Matthew Morrison opens up about feeling ‘removed’ from Glee until cameo fame

Matthew Morrison has reflected on how viral fan videos reignited his connection to Glee — a show he admits he felt “removed” from after it ended.

The 47-year-old actor, now starring as Bobby Darin in Broadway’s Just In Time for a limited three-week run, says his perspective shifted when he began sending personalized video messages to fans via Cameo.

“I feel like I’ve been so removed from it for so long,” Morrison told People. “Then I just started doing these Cameo things that have kind of gone a little crazy and viral.”

He revealed that two songs in particular, Thong Song and Tell Me Something Good, became fan favorites in his video messages, prompting him to incorporate them into his 90-minute solo show, Show Up. 

“Now people want to hear those so much that I actually incorporated their songs into my concert because people will get them by yelling them out… ‘Thong Song!’ I’m like, ‘Alright, we’ll give the people what they want,’” he said.

Morrison played Will Schuester, the Glee club teacher, on the FOX series, which ran from 2009 to 2015 and starred co-stars such as Lea Michele, Jane Lynch, Naya Rivera, Cory Monteith, Kevin McHale, Dianna Agron, Darren Criss, Jonathan Groff, and Amber Riley.

Taking over the role of Bobby Darin from Jonathan Groff, Morrison describes stepping into the part as “tricky” but emphasizes his intention to honor the energy Groff brought to the production. 

“Replacing anyone is tricky, but Jonathan set the bar so incredibly high in the best way,” he says. “My goal is just to honor that energy and bring my own truth to it.”

Several of Morrison’s former Glee co-stars are also appearing on Broadway, including Michele in Chess and McHale in The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. 

Morrison admits he hasn’t had many discussions with them about his new role, but has been supporting their shows whenever possible.

Just In Time will feature Morrison as Bobby Darin through April 19, offering him a chance to showcase his talents on the Broadway stage while reconnecting with fans who helped reignite his love for the Glee era.