say, you know, it wasn't actually the Glee project that I auditioned for, which is really random, but tim it was. It was actually, doesn't do you remember my Space? It was actually, yeah, it was a.
MySpace thing the first started.
And that was really it's really kind of odd to think about actuhili. That doesn't get mentioned very often. So I actually had literally had just came home from I was doing a performing arts diploma. I came home, I was sitting in my house and I seen this on MySpace and I was like, you know what, I really like this TV show. And I literally took two minutes and shot a recording of Lean on Me and just like stuck it up online. Oh my gosh, like, I mean, you know, I'm never ever going to get on this show, like what, It's truly one in a million, if not more.
And I forgot about it.
And then literally like a year later, I got an emailed from Robert Robert Rich and he was like, listen, we've seen your tape on my Space or whatever, and I was like, first of all, I've nearly forgot.
I was like kind of embarrassed.
I was like, I can't believe that that actually got into the hands of like, you know, this winning casting. Actually I was like, I'm so sorry. If I hadn't know that, I would have like made the light know even better. But yeah, and then Robert was like, we're making a TV show with you know, it's called the Glee Project. This is what I kind of this is what it's going to look like. You know, there's going to be a TV show made out of twelve kids, but right now it's kind of about two hundred, which is narrowed down from forty thousand.
You're in our two hundred.
We love you to fly to La And I was on tour at the time and was just wrapping up with her in New York. So I flew to l Agent before Christmas. I met Robert in his office and did I suppose the official audition for the first time there, And then I went home over Christmas and that's where I heard that you'd made at the top eighty, which was then in January. There was like a boot camp thing before any of this was even aired. To be honest, I flew it for that. Then I kind of just went from there.
Okay, hold on, what is the what do you remember the boot camp? And what was that like?
As hell?
Actually, like this was like I like I can't even describe, like like I felt so out of I felt so at a place because like I walked into this room where and I was also in a weird place where like it was it was interesting for me where this definitely was my choice and I was like really excited. But also I just heard professionally for like four years and with my group celic Thunder, we like sold like a couple of million records. And then all of a sudden, I'm like kind of in this room and I'm looking to run me in this room, and I I wouldn't have laced three quarters of their boots like quite frankly, like these were like these were like kids that were like training for Broadway their whole life, right like going in and like blast the night high Seas and like you know, and then I like I look at Alex New and I'm like I literally.
Like why am I here? Like actually, why am I here?
And I remember very early I was just like I had a conversation myself and I was just like I've just got to be myself here, Like, I know I can't give them this, but I can give them something that's completely different, something that they might like. If they don't like it fair enough, you know, they don't have to and I'll just go home and be a lot more vforable. So yeah, it kind of went from there, and obviously I hung in there and then.
We made the TV show at the top twelve, So you know, wow, how old were you when that all started? Eighteen?
Wow?
What are crazy? Like wise older like wiser than your time. I feel like to have the perspective of like I just got to do me am I.
Yeah, I mean I wish I could call it that. I think it was also like a bit of a bit of like fear Kevin to the Yeah, Like I was just looking around this room and I was just like every single person, like the Glee Project attracted ridiculous.
Talent because of the TV show that you guys have made.
You know, that was that was the reality of it is that like it was this sort of golden prize that was never seen before and all.
Of a sudden it was opened up to the public.
I feel like musical theater kids are Jenna can attest to this, but they you guys are a different breed, and so probably to Damien's point, of this show was like a beacon for all those kids who there was never another opportunity for these people to like be in a TV show that was perfect for them like this, right, Like I don't come from musical theater either, and so I felt similar to you, Damien when I actually got the show, being around all these people who had been on Broadway since they were children.
What am I doing here?
Because you guys can like actually sing right like I'm doing things, Yeah, like a.
Properly trained like actually it's like a different it's it's a different kind of thing and almost and also like not everybody, not to put everyone in this category, but like what I learned is that everyone was incredibly O going and I I was not that at all. Like I'm pretty O going when you get to know me, and like very confident, but like in a in a room where there's eighty people, I just feel like I don't need my voice to be heard.
I just that's a.
Decision I take where I'm like, I just not. I'm not an out spoken perishon I never have been. So I remember with that element of it as well. I was very like out of my comfort zone.
You know.
Was it competitive too? When you're down to the final eighty, which is still a lot of people, did it feel Yeah? I guess competitive in that way big.
