American musical comedy-drama Glee was an instant hit when it first aired in 2009. The Emmy-winning show aired on Fox for six seasons until 2015, bringing joy to audiences around the world.
However, an explosive new docuseries from Investigation Discovery has hinted that things may not have been quite as gleeful on the show's set as they appeared from the outside. Titled The Price of Glee, the gripping series explores the many tragedies that befell the cast, including claims of workplace bullying, abuse allegations, and the untimely deaths of some of the show's biggest stars.
In light of the shocking documentary, read on to discover where the Glee cast is now and find out whose net worth soared after the show ended. All dollar amounts in US dollars.
Kevin McHale played paraplegic glee club member Artie Abrams throughout all six seasons of the show.
McHale originally rose to fame in the boy band NLT, which was active between 2007 and 2009. The moderately successful group supported the Pussycat Dolls on tour and even made a cameo in the 2007 teen flick Bratz: The Movie.
Following NLT's split, McHale turned his attention to acting. He scored minor roles in the sitcom The Office, fantasy series True Blood, and the Nickelodeon show Zoey 101 before finally landing his leading role in Glee.
Since Glee wrapped in 2015, McHale has continued acting and, while he appeared in the 2014 movie Boychoir alongside Kathy Bates and Dustin Hoffman, he's mostly stuck to the small screen. His credits include the 2020 Netflix drama series Elite and 2021's American Horror Stories, which was created by acclaimed Glee showrunners Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk.
The star has also lined his coffers by appearing in a slew of reality TV shows, including MasterChef, RuPaul’s Secret Celebrity Drag Race, and The X Factor: Celebrity. In 2019, McHale also made a return to music with the release of his debut solo single, Boy.
He currently hosts the Glee recap podcast And That's What You Really Missed, along with his former co-star Jenna Ushkowitz.
The Glee alum has netted himself an estimated $1 million (£809k) net worth thanks to his diverse showbiz career.
Played by Amber Riley, self-styled "diva" Mercedes Jones was a pivotal character throughout Glee's entire run.
A budding songstress, Riley first attempted to break into the showbiz industry at the tender age of 17 by unsuccessfully auditioning for American Idol.
Undeterred by the rejection, she finally landed her big break when she was cast in Glee in 2009.
Now a star of both the screen and the stage, Glee skyrocketed Riley's career. She's appeared in productions of Hair, Dreamgirls, and Little Shop of Horrors, while her TV credits include the musical comedy show Crazy Ex-Girlfriend and the thriller flick Single Black Female.
The multi-talented actress has also scored first place in not one but two reality competitions: she won Dancing with the Stars in 2013 and The Masked Singer in 2022.
In 2017, Riley formed musical theatre trio Leading Ladies, along with British singers Beverley Knight and Cassidy Janson. Their debut album, Songs from the Stage, dropped that same year. Her debut solo EP, Riley, was released in 2020.
The accomplished starlet's net worth is reportedly a cool $2 million (£1.6m) according to Celebrity Net Worth.
Jayma Mays played William McKinley High School guidance counsellor Emma Pillsbury throughout all six seasons of Glee.
In 2004, Mays scored her first acting role in the Friends spin-off Joey, making her feature film debut the following year in the thriller flick Red Eye alongside Cillian Murphy and Rachel McAdams.
Her impressive pre-Glee filmography also includes popular sitcoms How I Met Your Mother and Ugly Betty, as well as comedy flicks like Epic Movie and Paul Blart: Mall Cop.
Though she is arguably best known for Glee, Mays has continued to enjoy a fruitful career since the show wrapped. Notable TV credits include a vocal role in Shrek spin-off The Adventures of Puss and Boots, as well as in the NBC sitcom Trial & Error.
The comedienne has further boosted her bank balance by appearing in a string of funny flicks like Larry Gaye: Renegade Male Flight Attendant (2015), and American Made (2017).
Most recently, she starred in the Disney+ movie Disenchanted alongside the Oscar-nominated actress Amy Adams.
The starlet's steady acting career has earned her a respectable fortune of $3 million (£2.4m).
