And That's What You REALLY MissedNick the Warbler is on the pod!
Actor, singer, and filmmaker Curt Mega joins Jenna and Kevin to spill about his time on Glee, including how he got to sing lead vocals on "Uptown Girl," auditioning for the roles of Blaine and Sam, the real deal on working with Darren Criss, the whirlwind of the Warblers media tour, and what it was like joining the cast for the Glee concert tour!
Plus, Curt talks about his current project, which has a Glee connection!
And that's what you Really missed with Jenna.
And Kevin an iHeartRadio podcast.
Welcome to you, and That's what you Really miss podcast. We have a warbler.
Like sort of the og Warbler.
Yeah, for sure, there's like a few of them, and he's he's one of them. We have Kurt Mega here nick Nick the Warbler. It looks like he had a name.
Yes, And we find out all kinds of things that we did not know because, as you learned, the Warblers were like very separate from the new directions in US in terms of filming, location terms, even like schedules, yeah, everything. Kurt is the sweetest, He's so talented and just great to catch up with him. So here is Kurt Mega.
Yoho, Hello, what's up?
How are you?
I'm doing pretty good man a while?
Are the rumors true? Are you still working with Star Kid?
Oh yeah, we're in.
We're like knee deep and we just started a new show Monday. And I also do a lot of directing and producing for them as well. So we did a big old kickstarter for our last show. We just raised like six hundred grand, which was, oh my god, amazing. It was like our biggest one yet.
So it's great, honest, And.
Was that thanks to the like you guys meeting on said and doing the Warblers that you got linked up with.
That first convo I ever had with Darren was like him being like, oh dude, I'm running songs for the show and I'm like, they're mad because I haven't finished everything.
Uh and yeah he was, he was.
Uh yeah, he was the one who introduced me to all of them, and so yeah, it's kind of become my like creative fan here in La.
So yeah, it's it's rad.
And we're also making a first episodic thing that I'm I'm co producing and directing. So yeah, it's like there's so many ties to what I do. How to like back then, it's it's kind of actually.
That's so good though. Also that was a very good impression of Darren. Thank you, thank you. If you haven't had a conversation with there, it was like, just do this thing, but I didn't do it yet, but every time, that's right, let's take it back to the beginning.
Yes, how did this all start out for you?
I don't know if you guys remember this at all, but they did a MySpace contest. Ye, I don't know if you're aware of shout out to Eddie who I know, you know, Kevin Eddie Winkler, and he was like, hey, I know, like it's a weird thing. Obviously I'd rather you go in for it like regularly, but like why not, why not just put yourself on tape for it? So I did and uh, and then like months went by and then I got a call out of the blue one day and they were like, hey, like Udik wants to see you like today, and so I was like, okay, So.
I went in.
That sounds right, And it was hard to figure out initially what it was and I realized, Okay, I think I'm testing for the show, and it was for it was for the role that would become. And so that was a weird week where like I went to Twentyeth was working with like Brad Ellis on the piano.
I mean, we were like doing all kinds of stuff.
Actually, once I once I once you I got the email about this, I was like going through my voice memos and I like found my like rehearsals singing like billionaire.
At like.
Yeah, and then we did this, We did the fin sides and then at that test there was like court obviously, but there was like some other people there too. There was my uh yeah, there's just a bunch of there's like four or five of the guys there. And then Tested was terrified because it was just like every at the time, this is what's crazy is at the time, that was like coming out of season one, and so I mean it was the you know, it was like I couldn't have matter.
It was the biggest thing on I.
It was very and I I had only been in La for like a few months, so it was like, oh my god, yeah, it's very intimidated. Yeah, and to walk into a room with like and it was just everybody, you know, and it went really well. And then and they went to different direction obviously in Kor got the part and he was great. At the time, it was supposed to be it's supposed to be k Kurt's boyfriend. That was the whole the whole thing they told us of like this is the love interest or whatever. Anyway, So then fast forward a few months later and then I think I can't remember, but I think I also taped for Blaine.
Didn't get it.
And then and then once again in like November, I got a call.
They were like, okay, so they want.
To see you today, and I went in, I read for you know whatever Warbler, and then the next week there I was on set.
So that the hustle, it sounds like so familiar to a lot of the people that we've talked to. You're not here for this one, but we'll bring you back for this one. But they don't tell you that.
They knew they wanted you, just didn't know where you fit in yet. Yeah, exactly.
Well what's also so weird is that when I you know, when I first booked, I mean it was a one episode, one line co.
