Photo Credit: Jose Cervantes
If you’re a fan of Ryan Murphy‘s Fox series, “Glee” you’ll definitely recognize Heather Morris, who famously played cheerleader Britney S. Pierce (get it it? Britney Spears!) for all six seasons of the award-winning comedy-drama series. Morris began her career as a dancer, training from age 1, studying jazz, tap and contemporary before landing her big break on season two of “So You Think You Can Dance.” But it wasn’t until she was chosen to be one of Beyoncé‘s back-up dancers for The Beyoncé Experience World Tour that she received her big break. Post-“Glee,” she took a break from Hollywood to raise her two children, Eli and Owen, with husband Taylor Hubbell. She returned to TV in 2017 to appear on “Dancing With the Stars,” and now, she’ll add host to her resume as she unveils her new podcast, “The Dance Room,” on PodcastOne. Each week, she’ll sit down with prominent dancers and celebrities including Maddie Ziegler (“Dance Moms”) and “Glee” co-star Harry Shum Jr. (now of “Crazy Rich Asians“) to discuss the latest dance news and dance-related television shows. We chatted with Morris about her new venture and how she was impacted by her “Glee” days.
Photo Credit: Jose CervantesTell us about the years since “Glee” ended. What have you been up to?
Oh just life and lots of things! I got married, I had my second boy, lots of auditioning in between that never came to fruition; which, in itself was sort of a let down, to be quite honest. But, as I look at it now, it was probably for the better because “Glee” sort of kicked my ass mentally and emotionally. I just felt drained and very far from myself. So truly, I’ve really just been working on me. I needed a fresh start, back to square one, back to the roots of who Heather Morris is and I definitely feel like I got the reset that I needed.
What prompted you to create The Dance Room?
Really, I’ve always wanted to be a judge on a dance show like “So You Think You Can Dance,” “Dancing With the Stars,” “World of Dance,” etc. And I found myself watching these shows that I mentioned, and going “how come nobody is recapping all of this!?” ESPN and sports channels do it constantly, but why not for dancing too? Then as I did my homework and researched dance podcasts’, I found very few ones and it just seemed like a no brainer for me. The dance community needed a media outlet for not only the productions on television, but for the dancers themselves. We need a longer take on what goes into the profession of dance, the realness, the nitty gritty of it all and a relatable source other than what we see on TV.
Photo Credit: Jose Cervantes
What do you hope the takeaway will be from the podcast?
As a performer, I can be a bit selfish and can tend to get stressed out about projects being ‘perfect,’ or I’m always worrying if it’s good enough.
But at the end of the day if I can take a step back and recall why I’m dong it, I have a whole new outlook on it. I really strove to do this podcast for the dance community and that’s whats most important to me.
Your “Glee” co-star Harry Shum Jr. is appearing on the podcast. Have you kept in touch with other cast members? Who if so?
Absolutely. We’re basically a family so we’ll connect and get dinners once in a while or we’ll reach out when things can get rough around
Corey‘s [Monteith] birthday or anniversary.
Photo Credit: Jose Cervantes
What is your favorite memory from the “Glee” years?
The family we created, not only with the actors but with the crew as well. I also look back and get giddy about all the performances I was
blessed to do; I truly love performing, some numbers like MC Hammer’s “Can’t Touch This,” where I got to wear the legendary Hammer pants and a bad ass jacket, I was living the dream!
Do you have fond memories of [now deceased co-stars] Cory Monteith and Mark Salling, may they rest in peace?
They’ll always hold a special place in my heart. The latter can be a sensitive topic but when we don’t talk about it, it only becomes more taboo.
I will say, Mark had a rough time, and no doubt did he struggle deeply, but that doesn’t mean he wasn’t still family.
Photo Credit: Jose Cervantes
What other projects do you have in the pipeline?
Still waiting for a few movies that I’ve done to be released and hopefully air. That’s the crazy part about this industry, sometimes you just
won’t see things you’ve done. Either they get dropped, or you don’t make the cut. Either way, still love it.
Is acting still a focus? Why or why not?
I’ve always known in the back of my head I will work more as an older actor. I’m constantly reminding myself to not worry about the lulls because the industry is such a tough place, being in a rush will only lead to let downs.
Where would you say you are in life? Are you happy?
I have a family and I’m doing what I love. You could say I’m…GLEEFUL.
Photo Credit: Randy Miramontez / Shutterstock.com
