Idina Menzel Thinks She Should Have Played Lea Michele’s ‘Older Sister’ on ‘Glee’

When Idina Menzel first appeared on Glee in 2010 as Rachel Berry’s mother Shelby Corcoran, she was 38 years old while actress Lea Michele was 23. Menzel is now reflecting on her motherly acting role in a new interview with Stellar Magazine (via The New York Post).

The Wicked actress revealed that, at the time, she had just given birth to her son, Walker — whom she shares with ex-husband Taye Diggs — and that affected her self esteem in the acting world.

“You’re worried you’re not going to work again, and then people hire you to be someone’s mother when you probably should be their older sister,” Menzel recalled to the publication about how she felt on Glee. “It just wasn’t great for the ego.” 

However, despite natural body changes affecting how costumes fit her, Menzel says she “sucked it up” because she “was excited to work with [showrunner] Ryan Murphy and be a part of that hit show.”

While she only appeared on 12 episodes of Glee between 2010 and 2013, she quickly became a fan favorite among fans of the show.