Star, right, which is like, you know, I was stoked.
It's like, hey, I'm this is my it was my first thing I'd ever done, like on camera at l So I was just like, I'm just happy to be here. And then and then that somehow turned into doing I think it was like fifteen or sixteen episodes, and you know, I got to sing and became a guest star and stuff and got to go on tour with you.
Guys, which is, yeah, the coolest things I've ever done.
And yeah, and so in so many ways, it just like was this thing that kept opening more and more doors. It was sort of emotionally strange to never know where where I was with it.
So every time you did an episode, it was just that episode.
Yeah, and we'd always we'd always be like, all right, well, this has been fun, guys, and then and then you know, they call us a few weeks later and you'd be like, oh shit, we're back, We're back.
Crazy.
And then I remember at the Glee tour in LA and Ryan pulled me aside and was like, I'm gonna you're gonna have a song next season. I'm getting a song, and I was like what and then and then it happened and I got to do Uptown Girl.
So yeah, it was just it was always a mystery.
Yeah, never knew what I was.
Doing with the show. Wow.
But at the same time, I think it kind of kept it kind of kept us sort of grateful and just like, oh my god, we're back, and it never felt like there was an expectation.
So yeah, at some point, like you guys became like this your own entity on the show fully.
And like a real band.
Yeah, and then only recently have like with this rewatch, have we been like oh wow, like they were awesome and I think we were just so wrapped up in all of the chaos of it all that like you was crazy, but you guys did like like talk shows and like performances and like things out on the road. Like it's just so crazy how it became this like oh, your your own like little thing, it's so cool.
It was always I think that the challenging thing for us was always we didn't I know, amongst like Riker Entireis and Domino, those guys, like, we were always like, we don't want to ever act like we're doing more than we are. But then people would ask us to come to things and we'd be like, is that is that okay?
Like we're not. We're just we're just guests on the show. We're not. And so it was always this strange kind of pull and tug.
Of like I don't want to go out there and be like, oh my god, I'm such It's like no, I'm, I'm, i am.
We are in service of this much bigger thing.
But I think going on tour I think kind of helped solidify a little bit of like, oh my god, like we kind of feel like we belong a little bit totally. Also doing tour, I had such a positive experience doing that because it felt like the pressure of you know, just the crazy hours and you know, as you know, doing doing the show.
I mean, you guys, it was crazy for us.
I can't even imagine what that was like for you guys for so many years, but.
To tour felt like a chance to just just hang out. And I don't know, I had.
I had a blast and a lot of those relationships for them, and I'm still I'm truly still like best friends with like Titus and like domb and like those are like some of my serious friends in the world. So I think a lot of that chemistry that people were responding to, even though we didn't have a lot of a lot of dialogue or whatever. I think it was just people responding to us actually being friends and like having a blast together.
That's what I like to.
Think fully, and also being around you guys. That was also the experience of when you were saying, you guys were just like grateful to be there. You're like, sure, this may be a one and done or maybe a two and done, but it always.
Felt like that.
I never felt like you guys came in there and we're like, we're the shit now, even though the Warblers did become the shit. Yeah, and everybody wanted you guys from the first episode, and so the last episode that you guys were in, it always felt like the energy from you guys was so wholesome and it was like they're the nicest people and they check ourselves like we're terrible people.
They're so nice and they're so good, and that chemistry was very real.
And like seeing you guys on tour, you had your own dressing room, it was very much It just felt like the what was your a real band, like our own little like cover bands together, Yeah, and were like love each other and supported each other, and it was really nice to just see that blossom between all of you well.
And I always appreciated it. You know, it was I think Darren. I I will always say this about Darren. He would just every step chance he got, he would go out of his way to like talk us up to people. I remember, like, you know, we'd be on set and you know, Ryana walked by and dared to be like, oh, ry did you know like Rikers like in his band is like they're they're doing a thing, or did you know like Kurt's like he would just like and you know that's and he could do that for us because we were in this little group together, right, And I just I remember thinking at the time, like that really meant a lot to me because you know, that's an intimidating.
Set to walk on.
If as a first thing, it's just a lot, you know, And even now having done a lot of other television work, nothing has ever come close to that level of like just the scope and the pressure and the like. Actually, no I did. I did an episode of nine one one and it felt the same.
I was like, Ryan Show is basically we're back.
I've done this before.