Time, Like yeah, because you know, it was this shiny prize that was open to the public where you guys had you guys had started this, you'd done all the promo for it, you got it off the ground, it was your TV show, it was your project, and then all of a sudden it was opened up to these people where if they had one dream and could only realize one dream in their life.
This would probably be it. That's actually the reality of it.
And then there's also a major element of like inexperience, where it was so many late teenagers early twenty year olds that were so unbelievably unexperienced. They hadn't been doing the circuit in la like they hadn't you know, three four times a week like that.
That's not what this was.
This was like people plucked from performing schools across the country that had never done anything on this skid whatsoever, and then all of a sudden they were.
Like, oh, I on the top eighty to be ay.
So it brought out like a huge, hugely competitive element out of everybody that was there, you know. So it was definitely dogg eat dog in that in that room.
For I mean, do you think you had, like you said, you had been on tour for years and so you had been working professionally singing in front of sold out crowds, selling millions of records. Yeah, I'm sure at some point that training kicked in.
Yeah. Yeah, no, it.
Did in terms of composure, like I think, in terms of like and also knowing that from a very early age, I'd always said to myself that like, I'm very fortunate to do this, and I love doing this, and I have loved doing this, but I never ever like let it define me, and there's not enough find who I am. So I was the only one in the room where at least I felt like I was. I can't speak for everybody. I felt like I was one of the few in the room that was absolutely desperate, that wasn't like, you know, I was like, listen, I'm just going to do my thing. See what happens. If Robert loves it, amazing, If Ryan loves it, you know, even better but if they don't, like I understand, like there's only one rule that's that's going up here. Nobody knows what they're looking for. If it's not me, then that's completely okay. Like there will be other things doing the line, or there'll be other opportunities, or it doesn't define your life. It doesn't define your health, your happiness, none of those things. So that was kind of my mindset just going through the entire experience.
Wow, and then you accidentally won one episodes, yeah, which turned into a lot more.
Yeah, it was pretty accidental. That's a good way.
Oh my gosh.
I it's like you're the epitome of like the Irish. I feel like, are the nicest people on the planet. Yeah, like nicest human beings. And then here you are amongst all these crazy musical theater kids. If it's not for me, it's not for me, you know who I am. I'm confident in my abilities, but like this might be more important to somebody else. Incredible, and then you yeah, well that's a.
Good lesson though, because I think as a musical theater person who that was my entire identity for a very large part of my life. Like I get that I know that mentality, and a lot of people have to have that mentality in theater or you probably do something else exactly. So yeah, you can definitely use it to your advantage. But I understand being in a room not being one of those people. You're in a room with, you know, ten crazy people that seem crazy at least to you, but it's it's it's really intense. But you you know, you really did keep your composure. And I've always learned like they can smell the desperation in the room. That's what I've always heard. So just to go in there and be yourself. You know, you have very little control over this, and I'm sure that they saw that in you because you know, not only are they judging I guess, your talent, but also your character and you know how you present yourself and you know how you present your what you're bringing to the show, which was a unique thing to begin with for us because we essentially, with the help obviously of Ryan creating the world like kind of form like molded these characters. And you know they they also did that with your character with Rory. So very cool and.
Actually it's funny, it's funny you say that, like I do.
There was multiple moments where throughout that experience, the judges and Ryan himself, they weren't just looking for a talent.
They weren't just looking for a character.
They were also considering the entire time the cast that currently existed.
Listen, this is the chemistry, different dynamics. Who can we throw in here that will fit in? Yeah, like that'll fit.
That, Like won't rock the boat that like, you know, because there's multiple elements, because you can't just dis regard the idea that like ever was going to in the show aka me was going to go into this this system that had been in place for three years.
You guys were there for two or three years.
At this point, you've done everything in terms of booking the roles, in terms of making.
You know, the pilot.
But then like, I know what it looks like at the start of a project doing thirty flights in forty days, where you're going to different cities promoting a project that you kind of own but you don't like it. It's this kind of weird hybrid. So they were very aware of the idea that like it was two years of not really many new people Cord and darn, maybe I think actually, you know, someone like, actually, I think you know, this was still early enough where new characters weren't like consistently you know the time.
You know, I think you also had the.
Possible disadvantage too, of specifically coming from the Glee project, where I think we all had like a weird ideas misconception or idea of the show YEP because we didn't really know what it was and just sort of like sprang up and it was sort of ignored, I think intentionally amongst each other, wasn't it, Jennet like it was sort of Wow. We had like a brief moment where we had like a little freak out and they're like, what is this?
