Our very own Shelly has been a big fan of Telly Leung since seeing him in RENT on Broadway almost three years ago, and had the privilege of seeing him perform in the show on tour several times, as well as at the Hollywood Bowl this past summer. Needless to say, she was thrilled when she found out that he was going to be on our favorite show. She loved him as Steve, the Squeegee Man, and Angel, and love him just as much as Wes on Glee. As a newcomer to the show, Telly was kind enough to answer a few of her questions for an exclusive GleeFan.com interview. Enjoy!
Glee fans may know you as Wes the Warbler, but for the Gleeks who are Broadway fans too, you’re also a star on the stage. As someone who works predominantly with live audiences, what was it like transitioning from the stage to the TV screen?
I love working both on stage and in front of a camera, but they are very different mediums. That was something I had to learn – the hard way. I went to Carnegie Mellon University, where I studied acting and music theater – and we were trained for stage work. It took me a while, and some embarrassing bad camera acting moments in on-camera class after I graduated, to really learn how to work on a set in front of a camera. But, the biggest lesson I took away from my time in college at CMU is this: Actors must never stop being students. We must keep going to class, keep studying our craft, and never be too proud to make mistakes. The best thing I could have done was get myself to an on-camera class after graduating CMU, and watch myself be “BAD” on camera. We don’t learn unless we fall on our face, and pick ourselves back up again. So many of my friends from CMU are amazing on stage and on camera, and I aspire to be just as versatile. Zachary Quinto is a perfect example. We were at CMU together, and he was one of the upper class men I really looked up to. Just saw him be absolutely brilliant in ANGELS IN AMERICA off-Broadway, and we all know how amazing he is on TV and on film (like HEROES and STAR TREK).
Could you share some funny stories, pranks, or interesting moments from your time on the Glee set?
The Warblers are the new kids on the block, so we’re not quite at the pranking stage. Something that always makes me laugh when we’re together: when Zach Woodlee (Glee‘s amazing Choreographer) calls us by our nicknames, which we’ve all earned during rehearsal. I love the way he runs rehearsals. He gets it all done (with major time constraints) but keeps the mood light and fun. Titus Makin (David) and I share a nickname, since we flanked Darren during the Teenage Dream number. We are “the T’s” – since both our names start with T. “Darren and his T’s.” Makes me smile.
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