Glee Stars Open Up About Final Days on Set

3 minute read

Glee is entering the final week before its two-hour series finale on March 20, but Darren Criss said the last days of shooting were beautiful – not sad.

“I remember the very last shot, we were all crying and holding on to each other and Chord [Overstreet] just started bursting out laughing because, at that point, those emotions were all next to each other,” Criss, 28, told reporters at PaleyFest in LA on Friday.

Criss was joined at PaleyFest to take part in a panel with castmates Overstreet, Amber Riley, Chris Colfer, Dot-Marie Jones, Heather Morris, Jane Lynch, Mark Salling and Lea Michele.

Missing, but never forgotten, was former Glee star Cory Monteith, who died in 2013 at age 31.

“I really think that [creators] Ryan [Murphy], Brad [Falchuk] and Ian [Brennan] and the rest of our writers had a difficult task in wrapping up everyone’s story lines and also making sure everyone was happy and making sure to honor Cory and do all of that in one episode,” Michele, 28, said. “And they really did a great job to make sure that the fans were happy and that they were respectful of everyone in the story line.”

“As I’m sure a lot of people would tell you, the last setup was very emotional because we never knew when the last take was going to be,” Criss said. “People kept asking me, ‘Will you cry? Will you cry?’ and I’m like, ‘I don’t know. I probably will.'”

The end of the show hasn’t meant the end of everything Glee: The cast said they’ve saved several mementos from the set.

“I stole that plaque that had [Cory’s] picture on it and put it above my piano, and a pair of shoes,” Salling, 32, told PEOPLE.

Overstreet said he took his letterman jacket; Lynch said she kept three tracksuits. “Darren took a couch you guys!” Michele told reporters.

But not her. Michele said shared a “great little moment” at the start of that last day with the four other original Glee-sters: Colfer, Riley, Jenna Ushkowitz and Kevin McHale.

“We took a little shot and said, “Let’s make this last day great,’ ” she said.

Jones, who this season saw her character come out as a transgender man, said she kept something even more personal: Coach Beiste’s ring, now locked in her safe.

The future holds a host of different things for the cast, now that Fox’s six-season musical has wrapped. Lynch said she’s planning a vacation (“maybe a silent retreat in Portugal”) and Michele is very, very excited to get to work on her second album.

But they’ll always have Glee.

“It’s hilariously tragically wonderful it’s over,” Criss said. “But holy crap – did we just really do this?”

