Kevin McHale Talks Glee & Grief
Whether he’s persuading Brittany S. Pierce to be his girlfriend or busting some seriously amazing moves in a fantasy flash-mob sequence, it’s safe to say Artie Abrams has had our hearts since 2009. And, it’s equally safe to say that Kevin McHale’s 100% the reason for it.
As one of the original 14 cast members of Glee, McHale’s seen the show through all of its highs and, as of late, the recent tragic death of his dear friend and castmate, Cory Monteith. At 25, the Texas native is already somewhat of a Hollywood veteran, noting that he’s just wrapped his 97th episode of the show. Ahead, come with us as we leave Artie behind at McKinley High, and visit Kevin McHale at his brand-new home in L.A.
Congratulations on buying your first home!
"Thank you! I actually bought it almost a year and a half ago, but I’ve spent almost a year redoing it. And, normally people wouldn’t live at the construction site, but I did [laughing]. It was quite the experience. It looked like an episode out of Dexter - plastic everywhere and drilling at 7 a.m. every morning for at least 10 or 11 months! So, yeah, it was rough. But, a lot of us from the show bought houses around the same time, and it’s all of our first homes that we’ve ever owned. So, it’s been fun, looking at what everybody was looking at, and everybody’s different types. A lot of trading tips, like, ‘Oh, where did you get furniture from?’"
Ryan Murphy announced recently that Glee’s sixth season is going to be the last. How do you feel about it coming to an end?
"I mean, I love doing it. It’s been such a unique experience, and, definitely, the best experience of my entire life. And, I’ve made some of the best friends I’ve ever had, and gotten to do all these things I never thought I would do. But, it’s like one of those things where - first of all, it’s not ending yet, so I haven’t really thought about it too much. But, to me, it was always inevitable, I’ve always been realistic about it. Even when the show started, it was kind of like, ‘Oh, I don’t know if this is going to work, but that’s kind of out of my hands, I’m just going to show up and do my job.’ So, that’s still kind of how I feel about it. It’s like I have to show up and do what they want me to do until they don’t want me anymore. You kind of can’t control that. I realized today, I’m on my 97th episode of the TV show. That’s insane to me; it’s such a dream. Like little kid Kevin, you know, freaking out, like ‘how the hell did this happen?’"
What are some of the things you want to do when the show ends?
"I feel like the possibilities are endless. I want to work on other projects, not even necessarily in front of the camera - but, producing other stuff. Luckily, because of Glee, I’ve been afforded the opportunity to know certain people where I can start to try to do other things. I’m not really opposed to anything. I’m working on stuff now, and we’ll see if it flies, and if it does, you’ll hear about it."
You have great style. Do you feel like it’s something you’ve developed over time or was it more innate?
"It was definitely something I developed over time. I developed a real interest in fashion, and I have to credit Lou, who was our original costume designer on Glee. Every day she showed up and just looked incredible. I would talk to her about being so small - nothing ever fits me and I didn’t know what to do. She was like, ‘You should look at this brand, this brand, and this brand.’ So, then I start looking at things. I never noticed brands - I didn’t really get it. Then all of a sudden - it wasn’t necessarily about the brands - I started putting things together and started looking at fashion sites all the time and getting fashion magazines. I’d go back to her and be like, ‘Oh my God, I got this, and this, and this weekend!’"
What are your favorite date spots in L.A.?
"This may not be romantic to anyone else, but I love In-N-Out and I love planes. And, if you go to the In-N-Out by LAX not during rush hour, and you sit on the grass, and watch the planes take off and eat burgers, I think that’s pretty great. I like the Observatory a lot, too. I think the view from there is incredible. I think it’s one of those places in L.A. that a lot of people forget about. I guess I just geek out there. I’m a little bit of a space nerd."
If you had to pick one episode of Glee as your all-time favorite, what would it be?
"Blame It on the Alcohol! A lot of parents may not like that one. It was one of those episodes though where it was so different from anything we had ever done and it felt so rebellious. It was a really fun experience. It was cool to get to see these characters that we had been playing for about a year and half get to grow up a little. And, it is such a huge part of high school - getting drunk for the first time. It was awesome. I loved it."
Where do you like to shop in L.A.?
"It’s a hard question. I do so much shopping online. Because I work so much, I will get home and be half awake and go on a shopping spree online, and wake up the next morning, like ‘what the hell did I just do?’ But, I love Band of Outsiders. I mean, as you saw, I’ve had a slight obsession with Uniqlo and ASOS recently. That’s the thing - I’m small, so it’s hard to find things that actually fit me, and those British brands fit me without having to get everything tailored, which I do. It’s crazy though; it also hard to get everything tailored - that racks up a lot of bills. I feel like when you’re going to something formal, absolutely, get your suit tailored. But, when it’s just everyday clothes, I feel like it’s so stupid to have to go get everything tailored."
How old were you when Glee started?
"Twenty. I had just turned 20 in June, and we started filming the pilot in October."
So, Glee was kind of like college for you then.
"Completely. I was only out of high school for a year. I technically should have been starting my second year of college."
How does it feel to now be an official homeowner?
"It’s definitely weird. When my parents are over, I can now say to them, ‘My house, my rules.’"
You’ve all been through so much recently, with Cory Monteith passing away. What has it been like on set?
"It’s definitely a very unique situation, and, obviously, it was a horrible thing to have happen. It was something that felt very personal to all of us, but it was also a very public thing. And, the set has felt like a safe place, which has been really fortunate. It’s been nice to have everybody to lean on. It’s definitely been weird, especially the first month or so, it was extremely difficult [after his death]. But, at the same time, we were all going through it together. We all check in with each other a lot, and if somebody is having a bad day, then, they are absolutely allowed to have that bad day."
What are you going to miss most about the show when it wraps?
"It’s definitely seeing everybody, every day. And, it’s not just the cast; it’s a lot of the crew, too. For example, right now, Ryan Murphy is shooting a movie in New York, so some of the crew that worked on the movie over the summer is with him now. Like our script supervisor, Babs, is with him. She’s only been gone since Friday, and yesterday, I was on set and like, ‘I really miss Babs!’ We’re such a family. During the summers, I always get panic attacks, like severe separation anxiety, because I miss everybody."
refinery29