I guess, well, it's like that sense of like there's a lot of ship that has to get done in a very short period of time like that that pressure and so having somebody, having somebody there to kind of just be that voice for us was just a really really made that It was really it's a gift that I'll never like, I'll never I'll never be not be grateful for.
You know. It really did feel like the leader on set and like on the screen totally. Yeah, of the Warblers, Yeah, he was like, you're the dad. He took care of It's just good energy all the time.
He was like he was actually genuinely happy to be there, where us fools were like acting like yeah exactly. Darren like was genuinely just happy to be there all the time. And sometimes it's just so annoying because you're like just shut up, like he's you're like too happy right now.
But I tell I'm one of my things that I do, I just to joby job stuff is I'm I work with a lot of actors, and I coach and I teach a lot, and I'm always like, look like it's awesome being on set.
It's it's great. It's great to book the job, but it is a.
Grind that you don't know until you're there. I mean, and it sounds like, oh, I'm just I'm doing it. It's like yeah, but like cut to three four years in and yeah, it's awesome, but it is a it's a grind, man, and so yeah, I mean, and you guys were just constantly I remember, you know, we were just there to do our one song, but you guys would be hopping into learn this choreo and then you're off to shoot this scene and then you're you know, just it was it.
Was a lot, and I don't.
I think a lot of times maybe people don't recognize how challenging like product a production schedule really is.
I mean, it's really nuts.
It's a whole different skill set that it's probably also really good for you coaching people to have been on a show with that grueling schedule, because it's like you do all the acting prep, you do all that stuff you know, to get the job, and then and there's like how do I mediate my energy levels and all of that on twelve hour sixteen hour days repeatedly hopefully for years, right.
And it's also like not about being just oh it was my take so good.
It's like, dude, just show up picture mark, do the thing, and we can all go home early, like that's the job. And a lot of people don't. I think it's it's it's not indulgent, which which is like I think surprising for a lot of artists who are like, wait, it's not about me all the time.
It's like no challenging.
For actors to realize.
Speaking of schedules, like what was the Warblers schedule? Like like from the time you would would you get this full script or would you just get this song, Like what was that like for you?
And completely varied, Like the first few episodes, it was just like, hey, you're showing up at this time, and here's the song you're doing.
But then like the first episode, Wow, I think what.
I did when I had when I sang when I sang Uptown Girl, they like sent someone to my house with a script and I was like.
Oh yeah, drop them on the doorstep.
Yeah.
And so then we got a full script for that, and then I think from then on because from that point on, I was like contractually a guest star, and then I started getting.
Scripts in advance.
Yeah, So I don't know, it varied, but the schedule was always interesting because I mean it would be often maybe choreo the day before, maybe sometimes the day of, and then I.
Remember long like an hour two hours.
Yeah, I mean maybe two three hours tight, And I think, what too is? You know? I mean, Kevin, I know you're an awesome dancer, Jenna, I don't know if you're a dancer.
I actually don't know this. Are you a dancer?
I grew up I grew up dancing in the I'm a theater dancer, So you know, I can like I can pick up my moves.
That's about it.
Yeah, need it.
Well, First that first few seasons, you know, our audition was like step touch.
It was like great mine, step touch.
And then at some point they were like what if they just all danced like full out and it was like cool.
Then they started to bring in all these dancers who are like so you think along. I remember like being like, uh.
Hey when we auditioned Loki, like we were not doing this and Riker is an amazing dancer.
So Ryker was like I'm fine and I was like, okay, cool. But the rest of.
Us and I remember like it getting progressively. And there was one episode that Mandy Moore directed or not directed, choreographed, and nobody told her this was the I think it was the Love Songs.
One or whatever.
Nobody told us that several of us were movers at best, and so I'll never forget. She got understandably frustrated because she was like what why because she was just like choreo and.
We meet there dancers, it was.
Like an hour before we were shooting. It was like here's the combo.
And I remember like John and I who was like the beatbox guy, and we're just in the back and like yo I and uh so.
I.
It was so funny.
The more we went on, the less rehearsal we got. I think at the beginning it was like assumed there'd be more time. But I think the craziest day was the Michael Jackson episode.
I think we did like mm hmmm.
It was like a bad five five six am call and I think we wrapped it like I don't know, it was.
Like two in the morn. It was. That was crazy.
Yeah, in that party, everything on the day.
We all learned on the day too, so there was just a lot of It was a lot of people who's all the war wars.
Yeah, all the directions.
It was very scary that one in that part exactly.
Yeah, like we're all going to either succeed or fail together and it's fine because it's all of us. Yeah. Yeah, if I look bad, we all look bad.
