Fans of Glee know Jonathan Groff as Jesse St. James, the egotistical star of the New Directions’ rival show choir Vocal Adrenaline. However, it turns out that he was offered a very different role in the hit show.
During a recent interview, the 39-year-old actor explained that a key role in the show was written by creator Ryan Murphy with him in mind. However, he opted out of accepting it.
Keep reading to find out more…
Speaking to Vanity Fair, Jonathan recalled Ryan reaching out to him to talk about the show after he had finished up a run on Spring Awakening with Lea Michele.
“I was 23, and Ryan Murphy had told Lea Michele and I that he had written this show Glee for the two of us, and would we be interested in doing that,” he recalled. “I really felt like I didn’t want to sign on to be a singing teenager again for another seven years, which I had just done for two years in Spring Awakening.”
He continued, saying, “I was 23, and I really wanted to act. I love singing, but doing that felt like more of the same as opposed to something that would be an opportunity for artistic growth. And that next year, I did three off-Broadway plays.”
Jonathan learned from his experience, explaining, “I understood the truly life-changing power of doing great material.”
The actor has previously confirmed that the role in question was Finn Hudson, which ultimately went to Cory Monteith.
Find out which other actors auditioned to play Finn before Cory was ultimately cast.