Jessalyn Gilsig played Terri Del Monico, the manipulative ex-wife of Will Schuester and a main antagonist in the first two seasons of Glee. Though her character was written out of the show by season three, Gilsig returned for guest-star appearances in seasons four and six.
The Canadian actress started out on the stage and scored her big break when she was cast in a starring role in the Fox drama series Boston Public in 2000. Other notable TV credits include NYPD Blue, Prison Break, and a recurring role in the medical drama Nip/Tuck, which was created by Glee's Ryan Murphy.
Before Glee, Gilsig had also graced the silver screen in flicks like the 2007 disaster movie Flood and the 2008 slasher Prom Night.
Since leaving Glee, Gilsig has flexed her acting chops in a range of roles, most notably starring in Vikings on Canada's History channel between 2013 and 2015. She's also appeared in TV shows The Good Wife, Scandal, and Grand Hotel.
As for movie credits, she's featured in the crime drama Somewhere Slow (2013) and the Netflix horror comedy Spree (2020).
Gilsig is currently starring in the Disney+ sports drama Big Shot alongside John Stamos. The hotly anticipated third season of the show is tipped to drop later this year, or early in 2024.
According to various online sources including Celebrity Net Worth, the actress has an estimated net worth $3 million (£2.4m).
Jenna Ushkowitz played the painfully shy Tina Cohen-Chang throughout Glee's entire run. She was a main character in seasons one to five but was demoted to a recurring cast member in the final season.
Born in South Korea, the American actress is a former child star who started out on Sesame Street at the tender age of three. She made her Broadway debut in the 1996 revival of The King and I at 10 years old before going on to star in a number of other musicals, including Les Misérables and Into the Woods.
Ushkowitz made her TV debut in Disney Channel show The Suite Life of Zack & Cody in 2007, landing her role in Glee two years later.
After Glee wrapped for the last time, Ushkowitz returned to her Broadway roots, starring in the likes of Waitress and The Wedding Singer. She’s also won two prestigious Tony awards for her work as a producer on the Broadway plays Once On This Island (2018) and The Inheritance (2020).
However, Ushkowitz hasn’t completely shunned the screen. Her film credits include the musical Hello Again (2017) and the comedy 1 Night in San Diego (2020), and she's also appeared on reality shows like RuPaul’s Secret Celebrity Drag Race and MasterChef.
As previously mentioned, Jenna also hosts a Glee recap podcast, And That's What You Really Missed, with her former co-star Kevin McHale.
Ushkowitz is estimated to have a fortune of $4 million (£3.2m).
Dianna Agron played conniving cheerleader captain Quinn Fabray throughout all six seasons of Glee. Quinn was a main antagonist during the first three seasons of the show and returned as a recurring character in later seasons.
Agron began her showbiz career in musical theatre before making her screen debut in 2006 on the teen mystery show Veronica Mars. She then scored a recurring role in the superhero show Heroes in 2007 and landed her first leading role in the comedy series It’s a Mall World that same year.
But it was Agron’s role in Glee that truly put her on the map...
While still starring in Glee, Agron further boosted her fame and fortune by acting in a number of silver screen projects, including musical Burlesque (2010) and teen sci-fi flick I Am Number Four (2011).
She’s since starred in a diverse range of indie flicks, such as the drama Bare (2015), comedy Shiva Baby (2020), romance The Laureate (2021), and sci-fi drama Acidman (2022), and was also a producer on the latter two projects.
The multi-talented starlet has jumped behind the camera too, co-directing the anthology film Berlin, I Love You in 2019.
So what’s next for Agron? She’s set to star in Netflix's comic book adaptation El Elegido, with the eagerly awaited superhero series currently in production.
The screen starlet is reportedly worth a neat $4 million (£3.2m).
Heather Morris played stereotypical "dumb blonde" cheerleader Brittany Pierce during Glee’s entire run.
Morris was promoted to a main cast member in season two after her comic timing was praised by critics. Her role was reduced for the show's final two seasons due to the actress's real-life pregnancy.