We definitely got to freak out because a lot of the time, a lot of it wouldn't be communicated quite properly to us, and so we heard it from either the news or somebody, and then Ryan would come in and tell us about it after we'd heard about it already, So you know, you that just sparks the rumor wheel of like, what is this thing? There's new kids coming? Are we being replaced? Where are they coming from? And then additionally, like you it was like the Worldwide Search so to me, at first glance, it was, oh, just anybody can come on our show, you know, it felt like that. To me, I was like, we've worked for our whole lives and including you, Damian, like you know, we've worked since we were kids, and then all of a sudden and it felt like an American idol where it was like plucked out of the Midwest and you know, shot to stardom. So that for me delegitimized what we were doing as actors, and that was the conflict that I had initially. But then we went on the show and we came in, we did mentoring, and it was really fun and it was so wonderful to see all of you guys and you could see how much people loved it, and then the jaded kind of curtain falls away and you go, oh wow, like they work really hard and they all deserve to be there and had a lot of talent, so that kind of but yeah, there was this kind of like side wing of this show going on that we didn't really know what was happening for a long time, so it just felt like this like ghost that was just lingering, right.
That's why I think it was very smart that they did consider like who they were bringing in where anyone who's ever met you or worked with you, you're just the nicest human. Well get along with you, get along with everyone, and there's no way to not like you, and you just like seamlessly fit in where there's a lot There were a lot of big personalities in that choir room.
Yes, it was Yeah, yeah, that's that is true.
I have.
I mean, you know, I haven't spent really a lot of time over the years thinking about this, but I suppose kind of like the odd weight to what you say is that in the moment, I did feel like not only did I have the bottle, just the normal bottle of joining a TV show at also secondly, by the way, which you can tell when you watch my first episode, like I never acted before, and like hold.
On, wonderful, you had so much to do in that episode. We just watched it, so much to do more than j I ever had an entire series in a single episode, and you smashed it great.
I mean, I kind of looking back on it, like ten years later now and after studying acting and doing different roles, since it's like it feels I was just complyed. Was a sleep baby, beyond belief, like actually beyond belief. And I suppose, like just to add way to what you were saying, like I got there, and not only did I feel like I had the challenge of just fitting into, you know, a show that had been going for three years where it was there was clicks left, right, and center naturally, but also I suppose I was the one from the Glee Project experience that had to face head on, ye, the kind of consistencies or the stigma that was from the cast behind the show because things weren't necessarily explained very well or because communication had failed or whatever. So I remember just being there. I remember being like so nervous. I do remember being very very nervous, but like I've got to be honest, like I in hindsight now I felt for the cast more than like I felt for me, Like I think you guys, did you know you'd already made forty eight episodes, fuff the episodes?
But I got there in the space.
Of two years, which is ridiculous, Like when you think about it now, guys, like they make TV shows a series seasons ten episodes eight like twenty four episodes. Yeah, I reflection on it now, it's different than what it was at the time. Where my reflection when I got out at the end of season three, I remember sort of feeling like I'd lost myself a wee bit. I remember being exhausted. I remember so now reflecting on that, and in hindsight, I'm like, you guys have just started season three after just finishing a tur by the way, like you didn't break in the middle, So like when I got there, use were beyond exhausted.
You probably found us in quite the state.
Oh yeah, I'd be so curious to see through your eyes what you saw when you walked in the first time.
I made even think about that, But like, actually, my actually experience was actually a very good one.
Like I really didn't.
Have you know, I don't have anything negative even think about it.
Like everyone was really really nice.
That's because you were so nice that I think we all were just like charmed by you. We were like when we watched you singing your songs in Pot of Gold, we were all like swooning, and we were like, I think that was real life. We were all just so happy to see somebody so innocent and pure that we hadn't had on a set in such a why.
I think it also was reminiscent of like when Chord came on in a way where it was like, oh, you're both and you know you're both. Once you get to know you, you're much more extroverted you and Chord, and in Chord sense is just extroverted.
Yeah, a whole nother one.
But it was sort of like we felt protective, I think with you coming on and understanding, especially having sort of like trial runs with Cord and Darren and Ashley, where like, Okay, here are things we didn't do well, here are things we can do better. And I think because of the person you are, everyone was just instinctually like, oh, let's just take care of him.