But it's it was intense, like just you kind of have this feeling before you'd roll a take where you'd be like, I'm just gonna I don't know, I'm just gonna go for it and and if the camera comes by, whatever I'm doing, I'll do it strong and wrong, and we'll hope that it works.
You know, thats just triggered a flashback in my head. I do remember before take, like we were lined up against you guys and looking at you guys, and we all took like that sigh of like.
Well, it's gonna be what it's gonna be.
We'll see what happens. Hopefully we don't run into each other. How was it when Grant showed up man over for you know, yeah, Darren Grants.
I mean I think there was always there was always that, Like again, it was like we never knew what our role was in the show, so that was very much a surprise to a lot of us. We were like, Grant's awesome. I love Grant, but you know, I think a lot of us were like.
Are we going to step up to the plate this season?
And we're like it was a new guy, and it was like okay, yeah, but dude, Grants, I mean, he's he had just and he was so trained. He was coming off the West Side story tour, you know, he he just stepped into that with such grace and like just nailed it and obviously he's done very well for himself.
Yeah, No, it was great.
Yeah, And I mean he was he also was like really cool just to be like, hey, what what are we doing here? Like help you know, what what's the vibe? And we kind of help show in the ropes and stuff. So yeah, it was but.
We never knew.
We never knew what was happening with our with us or if we were going to do more.
We never knew. We'd always be like, we get the script and we'd be like, do we have lines?
Yeah, exactly. It wasn't much different from me in.
J That's the weird part about television.
You know, it's like it's being written in a writer's room, and you know, things change every day, and there would be I mean there were things that were some people would say, oh, hey, I think you guys might do this, and then like it wouldn't happen.
Sometimes it wouldn't. That's just the problem in the.
First draft and then by the time you get the shooting draft, it's gone.
Yeah, it's just the song was recorded and we never get seen. It's crazy.
Yeah, that's just that's like TV.
You know, since you came on so early in the show and the Warblers were on pretty early in like the height of you know, Glee's success, what was it like like for you guys and the Warblers aside from doing like all the cool you know, special appearances and things like were your family and your friends to be like and did you get recognized separately from that, like especially it.
Was because it was your first thing basically and then you yeah, got on this gigantic show part and part of a gigantic part of the gigantic show.
I mean yeah, like Kevin and I are both from Dallas, and like I was part of the Dallas theater community, and you know, I mean that was the everyone watched the show every week, you know, because I think that what the show came out in eight or the pilot tape debut and O eight is that yeah.
Yeah, yeah, show nine we premiered, yeah.
Oh nine.
I remember like it would be like I mean I was watching the show at friends places, and it was like it was a thing that all the all theater kids were like, you know, and I was like I was just out of college and or I was I left college early, so you know, everybody was watching it. And so then I moved to LA in January of twenty ten, and by that by that fall is when I started working on it.
And yeah, it was. Yeah, I mean it was. It was a huge deal.
It was like, wait, the show that we all watched every week, you're on it, you know, very surreal and yeah, I mean there was a ton of just a ton of excitement and yes, but like Dallas, your local makes it and I was like, well.
I'm on it. But you know, yeah, it was. It was awesome.
And you know, even to this day, I mean I've done I've done a lot of other things, but I mean, to this day, truly, it is still a thing that people are like, oh I love that, or you know, I will watch it all the time. Right, people were like I listened to Uptown Grown. I'm like, that's crazy. It's like this one song I recorded so many years ago. The fact that something that was a you know, like I said, we were very small parts of the show, but the fact that it changed my life basively, I mean it literally it is the turning turning point, but it is like the catalyst for so many things that I'm even doing. So yeah, that that initial reaction back then was you know, it was like it was cool because also too, I you know, I'd only been here for a few months and it was just like a nice confirmation of like maybe I'm not maybe I'm not crazy for thinking this is something I should try to do.
You know I can do this, So yeah, very meaningful.
Yeah, I'm still pissed we didn't get to go to Dallas on tour.
I know I would.
Before they announced the dates, I was like, please please. I just envisioned it like we're at the American Airlines Arena.
Wasn't Airlines being like Redone or something at the time.
We just didn't go to the South at all.
Yeah, I remember, do you know Pentatonics?
Yeah, so I grew up with Scott and Mitch from Pentatonic Theater together. Like our very first play ever was we did a version of Don Quixote, but it's called Don Coyote. I was a coyote. Mitchs the rab anyway, But I remember like did a show a few years later they played like some show in Dallas, and I was.