Morris is a professional dancer who appeared on the reality TV competition So You Think You Can Dance in 2006, though she failed to make it through to the final stages of the show. However, she landed her big break the following year when she was chosen as one of Beyoncé's backup dancers for The Beyoncé Experience world tour.
She made her acting debut in the teen comedy Fired Up! shortly before Glee catapulted her to international stardom.
While still starring in Glee, Morris was a guest host on MTV prank show Punk'd and also voiced a character in the 2012 animated comedy movie Ice Age: Continental Drift.
Since Glee wrapped, Morris has appeared in the 2013 crime comedy flick Spring Breakers, and she also landed the leading role in creepy slasher movie Most Likely to Die (2015).
In more recent times, the starlet has turned her attention to reality TV. She competed on Dancing with the Stars in 2017, but was eliminated in the sixth week despite achieving a perfect score. She had better luck in 2022, when she was crowned the winner of the reality show The Masked Dancer.
Morris is estimated to be worth $4 million (£3.2m).
Darren Criss portrayed Blaine Anderson, the lead singer of the Dalton Academy Warblers, who later became a member of the William McKinley High School Glee Club. Though Criss didn’t join the show until the second season, it’s almost impossible to imagine Glee without him.
After graduating from university in 2009, Criss co-founded the musical theatre company StarKid Productions. StarKid was behind A Very Potter Musical (2009), A Very Potter Sequel (2010), and A Very Potter Senior Year (2012), which were all based on J K Rowling's best-selling novels.
Criss had a recurring role in the fantasy TV show Eastwick in 2009. The following year was huge for him: as well as scoring a part in CBS crime drama Cold Case, he also released his debut EP, Human, and landed the role of Blaine.
When Glee ended, Criss starred in 2015's American Horror Story: Hotel and 2018's The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story, both of which were produced by Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk.
Criss went on to win an Emmy and a Golden Globe for his chilling performance as real-life serial killer Andrew Cunanan in the latter show.
His other notable screen credits include the Netflix miniseries Hollywood and the comedy show Royalties, and he served as an executive producer on both projects. Most recently, he starred in the Broadway revival of American Buffalo.
Outside of acting, Criss founded the band Computer Games with his brother Chuck Criss. Lost Boys Life, the duo's debut EP, was released in 2017. Chuck tragically passed away in 2022.
Darren Criss is reportedly worth a sizeable $5 million (£4.1m).
Fashionista Glee Club member Kurt Hummel was played by Chris Colfer, with the fan-favourite character appearing in every season of the hit show.
You probably won't be surprised to hear that, like many of his Glee co-stars, Colfer's career started on the stage, with roles in productions of West Side Story and The Sound of Music.
He then starred in the wacky comedy short Russel Fish: The Sausage and Eggs Incident before Glee gave him his first big break. Colfer even won a Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actor in a Television Series for his standout performance as Kurt.
While starring in Glee, Colfer penned the children's book The Land of Stories: The Wishing Spell, which was released in 2012. He’s now published 16 fiction books for children and young adults, with his latest offering, A Tale of Sorcery, released in 2021.
The busy actor-turned-author still finds time to star on the screen. In the same year that his first book was released, Colfer wrote, produced, and starred in the coming-of-age movie Struck by Lightning, and also released a companion book about the movie.
Since Glee ended, he's appeared in 2016's Absolutely Fabulous: The Movie and guest-starred on an episode of RuPaul’s Drag Race: All Stars.
Colfer's multifaceted career has earned him an impressive net worth of $8 million (£6.5m).
Jane Lynch played no-nonsense cheerleading coach Sue Sylvester throughout Glee’s entire run, with her standout performance in the show even earning her an Emmy award and a Golden Globe.
Lynch was already a showbiz veteran before joining Glee, having made her screen debut in the 1988 movie Vice Versa. She went on to make a name for herself in the comedy genre by starring in several funny flicks, such as The 40-Year-Old Virgin, Role Models, Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby, and Alvin and the Chipmunks.
Before landing her part in Glee, the critically acclaimed star had already had roles in some of America’s most popular TV shows, including The X-Files, Friends, and Two and a Half Men.