He's great.
That's kind I like, thank god you did, because, like, quite honestly, for me in my shoes at the time, you know, I'm thirty one night. When I joined the show, i was nineteen, which is really really kind of terrifying.
Yeah, you're the second person, second youngest person next to Chris ever to have joint Yeah because Chris Chris.
Wow.
Like I had just moved to LA a week before that, and now after living in LA for ten years, I'm like being in La for a week.
You know nothing.
I don't have a driver's license, I doesn't have I didn't have a credit card.
Oh my god, literal fundamentals and basics.
I was like rocking up to the Fox lot being like, I'm just gonna work on Glee here, you know, because it's my job.
Haven't just no idea.
What was going on, No idea of Los Angeles, no idea of this deep into the acting business, just all of it. So like it was really really difficult because I was funning into a new city as well as like doing this really hard.
Job, yeah, really hard Glee. It was also like college for you. Then I learned how to do my laundry in college, opened to credit card, all of that, and Glee was just college for you, which is mind boggling mind but it's actually crazy. That's actually really crazy.
The situation in which you, guys, you did the Top two hundred eighty boot camp and then you did the actual show for Glee project, which was wild, like where they had you all living? Did you you did it?
Oh my god?
Yeah, yeah, like actually making a TV show because like often, how often in your life, guys, can you go somewhere for ten weeks and not worry about a single thing and just make a TV show.
This perspective is mind boggling, because I don't know at eighteen, if people realized that they have that perspective of especially if they come from like we were saying, if they plucked people from like all over the country who are so inexperienced, I have done anything, and then all of a sudden, that could be really difficult for a lot of people. But you've been touring, Yeah, I've been turned, I've been working.
But like you know, it was interesting the Glee project where they they took everything away most we didn't the phones in the laptops, we had no contact to day outside world.
So it was literally ten weeks we were in the counter. It was Big Brother, and we were in dorms. They like built dorms for us that were freezing, cold, stopping.
So it was like, probably realized that probably things that went down that wouldn't fly.
And I in this honest but like at the time, you don't care. You're just like this is so exciting. Yeah, well, making a TV show like this is fun. Then you just kind of sink or swim and you just learned to swim really.
So did Glee seem easier than comparatively like you have or different different Yeah, very very different experiences.
Like the Glee project everyone was on par and everyone kind of but Glee, like everyone was not on par at least from my shoes anyway. I naturally, as you would expect, there's often you know, there was people that were a star names, and then there's people that were fresh and new and kind of building the way up or trying.
You know.
Yeah, whenever, whenever, I feel like whenever a work environment.
Has different levels, it creates, it creates different.
Challenges, It creates different archies, it creates hierarchies. You know, it creates things that are that are good, but then it creates things that are not so good. And I think the good thing but the Glee project at least was we were just all on the same planted and we were just like, what's going on? And also the production crew hadn't got a clue what they were doing, like they were making it open as they went along, like.
She would never been made before. Right, There was no formula, there was no blueprint for like what what what we were doing? They were like, we'll make a music video, and then you know, you get judged on your on this theme in the music video, and then you know the way bottom three and the way I sang off and you know that, and they were cannon just making up us go along. So everybody's kind of be in it together.
It was just like it was a It was a scramble of complete chaos that I really enjoyed.
We were all in it together. It was like that kind of cumual feeling. Yeah. Yeah. Wow. So when you were on the show and you would want a seven episode arc, right, that was your understanding past the seven? Did you find out before that or did you just think like you were going away after the seven? Do you remember like getting a call being like we're going to keep you for more. You just get kept getting written in.
I just kept getting the scripts great all the time. Yeah. Remember, did you guys ever live in the Palazo Across?
Yeah, they put me there for the pilot because I also came to l A for the show. Everybody else had been in l A already. Yeah, so Chris and I lived at the Plazzo there you go.
Yeah, So yeah, I just I literally kept getting the scripts and I was like, well, I suppose suppose doing an eighth episode of the ninth do you my rent a month?
Do I not? Wow?
Wow?
Like also this ridiculous even think about it. I don't have an agent or anything.
You better take that full check. You no commissions to anyone.
Yeah, I didn't even know what was I don't even know I started. I remember I started getting residuals. I was like, what the what is this this is?
And if you didn't have fact, if you were in a series regular, then you would get those like fat foreign residuals.
