Idina Menzel wasn’t ready to be an onscreen mother. In an Aug. 12 interview with Stellar journal, printed in the New York Publish, the Broadway star recalled the way it felt to tackle the function of Lea Michele’s mother on “Glee” when she was solely 38 years outdated. “You already know, you are anxious you are not going to work once more, after which folks rent you to be somebody’s mom whenever you in all probability needs to be their older sister,” she stated of her iconic character, Shelby Corcoran. Surely, Menzel is just 15 years older than Michele and had solely simply given start to her first youngster when she accepted the job.

“I had my son Walker, after which three months later, I acquired the decision and so I stated ‘sure,'” she stated, including that she had bother becoming into her costumes as a result of she was nonetheless breastfeeding. “It simply wasn’t nice for the ego,” she admitted. “However I sucked it up and sucked myself into my garments, and was excited to work with [‘Glee’ creator] Ryan Murphy and be part of that hit present.” Menzel’s preliminary wariness about taking part in Michele’s mom regardless of their proximity in age stems from a bigger, ongoing ageism problem for actors in Hollywood — a sort of occupational discrimination confronted primarily by ladies actors over 30.

Menzel’s character made her debut within the season one episode, “Hell-o,” the place she was launched because the director of a rival glee membership referred to as Vocal Adrenaline. As soon as her true identification as Rachel Berry’s mom was revealed, the 2 characters shared a handful of unforgettable performances collectively, together with an impressed “Les Miserables” duet and an emotional rendition of “West Facet Story”‘s “Someplace.” Whereas she was hesitant to simply accept the function as Rachel Berry’s mom, Menzel and Michele undoubtedly make a wonderful crew, and a legendary mother-daughter duo.