Lynch didn't shy away from appearing in other projects while working on Glee. The busy star found time to act in the comedy film Afternoon Delight, and also voiced characters in the animated movie Wreck It Ralph and the Disney Channel show Phineas and Ferb.
Today, the star continues to shine in shows like Netflix's Space Force, the critically acclaimed The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, and the Disney+ hit Only Murders in the Building. Most recently, she voiced a character in upcoming TV show Velma, the much anticipated Scooby-Doo reboot.
Her decade-spanning career has earned her a fortune that sits somewhere between $9 million (£7.3m) and $10 million (£8.1m).
Lovable glee club teacher Will Schuester was a main character throughout the show's entire duration and was played by actor Matthew Morrison.
Morrison started out on the stage, starring in Broadway productions like Footloose, Hairspray, and The Light in the Piazza. He was nominated for a Tony Award for his performance in the latter.
The critically acclaimed stage actor then transitioned to the screen, appearing in TV shows such as Numbers and CSI Miami, as well as in the 2007 musical romcom movie Music and Lyrics.
While still starring in Glee, Morrison released his debut eponymous album in 2011. He's since gone on to release three more albums and the latest, Disney Dreamin’ with Matthew Morrison, came out in March 2020.
When Glee ended, Morrison returned to Broadway, starring as playwright J M Barrie in Finding Neverland in 2015. The actor has mostly stuck to the screen, though. His credits include the movies Tulip Fever (2017) and Crazy Alien (2019), as well as a role in spooky anthology series American Horror Story: 1984, which was created by Glee's Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk. He was also a 'dance captain' on two seasons of UK reality show The Greatest Dancer.
Most recently, Morrison appeared as a judge on the 2022 US season of So You Think You Can Dance (SYTYCD). However, he was controversially fired from the reality competition, with a SYTYCD source telling People that Morrison had "an inappropriate relationship with a female contestant". While the married star admitted to texting the contestant, he denies that the relationship was improper.
Today, Morrison is reportedly worth an incredible $10 million (£8m).
Rachel Berry, the leading lady of Glee, was played by Lea Michele.
Michele is a former child star who's appeared in Broadway productions such as Les Misérables, Fiddler on the Roof, and Spring Awakening.
Her screen credits pre-Glee included a voice role in the family flick Buster & Chauncey’s Silent Night (1998) and a minor part in the crime drama Third Watch (2000).
However, it was the role of Rachel that signalled the star's big break, garnering her a number of Emmy and Golden Globe nominations, among other impressive accolades.
While still starring in Glee, Michele released her debut studio album, Louder in 2014. This was followed up by Places (2017), and Christmas in the City (2019).
When Glee wrapped in 2015, Michele teamed up with Murphy and Falchuk to star in their new horror-comedy series Scream Queens. Other screen credits include a main role in the sitcom The Mayor (2017), and ABC's made-for-TV holiday flick Same Time, Next Christmas (2019).
However, Michele's public image took a hit in 2020 when Glee cast members, including Samantha Ware, Heather Morris, and Amber Riley, accused her of workplace bullying, with Morris describing Michele as "unpleasant" to work with.
Michele has since apologised to her co-stars via an Instagram statement, and it appears her career is back on track – as of 2022, she's starring in the Broadway revival of Funny Girl.
Undeniably the breakout star of Glee, Michele is worth an enviable $12 million (£9.7m).
Tragically, three major Glee stars have passed away over the last decade.
Canadian actor Cory Monteith (pictured left) played the show's original leading man Finn Hudson, and died in 2013 at the age of 31 due to a heroin and alcohol overdose. The rising star was set to film the fifth season of Glee before his untimely death, and his estimated net worth was $2 million (£1.6m).
In 2018, Mark Salling (pictured right), who portrayed Noah Puckerman, took his own life at the age of 35. The disgraced actor was set to go to prison after pleading guilty to child pornography charges and was reportedly worth just $100,000 (£80.7k) at the time of his death.
And Naya Rivera (pictured centre), who played cheerleader Santana Lopez, tragically drowned in 2020 while on a boating trip in California with her four-year-old son Josey. The 33-year-old actress and model was worth $5 million (£4.1 million) at the time of her death.
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