Oun't know where right they built those into a contract.
So yeah, I got foreign I wasn't a regular, I think it foreigners.
They just was a guest star.
I think, yeah, yeah, we want Wow.
I was yeah, I remember remember my first day. I got a reciel, Jack got alfa sofa. It was just like what in gauge name of this?
It seems crazy to me that I know we were. So it was third season, back of a tour, second tour, and like we're like, oh god, how are we going to get through another twenty two episodes? Yeah, but having someone like Damien come in and then we just didn't know any of that was going on. Right, Like, I don't know how we didn't. I think also by that point people had become like famous, and we were probably to an extent like so up our own asses totally that we weren't even We're like, oh we'll be nice working, he's so sweet, great, but not any questions now, probably not like are you okay?
In your defense, you were also like like, you know, it's not a normal it's really not a normal existence. That level of fame that came up glee, Like, I'll never forget it.
It was.
It's pretty miserable, to be honest, Like, I was personally not a fan of the whole. Like I'd gotten to the point where where as you guys, well know, we're just walking around. I subconsciously was just like even if people weren't looking at me, I was just like, oh my god, there's people just looking at me.
Yeah.
Yeah. It makes you paranoid, Yeah, the paranoid, and it puts you into this place that's not comfortable. It's a horrible heart. It's I honestly, I'm not a fan of it.
And I'm like with caltholic thunder, you know, there's always I've always had like an element all that but it's way more manageable.
Like Glee, it felt like Bieberd level fame, like it actually did, where like I.
Remember, like there was like a little mixed concert going on downtown in La one night, and I had my bodies over from Ireland and we walked past.
We were just going to the cinema or something.
We walked past, and like I got hounded by like hundreds and all these people that were in line and me. Like, So for you guys that were on it for six years, my point is that, like I do genuinely have sympathy for your experience in certain elments of it as well. You know, not to say that it was incredible, because it was. We're blessed to have the experience we were, but like also there was just parts of it that were very very hard on a human level. So like me going in and meeting you guys at that point, it was probably unfortunate for me because like I would love to work for example, I'd love to work with you now, do you know what I mean? I really would where would feel very very different than where we have a different playing field.
But like at the time, you're in complete survival mode and I'm a baby. I'm like, I have no idea what's going on here?
You really got to run into the deep end.
It was Jenns and I. We were both.
Like floored by because you know all the episodes, and I'm sure you feel the same way. At a certain point, You're like, I don't know what we did. At what point you remember certain things, certain episodes and watching your first episode where you had to come in and have one on one scenes with really big characters on the show and held together multiple storylines and you had two solos and the like, we were trying to get a solo in the season and.
You came in and got That was kind of awkward for.
Me though, but also it was it was so great and deserved and well done. And I think come and maybe it was that you got thrown into the deep end and you're like, I don't have anything we compare this too, so I just have to do it. Yeah, And really it felt like you had been doing it. If no one knew the context in which you came to the show, just and I'm sure a lot of people did, just see you on there for the first time, it felt like, yeah, this is what you have been doing in pursuing and you ended up on the show. Well, like it seemed like you fit in perfectly. I'm glad it get cross that way.
I mean, yeah, you know, it's I look back on it very fondly, like I really enjoyed it. I really enjoyed the experience. I learned literally so much from it, like an unbelievable mind, good on bad, like to be honest, and yeah, just just from the different experiences that came from with So yeah, I'm very I'm very grateful what happened. And it's just like it's something nice to look back on, you know, it's kind of memory.
It was a good season too.
Well.
My wife always cracks a joke that, you know, Glee's ratings were great and then I came in and it wasn't.
Yeah left, yes exactly, YEA tell her season.
We needed you. Yeah, that's what it was like.
I remember the I remember the conversation about me leaving actually to be honest, and like the opportunity was there for me. I'm sorry if you hear my dog by the way, that's just I don't know what's going on there, and you know, the opportunity was there for me to play more of like a B part role and honestly, in lesser terms, be a number in the choir.
Room like first season four, and personally, I just like didn't want that.
Wait, so they offered it to you.
It was there, like it was on the table. Yeah, they were like, you could do this, or you could do that, or you know, we could bring you back and be in the choir room. And I was just like, I that's just not I just don't.
Want a nice option to have.