Like, that should have been us.
I wanted that so badly. It's like, can we just do one more tour and then go through the South. I gotta get them, I will say Dallas the Dallas.
Theater scene, like I I I don't live there anymore, but Uh. I think the art scene in Dallas is really cool and there's a real it is like theater and music are such a vibrant part of of of the culture there and uh yeah, so.
Yeah, I think it was. It was pretty cool that.
I was on the show because it was like especially and people also knew that you were from Dallas, Kevin, so it was like wow, two people.
So they made it.
There was may time at the end of thee I was testing for another show and it was me and another guy and I, like, you know, was getting the dirt on who it was, and he was also from Plano, and I was like, what is happening? Yeah, I was thinking about Yeah, it's like the only other person, like all the Dallas people just give me the job. I read the computer place, come on to town and everybody else he got it though, so good for him whatever. But there's been like growing up there was always such a huge It's funny because I feel like the South is you hear a lot of I don't know, negative things sometimes when it comes to the arts and things like that. But Dallas specifically especially downtown, has always had such a big investment in all forms of art and even now when I go back, it's even more than it was. And it is a really amazing thing that they've done.
That Dallas like theater kids, man, I mean they are like trained and it is like, I mean, there is a high level of there's a lot of opportunities there, you know. And so I was part of a I don't know if you know, like there was like Kasamyana and there was like Dallas Theater Center. I was part of a theater school called Cats, and so there's just kind of like where do you belong?
And that's where like Scott and Mitch from.
And yeah, I consider I sometimes think about how how lucky I am to have been to have grown up in an environment because I think people are like Texas, what was that like? And I'm like, actually, in terms of having a place, the Foster creatively was pretty awesome.
A lot of other things about Texas that we don't have to go into.
But the art in Dallas and the arts in Dallas is pretty good. Yes, there's a lot of acting schools. It's crazy, there's like performing arts schools all over the place. You wouldn't think.
It, but it's great for that.
Yeah, totally specifically.
So I mentioned earlier that you know, we rewatching it. We've had this newfound appreciation for the Warblers and the songs that you guys did. We just watched My Dark Side. What a banger, so good, one of my favorites. It's so good. You guys are great. Do you have a favorite? I would imagine that you know, Uptown Girl is probably one of your favorites to have done, because you know you played such a big part in it. But like, are there other songs that like stick out in your mind or performances from the Warblers?
Yeah, I would say I think I was so nervous about Uptown Girl that like, in hindsight, I'm proud of it, but I was so nervous on the day because I felt like, don't this is your one shot. So I think my experience on the day was just don't blow it. I think the one that sticks out was when we did Raise Your Glass.
Uh, it was like I was it was at it was.
At that theater we shot it in Glendale and m hm, I remember it was like the first time that we had gotten to perform on set where there was like a bunch of people in the audience. I'm sure that already happened for you guys, but to just and I think there was like a contest that day where like a bunch of fans also got a chance to be there in the in the upper part.
Of the balcony. Yeah, and there was like you know.
They were obviously being told to cheer, but to do that number and to actually feel this kind of energy, it was definitely like, oh my god, this is really cool. I think that was the moment it felt like it was real that we were on the show because prior to that and it was kind of like what are we even doing here? And our stuff was at a different location, so it was kind of.
Just, yeah, this extra removed. Yeah.
I think I'd only been maybe to the set at Paramount like once like in the process, and so you know, because we were at we were at Dalton, and so that we felt like we were here with you guys and there was this crowd and yeah, I think that that kind of solidified like, oh my god, this is awesome. And we also got to do that on tour and I love doing that song on tour. So that's the one that I always think of when I think about my memory of doing the show. I think about like being on stage doing that number in front of in front of the crowd, that's the one that always sticks up.
How surreal was it doing that on tour because you also came in. I got a point in the show too, where like we had been out there a while and you guys come out and just sort of take over and do like a three song set and everyone went crazy.
Every single night.
I can't. I still think about it and I go, did that happen?
Like it just.
The concept of a TV show that gets big enough to do a tour that sold out.
We were also baffled.
Yeah, like you know, I knew it was happening, but I almost like it was hard to take it in in the moment because you're just like, what's happened?
Like this is crazy?
And yeah I remember I remember like opening night in Vegas just being on our little stage in the back, you know, and.
People lost their when I was like, this is nuts. I just it really it was so surreal.