This article originally appeared on People.com

See the Best Guest Stars on Glee

GLEE: Shelby (guest star Idina Menzel, L) and Rachel (Lea Michele, R) sing together in the "Dream On" episode of GLEE airing Tuesday, May 18 (9:00-10:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX. ©2010 Fox Broadcasting Co. Cr: Adam Rose/FOX
Idina Menzel as Shelby CorcoranFox
GLEE: Britney Spears (R) and Heather Morris (L) on the set of GLEE for the "Britney Britney" episode of GLEE airing Tuesday, Sept. 28 (8:00-9:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX. ©2010 Fox Broadcasting Co. Cr: Adam Rose/FOX
Britney Spears as herselfFox
GLEE: School board member Bryan Ryan (guest star Neil Patrick Harris, L) evaluates Will's (Matthew Morrison, R) glee club in the "Dream On" episode of GLEE airing Tuesday, May 18 (9:00-10:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX. ©2010 Fox Broadcasting Co. Cr: Michael Yarish/FOX
Neil Patrick Harris as Bryan RyanFox
GLEE: Josh Groban (guest-starring as himself) gives the guys two thumbs up after watching their performance in the "Acafellas" episode of GLEE airing Wednesday, Sept. 16 (9:00-10:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX. ©2009 Fox Broadcasting Co. CR: Carin Baer/FOX
Josh Groban as himselfFox
GLEE: Puck (Mark Salling, R), Matt (Dijon Talton, L) and Mike (Harry Shum Jr., back) escort April Rhodes (guest star Kristin Chenoweth, C) through McKinley High's hallways in the GLEE episode "The Rhodes Not Taken" airing Wednesday, Sept. 30 (9:00-10:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX. ©2009 Fox Broadcasting Co. CR: Carin Baer/FOX
Kristin Chenoweth as April RhodesFox
GLEE: Will (Matthew Morrison, L) visits  the head of a rival glee club (guest star Eve, R) in the "Hairography" episode airing Wednesday, Nov. 25 (9:00-10:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX. ©2009 Fox Broadcasting Co. Cr: Carin Baer/FOX
Eve as Grace HitchensFox
GLEE: Sue (Jane Lynch, L) is made fun of by Brenda (guest-star Molly Shannon) on the "Bad Reputation" episode of GLEE airing Tuesday, May 4 (9:00 PM-10:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX. ©2010 Fox Broadcasting Co. CR: Michael Yarish/FOX
Molly Shannon as Brenda CastleFox
GLEE: Dr. Carl (guest star John Stamos, L) checks out Will's (Matthew Morrison, R) dental hygiene in the "Britney/Brittany" episode of GLEE airing Tuesay, Sept. 28 (8:00-9:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX. ©2010 Fox Broadcasting Co. CR: Adam Rose/FOX
John Stamos as Dr. CarlFox
GLEE: Holly (guest star Gwyneth Paltrow, L) fills in for the absent sex-education teacher in the "Sexy" episode of GLEE airing Tuesday, March 8 (8:00-9:01 PM ET/PT) on FOX. ©2011 Fox Broadcasting Co. Cr: Adam Rose/FOX
Gwyneth Paltrow as Holly HollidayFox
GLEE: Guest star Katie Couric (as herself, L) interviews Sue (Jane Lynch, R) in a special episode of GLEE airing after SUPER BOWL XLV on Sunday, Feb. 6 (approx. 10:30-11:30 PM ET; approx. 7:30-8:30 PM PT) on FOX.  ©2011 Fox Broadcasting Co. Cr: Michael Yarish/FOX
Katie Couric as herselfFox
GLEE: David (guest star Ricky Martin, C) performs with Brittany (Heather Morris, L) and Mike (Harry Shum Jr., R) in "The Spanish Teacher" episode of GLEE airing Tuesday, Feb. 7 (8:00-9:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX. ©2012 Fox Broadcasting Co. Cr: Adam Rose/FOX
Ricky Martin as David MartinezFox
GLEE: Blaine's older brother Cooper (guest star Matt Bomer) teaches an acting master class to the glee club in "Big Brother," the Spring Premiere episode of GLEE airing Tuesday, April 10 (8:00-9:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX. ©2012 Fox Broadcasting Co. Cr: Adam Rose/FOX
Matt Bomer as Cooper AndersonFox
GLEE: Lindsay Lohan (guest-starring as herself) judges the competition in the second hour of a special two-hour "Props/Nationals" episode of GLEE airing Tuesday, May 15 (8:00-10:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX. ©2012 Fox Broadcasting Co. Cr: Adam Rose/FOX
Lindsay Lohan as herselfFox
GLEE: Carmen (guest star Whoopi Goldberg, C) sneaks in to watch Nationials in the second hour of a special two-hour "Props/Nationals" episode of GLEE airing Tuesday, May 15 (8:00-10:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX. ©2012 Fox Broadcasting Co. Cr: Adam Rose/FOX
Whoopi Goldberg as Carmen TibideauxFox
GLEE: James Lipton guest-stars as himself in the "Goodbye" season finale episode of GLEE airing Tuesday, May 22 (9:00- 10:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX. ©2012 Fox Broadcasting Co. CR: Adam Rose/FOX
James Lipton as himselfFox
GLEE: Gloria Estefan (R) guest-stars as Santana's (Naya Rivera, L) mother in the "Goodbye" season finale episode of GLEE airing Tuesday, May 22 (9:00- 10:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX. ©2012 Fox Broadcasting Co. CR: Adam Rose/FOX
Gloria Estefan as Maribel LopezFox
GLEE: Kurt (Chris Colfer, L) interns at Vogue.com with Isabelle Klempt (guest star Sarah Jessica Parker, R) in the "Makeover" episode of GLEE airing Thursday, Sept. 27 (9:00-10:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX. ©2012 Fox Broadcasting Co. Cr: Mike Yarish/FOX
Sarah Jessica Parker as Isabelle WrightFox
GLEE: Cassandra (guest star Kate Hudson, L) chats with Rachel (Lea Michele, R) in the "Glease" episode of GLEE airing Thursday, Nov. 15 (9:00-10:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX. ©2012 Fox Broadcasting Co. CR: Jordin Althaus/FOX
Kate Hudson as Cassandra JulyFox
GLEE: Santana (Naya Rivera, R) meets Dani (guest star Demi Lovato, L) in the "Tina in The Sky With Diamonds" episode of GLEE airing Thursday, Oct. 3 (9:00 PM-10:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX.  ©2013 Fox Broadcasting Co. Cr: Michael Becker/FOX
Demi Lovato as DaniFox
GLEE: Tyra Banks guest-stars in the "Movin Out" episode of GLEE airing Thursday, Nov. 21 (9:00-10:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX. ©2013 Fox Broadcasting Co. CR: Mike Yarish/FOX
Tyra Banks as BichetteFox
GLEE: Elliott (guest star Adam Lambert, R) meets up with Kurt (Chris Colfer, L) in the "New New York" episode of GLEE airing Tuesday, April 1 (8:00-9:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX. ©Fox Broadcasting Co. CR: Eddy Chen/FOX
Adam Lambert as Elliott GilbertFox
GLEE: Shirley MacLaine guest-stars in the "Back-Up Plan" episode of GLEE airing Tuesday, April 29 (8:00-9:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX. ©2014 Fox Broadcasting Co. CR: Tyler Golden/FOX
Shirley MacLaine as June DollowayFox
GLEE: Kristen Schaal guest-stars as a famous television writer in the "The Untitled Rachel Berry Project" season finale episode of GLEE airing Tuesday, May 14 (8:00-9:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX. ©2014 Fox Broadcasting Co. CR: Mike Yarish/FOX
Kristen Schaal as Mary HalloranFox
GLEE: Guest star Carol Burnett (L) and Sue (Jane Lynch, R) perform in the "The Rise and Fall of Sue Sylvester" episode of GLEE airing Friday, March 6 (9:00-10:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX. ©2015 Fox Broadcasting Co. CR: Eddy Chen/FOX
Carol Burnett as Doris SylvesterFox
GLEE: Ken Jeong guest stars in the "Wedding" episode of GLEE airing Friday, Feb. 20 (9:00-10:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX. ©2015 Fox Broadcasting Co. CR: Adam Rose/FOX
Ken Jeong as Pierce PierceFox

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