It just didn't be I don't know, it just didn't failed to me because I remember like towards the end of season three and it was going in that direction anyway. Like it was very very clear to me personally that I was just I was having and this is not to you know, talk dying upon that because it's still a great experience, but I was having more time just sitting in the choir room being in a scene, but not being in the scene.
Yeah. Yeah, like that's really tough. Yeah, Like that's actually harder than its signs sitting there for eight or nine or ten hours.
I'm like, yeah, I love performing, I love singing live, I love turn I love doing this that the other, and so it just didn't quite you know, play out. And Dante called me and was, you know, saying, like, you know, season four is not going to work out or whatever, and I was like, honestly, Dante, that's I completely understand, Like I get it, that is what it is.
So but yeah, just such a great experience. Love them.
Wow, I feel like, I mean, you got a good head on your shoulder. Yeah, great perspective, dough that whole thing.
Yeah, I mean there's you know, I think towards the end of.
It, I got it at the right time, like I really really did. And I don't speak about this very often, but like I'm not someone that's ever really got carried away ever in my life or like kind of lost themselves or you know, I've always kind of you know, tried to stay on a level plan fail or whatever. But I do remember towards end the season three I was just my head was like.
It's actually very comforting to hear and also to when you mentioned like not it's not a normal lifestyle to live the life of fame, right. I just read an article recently that was like, I think it takes shaves ten or fifteen years off if you're really famous of your life. And no, it's comforting to hear because you got a really good bite, a really good taste, you like digested it, and then you got out right You're like, I'm good ya. Where our heads were still spinning after season you know, four, five, six, and it took a long time for us to detox that feeling and to process what happened throughout the whole thing. And so it's actually really comforting to hear you say that because I think we all in some way lost ourselves at some point within the show at some you know, and I think we all lost ourselves like at different points, and we were able to like pull each other out in some way. We were very supportive in that way and found each other. But I feel that very deeply.
Yeah, it's nice to have like another perspective of like, okay, so we weren't totally crazy for feeling the way we were feeling, right.
You know, there's like relationships where they you're like, oh, that person brings out like the worst in me. That was like a season of Glee. I was like, oh, this brought out the worst in me. You know, That's the way it felt for me. Yeah, was that season three for you, Jenna, Yeah, very season four Yeah, yeah, no, actually season four was pretty good. It was season three, it was it was season three. Tina was getting board. Yeah, I got bored. I was sitting in the back a.
Lot, which the soul destroy. I mean, I'm not, I'm not.
It sounds a lot. It sounds hard. It sounds a lot easier because like, yeah, you're still getting paid, you get to hang out, you get to chill. But it's it really is. It's draining, and to not be able to apply yourself right.
To do this thing.
I would like to be able to do it right, Like.
If I get hired, if I get hired to you know, plumb a toilet, I don't want to go and you know, watch somebody toilet.
It's a weird, weird example, but like it's perfect. I want to I'd like to, you.
Know, totally totally let me live.
Yeah, I want to know what it was like for you the first time you went back to Ireland after you had been on the show.
Was it yeah, chaos?
Yeah, one of the ones people waiting at airports, people.
It was like yeah it was home, Yeah, yeah.
It was, I mean it was it was kind of crazy, like obviously the first and only I think Irish person you know, to be on the show. On the show was such a you know, not only was a huge in America, it was like this international phenomenon. Actually, you guys have played a deal too, because I actually went to the show.
Yeah, I was there. Yeah, I'd wanted to leave projecked, and they wanted me to come along.
You're in.
The movie.
Yes, there's a shot of him in the audience.
That's right.
Okay, we hadn't worked with Red.
You're totally right, that's right.
Yeah, I hadn't met how to bet you? No, I haven't met you yet.
No, I don't think so.
Yeah, so I'm in the movie.
So Taylor Swift sneaky at it on that Yeah.
I remember seeing the concert and being like this is it was? It was a really good, really good gig. But like I remember people cooling metal, absolutely metal.
We had a class in Ireland. Now I will say we really had too much.
It was.
It was the end of the tour too, so we were just kicking it. We were having a real, real good Was that was.
That your last gig? Yeah? It was your last? Yeah, the tour. Where was the after party? Do you remember both? So we did School.
I think we did four shows in two days, right, We had matinees and and each night we went to this little bar called School.
We called it the school House. It was like an old school house, like a kindergarten school that they turned into a bar. And I think we couldn't go anywhere to Central because of.
You know, where we were staying.