Because I just I kept thinking like, wow, I was supposed to do like one line on this show, and here like I get to be on stage, you know, going to London.
I just when I think about it. Now, I go, did that happen? Like, because I don't think any.
I cannot think of another situation where a show will do that again, like like where the where the stars will align and where you will have that kind of fan reaction that like this just took a strange and cool thing that happened in this.
Little capsule of time. Yeah, it's amazing.
And there were so many of us, like I think we were so lucky to travel with, like the whole family. It was you guys and all the dancers and Alex d and then us, and it was.
I feel like I get to I got to know you guys much more on that because you know, on set like it, Yeah, I'm very fragmented, and I felt like they're the pressure of doing I mean we're still doing a show obviously, but the pressure.
Of like the crazy it was gone.
I just feel like we all got to get to know each other in a much more chill way. And Yeah, I had such such a positive experience throughout that whole thing. It was just it was so good And and again I can't I'm also aware of how long ago it was because whenever I was tagged in some videos recently, and I like clicked the videos and like all the videos are like three sixty p and you're like, shit.
That was like a long time ago.
Yeah, the quality of the video reminds you how distant that.
Yes, it makes you remind you how old you are. It's interesting though, because I never thought about it that way. Like, you know, as you worked yourself up to a guest star, you know, and got to be a part of it, you have like recurrs on our show. Also that like didn't get to go on tour with us, didn't get the extra like I think about like Max Adler and Josh Sussman and all those like and Lauren Potter, all those amazing you know characters on our show that were played such an integral part and then like actually didn't get to go on tour. And you guys, you know, had this own you became your own entity and character, right, but then got to like do all the fun stuff too outside of it.
Yeah, that's why we were just like pinching ourselves because I was like, we shouldn't be here like in terms of.
The just the arc of the show.
But but for whatever reason, the energy, you know, the vibe moving forward, it kind of made sense, and yeah, I just I remember I think Darren said it, like was like we were like we always tick a shot backstage before we went on Teenage Dream, and I remember like having that moment at the last show of like I don't think anything like this will ever happen again, so like how cool is this? You know? And I will say on tour, I always talking about starkt At the beginning, I remember we were in Chicago and I think, like, I don't know, everybody went out to some place. It was some some nightclub or some people were like hanging out, and I think Darren texted us and was like he texted the WARBA guys and was like, hey, ditch that party and come meet my like star kid friends because they were all in Chicago at the time. And I remember that night is when I went we like we left and we went to he was having a party with like all of his stark kid friends, and that's where I met literally all the people that I now I literally see every single day of my life and I work with creatively. Like that night is when I like met all these people. So that tour kind of kind of led to that as well.
So yeah, what.
Talk about that?
What you like getting into Stark kid? What was that transition sort of like I guess was that during Glee or after Glee of because you're also doing multiple things. Yeah, you're acting and producing and directing.
What what's so funny about the Tarket thing is we got invited The Warblers got invited to some like fan conventions, but the fan conventions were Harry Potter themed, which makes no sense aside from Darren because of a Harry Potter connection. So it was this weird initial thing where and I remember like going to these conventions being like what are we doing here? Like they're gonna hate us. They're not here to see the war.
Like, they're here to see Harry Potter people.
And I remember we went to this one convention and Evana Lynch was there. She played Luna and Harry Potter, and they like just announced that the Warblers were gonna sing. We were like, first of all, please don't call us that, because we're not endorsing that, like we're just here as us.
Secondly, why like what are we going to sing? And so I like I text the guys.
I was like, hey, we got to make this like Harry Potter theme somehow. So we did like a I wrote like a stupid version of what makes You Beautiful, but as like what makes You Magical? Like we were singing to Luna. We went on stage, we did it and it was like in that moment everybody went, oh, you guys are cool and it was like fun and we were all like we kept getting invited back year after year. Well every year Star Kid would also be there doing like panels and shows and stuff, and so we would always be in the green room together kind of just hanging out and I Darren and so I'd be like, oh, hey, I know Darren, and you know, I'd met a lot of them whatever, and so over the years we just got to hang out and then a lot of them started to move to LA And then in twenty sixteen, some of the guys who worked with Darren on a show him, Joey, Brian and Corey. They did actually Joey Joey was in what was that group, the Adams Apples. Yeah, he was in that one where they did they did the Big Butt song. So we did a show called Spiser Forever, which is a like gig comedy spy musical and it's awesome, it's I love it amazing. That went on amazing, kind of become a cult thing on the internet. And then from there, a few years later, I was asked to audition, and and then I started to do more stuff and produce and direct, and now I'm doing my this is my like seventh project that we're doing right now.