It was to where we were staying, and it was it was so safe, and there was a mic, and so Darren brought his guitar and we would you know, it's only the cast and crew of the tour that were allowed that were there really, because nobody really did.
Especially we like stumbled in and there was somebody like singing okay, and like we just had the greatest time time and then we were all just sort of decided, we need to take over this bar tomorrow night when we're done with it.
Yeah, and we did go to Temple Street too, you did, oh yeah.
When we first got we had like a day or two off, right, and we did a little tour. Toys like us and Leah and who else.
THEO and Clinton and Todd came with us our security.
We drank and ate our way through. It was really fun, Dublin. It felt like we were it was really really fun.
We had a good time.
Yeah yeah, and the World Cup was on and so we could watch the matches.
And oh yeah, C eleven.
It was just the kindest people, the nicest, so nice. I do have to say the fan interactions because they were so nice. They acted like they knew you, and so they would get very personal, but it was never like in a threatening way like other places I've been. You were scared because I don't know you.
You don't need to touch me.
I mean no, I mean I'm Irish and I have hot interactions with Irish people where I'm questioning up with I.
Have I met you before? That's kind of awkward.
I have no idea who you are, but you really like you know, like shed mass form my grand last week like this?
What did you think of the amount of Irish strokes that they made about with Rory, Like did you feel like there was it was too much at any point where you're like all right, enough guys, or how how did you take all that coming on the show.
Know, it's interesting, Jenna, Like, I like, I didn't fail. I certainly didn't feel like offended by it, you know. And I remember like a couple of articles coming out the time, and I was contacted by a few people, but like, you know, do you think this is right? And you know, is this whatever you want to say, whatever term you want to use, And I was like no, like let it go, like stop stop just looking for news just because of it. So like I remember like not being offended at all. But what I would say is that it almost doubled.
Down how hard it was to act it out because it was so unnatural to me, so unbelievably unnatural, like like Irish people, or at least me, probably ninety five percent, we don't say top of the Morning, Like that's not that is the most unnatural thing you could ask an Irish person who say, so my very very first scene I'd ever done acting ever in my life. I had to walk up to have them worsh and say top of the.
Morning, and like, you know, I can you know the whole idea when you've cracked it this, it's meant to be natural.
So not only was this difficult anyway, I was doing the most level. Yeah, I'm trying to make it naturalized.
It's like I don't know how to do this, but but yeah, so I think more than anything, I wish I wish the script had I mean, I suppose I mean, listen, they you know, they did a great job and they're incredible writers, et cetera. But I do wish the script had to be written in a in a way that was I suppose more realistic, which might have given what I feel might have personally given me a better shot of like more natural.
And so I remember that feeling very challenging. Yeah makes sense.
I want to talk about the music you got to do, because you've got to do a lot of good music, and I feel like a lot of good music that was totally in your lane, like they they knew who they were hiring, you know they and well, at least I felt like that to us. Were there any songs that you were really excited to get to do that you got to do?
Yeah, I mean, I'll be honest, I enjoyed kind of every song that I got to do. You know, I felt I felt it was very kind of one dimensional, to be honest.
Like, you know, you're going to be this person for us, this is what you deal.
You're going to be this person you're gonna stand in the middle choir. I'm you're just gonna deliver a song. And I'm like, like, you know, I sometimes if I had to being older, if it sort of felt like my place, I might have had a conversation where I'm like, listen, I can bring so much more to the table than this. I'm just not getting the chance. But obviously was I was never going to say anything like that, do you know.
What I mean?
Yeah? So, but I mean the music itself really enjoyed, like love singing Home, I really love Blue Christmas, even like take care of Yourself with the false Satto and things like that. You know, it definitely sort of felt like, yeah, they were very specifically like ectoid for Rory for my.
Sort of singing skills. So there were songs that I enjoyed singing. Yeah.
It always probably such a treat to get to, Like, I know, it probably was really boring for you to have to stand there and sing every time, but it's really nice for us.
It's so good.
I think you just sit back and watch. Okay, we have some fan questions that people wrote in, and so I wanted to ask some what song do you wish you would have sung on the show from Herman Herman, is there any songs current day that you were.
Like, Oh, current day, I often wish that you guys might have done. I'm sure you probably did do this at some point. I wish I had to have been part of more like boy Bond Numbers. I enjoyed that we did a one direction thing that was very, very enjoyable. I enjoyed that kind of you know, I've always been a fan of working in a group as a team, you know, I kind of enjoyed that. It's because I've been with a group for you know, a very long time. So yeah, I wish I could have been part of like more boy band Numbers. I suppose that would have been fun.
There amazing, Yeah, that would have been good fun.
Two thousand and two onth So, now, did you do you keep in touch with any of the Glee Project alumni?
Yes, I do.
I keep in touch with Bryce Bryce so random, Like, well, it's not random because I know Bryce's wealth on the Glee Project and Bryce is like this ridiculous music career and his music slaps and I slapped for like ten years. So yeah, I'm like I'll never forget, like kenn Of when the whole Glee Project thing was going dying, and he won't mind me saying this. Bryce was like he Bryce leved on my sofa for like six months, and he went from a you know, he went from every day he'd wake up and he'd I hope he doesn't kill every telling us I don't think you. Every day he'd wake up and you know, his line would always be, let's see how the people of Gotham are doing today?
And he turned on the Xbox. No.
Then like eleven or twelve years later, he's like this platinum selling artists, you know, life story from you. But yeah, Cameron, Cameron lives in Nashville. I've seen him. I've seen him this year and anytime I'm kind of in the Carolinas, I would see Hannah, I speak to Lindsay, and I spoke to Alex a couple of weeks ago.
Wow.
So a lot of them, Yeah mind yeah, I mean a talented crew too.
Right now.
Everybody's doing something.
Yeah, you know, I think it's like testimony to our season. What's quite rare, I feel like for these kind of shows is that like half of a are still working at a very.
Very high level.
Yeah, which from TV shows like that isn't always the case. But like what came from the season one of our show was it was just people grafters, really talented grafters. People weren't afraid to put the work on to like hustle, you know, people on the hustling. I'm very very talented.
So so yeah, yeah, I keep in touch with a decent money than meal. Charlotte L.
Davis wants to know do you miss Dairy and says come home icon.
I do miss Terry.
I'm going home for Christmas, so I'll look forward to that always. Yeah, I mean I missed Airy a lot. It's kind of just the way my life's played out where, you know, my career is kind of more US based.
But I was home for Thrive. I actually spent the first quarter this year in Ireland, which is really nice.
That's really nice. We are so grateful that you I DM you. You said yeah so quickly. We are just so grateful to have this time to really debrief about the show and see you again in this other form. I feel like we didn't we never really got to deprief. It's been such a long time since we've seen you, and we had such a wonderful time with you on set. You really were such a breath of fresh air and we need we're just yeah, we did so thank you so much for coming on and sharing with us and and just so we could see your face again.
To be honest, guys, Lessen always a pleasure. If you need anything, just give me a show, no problem with all.
Good luck with the baby. We're so excited for you and with the rest of your awesome career. You're the best, and.
Hi for us, It's so good to see you. Damien.
Oh my god, I feel emotional.
He is very emotionally intelligent.
He's a grown man.
I just am floored by the difference of which we experienced him and now. He was always the same, but he is so wise, so mature.
So grounded, so grounded. I mean yeah, he always has been, but it is like spoken to him a ton. Yeah over the years, I've seen him on Instagram and so you feel like you sort of I know what somebody's doing going on in their life a bit, but wow.
You just like he's about to be a dad.
He's a husband.
Oh what a sweet sweet man.
He's kept like such a consistent and like great career.
Happening, and yeah, I'm really happy for him. I'm really grateful we got him and Glee had him, and that way you got to chat with him again.
In retrospect, like he was saying, like things you don't realize when you're actually shooting. This thing is having someone like him, And I think Cord was like this for us in season two. It makes you see what you're doing. It grounds you in a way where you're forced to sort of see what you're doing with fresh eyes if you allow it to. I don't think I think we popped in and out of that in season three because we were all losing it a bit. But having somebody who was just sweet and not i don't know, competitive, or had no ego and just showed up and did a great job and was just kind every day, it was such a nice thing to have around and contributed liatively in such a great way.
Totally, it was a yeah, you're right. There was a lot of chaos and he was a constant.
He was always like I don't think necessarily think I feel like we felt that, but we didn't necessarily Maybe No.
Appreciate it as much Peter.
Appreciate it at the time. Yeah, Thank you Damian so much for spending so much time, and again, it's such a gift for people to come on here and be so honest and open with us, and we really really appreciate it. Thank you for that, Damien. I guess that's what she really meant.
Bye.
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