So wow, kind of.
An organic like you live here, I live here, let's let's make stuff together.
So yeah, why not have you been enjoying doing like the behind the scenes stuff, the writing and directing and producing.
Yeah, I love it.
I mean I made I made my first I finished my first feature as a director last year, and and then I do a lot of we we also produce all of our shows we do. We we shoot them like a pro shot, and we put them on YouTube later for free, which is cool. And so I got to direct to the film version of a show last year.
And I love it. Man, I you know, I think I love.
I'm still I still love acting. I wish I wish I didn't.
I still there's some of us. I still love it, some of you out there.
I'm so glad.
But I will say I think being a filmmaker has become I go, oh my god, I don't have to wait for anybody to give me permission to do anything.
Yeah.
So that's and that's the cool thing about like Star Kit and all these groups that I've gotten to work with, is it's just a lot of people taking ownership of their creativity and being like, let's just do a thing and you know, that's awesome. That's it's that's amazing. Uh So, yeah, I I love doing it. It's it's it's kind of my favorite thing that I get to do now. Even like even when I get to work on shows or whatever, I'm like, this is fine, I want to go make stuf with.
Me like that.
But once you know the freedom of being in control and getting to do what you want, it's hard to Yeah, and see that. I love hearing how close you are too, like like the friendships, the co working relationships, all that through, because I think that resonates with anyone we've had on here to talk about working on the show show for Jenna and myself, like the relationship mine is like the relationships, and I think it is probably because of the pressure cooker, the uniqueness of the situation that we all bonded over this thing, especially you guys getting to go on tour, which is so hard to explain to people, like the gravity of that of how those things feel unless you're inside of it to really know. And it's just so nice to I also think, you know, the people who like that show will watch that show. It's a certain type of person who like understands the creativity or the musical theater of it and the celebration of the arts in that way. So it's just nice that you get to work with people you met through it and y' still so close to people from it.
Really, I mean, it really is that. It's the greatest gift that came from that for me. You know, it's like I didn't you know. I've always tried to be very clear with people. I remember, like back in the day, people like on Twitter and stuff would be like, you're not really in the show, You're barely in it. I'd be like, yeah, I know, I.
Know, that's fine, Twitter, I know, yeah.
Better.
I always try to be clear that like, yes, I know that, but the show has still given me.
It's changed my life.
Yeah, the relationships to friendships, the opportunities that the doors that in many ways, it still continues to open. You know. It's like a lot of those initial opportunities to do stuff was because I could say I'm on Glee, people will go okay, which warranted or not. It opened the door and allowed me to try stuff and discover new outlets of creativity. So it's like that gift alone, I'm like truly life changing.
You know.
Yeah, I think people don't also understand, like, Okay, sure, if you weren't speaking every episode, that does not mean you weren't there crazy hours many hours in doing things. Yeah, Like people don't understand the work that goes into it. And it's like even if you're on the show for one night, you're still on the show.
The show.
It's a full team effort.
And I had one nine a lot like all the time. I just got paid a lot more. But like, shut up, you know, yeah, it's just annoying. Yeah, Yeah, everybody deserved to be there, So you know, you deserve to be there as much because you guys.
Are on it.
Yeah exactly.
Yeah, and you guys were so you guys were like so kind to us to like just to like, you know, because stepping into that world again, it was an intimidating.
Proposition of like, oh my god, I've I've.
Seen the show and you know, I've seen these people win a war, you know, and and then there was just kind of an instantaneous like oh cool, awesome, yeah, and I remember it was a very disarming and like it did not feel like stepping into like oh you better step up your game. It just felt like, oh, hey, we're like here doing the same thing. And yeah, yeah, it was. It was just like a chillness to the vibe with you guys, despite the pressure of what the circumstances. Yeah, there was just like an easygoingness that you know that I experienced with all you guys that just made made me go, I am.
On this show. Cool.
Yeah, you know, I don't have to pretend and like, I don't know, yeah, it was, it was, it was awesome.
That's excity.
Yeah, we never know. We caught us on a bad day because there's also like there's no point in like I don't know gate keeping anything. It's like we all got hired, we're not running the show. We're grateful to be there. You guys are grateful to be there, and we know what a slog schedule could be. So it's like what's the point of ego? Like just everybody just wanted to work. Everybody earned it, everybody got here. Yeah because Robert and Ryan and whoever said yes, So like great, Yeah, who are we to be like like, no, we are.
Hired just like you did.
Yeah.
I've definitely worked on shows where sometimes like leads are are you know, household names like house don't don't speak to that person, don't look at that person, you know, and it's like.
Okay, cool.
It's hard, and you kind of feel like you're always like I'm always on the and you know, I swear that my first episode was when we shot at that that theater in Glindall, which is crazy because I lived down the street at the time, so I literally walked.
And I remember just kind of being like we gonna fit in.
And then you know, you guys were just like, oh hey, cool, yeah, awesome, and it was like, oh, all right, this feels like doing a show or something. So you know, there was a disarming nous to to the fact that you guys were like accepting of us, despite again despite the pressure.
Of like oh god, we have to be on camera now and do it.
But right, I mean, we were only a year into it too, you know, like we it wasn't that long before that we also were.
Like, oh my god, this is crazy. Yeah, and it still was very much crazy. Yeah, exactly, it is.
It is weird how you could this the craziness is craziness of it all becomes very normal and surreal at the same time, where it's like you can in one hand you're like, this is just my life. I'm just this is what I do. And then and then you're like, this is insane. It's it's a strange thing. It's a strange thing as as.
A and then it feels very surreal that the craziness feels normal. Yes, yes, you check yourself. You're like, oh yeah, sure, we're going to go oprah on.
Famous people go crazy, you know what I mean. There's just it's like a lot of it's a mental load. It's like a mind fuck. Yeah, before we let you go, I want to know the feeling that Glee leaves you with.
I really don't mean this to sound cheesy, but I really like I would say gratitude, because when I think about it sometimes I have these feelings of like, oh God, I wish I you know, did I could I have done more to impress certain people to get a bigger role whatever, and then all that goes away when I go hold on, I got to do this incredible thing, and I got to meet all these people that I'm now still getting to make stuff with and often making this stuff with now that I'm the most proud of. And so I think that the biggest takeaway I have is like gratitude. I think at the time it was in the middle of it, I felt a little anxious of like, am.
I doing enough? I am? I am I performing whatever? And now I'm just like that was awesome. Yeah, wow, I believe I did that.
So I'd say gratitude because it, you know, it really did change my life and continues to in many ways.
That's not cheesy. Oh amen to that.
I like that one.
That was good.
Well, thank you so much for taking the time to come on and chat with us. And it was so good to see you again. It's so good to see you, and like congrats and all the star kits. Yes, thank you, that's amazing.
I appreciate it. It's cool.
I feel really lucky that we get to like make stuff and pay ourselves.
It's great.
Yeah, that's the dream.
Dream job.
Yeah, work with your friends, work at people you love and trust, and make money to do it well doing it can't get better than that. Well, thanks, Kurt, thank you so much.
I appreciate it.
I mean and truly, like Kurt was, they really were so did from us, Like it was really such a different experience. Like they shot at that beautiful Red Cross was it the Red Cross? I think so in like Pasadena, and it was so pretty to visit, but imagine that being their home, like paramounts our home. It's so so different, and we really were very separated from them. So it was very cool to hear from him.
It's it's very much akin to you know, when Chris and Leah started to go to the New York sets stuff, but they were at least still on Paramount. Like these were people we didn't know very well and they never shot where we shot, so we never saw them. And then the show comes out and you see how successful they're being, Like that's crazy, that's still part of.
The same show. And we have little to interaction with them.
Until Darren like really started dating, you know, Layne and Kurt started really dating, and then he joined the New directions. We didn't even get like a lot of him, so like imagine you know these guys not being in the glee club at all.
Yeah, they're such a wholesome bunch, Like truly, no, they really are. I remember sometimes being like, they can't be that happy all the time.
I know, and they were. It's like Darren were You're like you guys, like are you It felt vake right, You're like that can't be real. But they really were so great.
They were so grateful, And it's also one of those weird things of Darren was like the perfect personality type to be with them, Like they all fit together. And I think again the magic of Robert and UdK casting of like they really put all of them together in such a smart and sustainable way that makes us set happy, that makes all those the time you actually spend filming is so little compared to the time you spend not filming on set. And to create a happy environment and happy workplaces I think really hard. And I think Robert, whether intentionally or not, really did a great job with all of us of making it a really happy workplace, balancing those personalities. You know, Yes, Kurt, it was so good to talk to you. Thank you for coming on.
Everybody.
Look out for all the new Starket projects he's working on, because that just sounds incredible.
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