Exclusive: How Ryan Murphy Torments the Glee Cast
Credit: Lester Cohen/WireImage.com; Kevin Winter/Getty Images
Ryan Murphy isn't exactly the most popular guy at McKinley High.
The 46-year-old Glee co-creator is making life miserable for the cast of the hit FOX show, multiple insiders tell the new issue of Us Weekly (out now).
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"Things are really bad on set," a show source says. "The cast talks about how much they love Ryan, but they have grown to hate him."
Explains another, "He has bad mood swings and can be really mean."
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Harry Shum Jr., 29, who plays Mike Chang, recently admitted to Us that "the 16-hour days are a bit rough." The brutal work schedule has gotten so bad that a source says Lea Michele, 25, is taking action.
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"The cast bas been speaking about banding together against him, and Lea is leading the charge." (Michele's rep denies any friction.)
Confronting Murphy can have its repercussions, as Michele learned when she told Murphy she didn't want to go on the cast's 2011 multi-city summer tour (for which they had only four days to rehearse).
"He asked her which of her friends she wanted him to fire," says an insider (a claim Michele's rep denies). His implied target: powerhouse vocalist Amber Riley, 25, "because she's one of Lea's closet friends."
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That's not the only point of contention. Despite Glee's massive success, the cast doesn't see a dime from the shows iTunes sales and were all denied raises for the current season.
For more on the mutiny at Glee -- including how Murphy made Dianna Agron's character became utterly unlikable, why he yelled at recurring guest star Kristin Chenoweth, and much more -- pick up the new issue of Us Weekly, out now!
Tell Us What You Think
15@Irene Klein LOL you have described the situation so well!
Don't bite the hand that feeds you.
I love how people continuously use the David Caruso example as justification for why the Glee cast shouldn't try to advocate for more pay and less work hours. I mean yes, Caruso had a drought where he couldn't find work but now he's on CSI Miami and is one of the top paid actors on television. That was worth the wait. My advice is for the Glee cast to walk after this season and take Glee down with them. There's enough people in Hollywood who hate Glee and will be more than thankful for the actions on the cast and hire them in other roles. In other words Glee cast, don't listen to this fat middle aged cows on this site. They have no idea what they are talking about.
Pure BS in every sense. If these claims were true, the cast would've gone to the SGA by now and taken Ryan on and Glee would be over, let's just BEGIN with that. Also every single time we hear from any of them what we hear is a cast happy with their jobs and their boss, it's not like they're not allowed to voice an opinion, they already have their foot in the hollywood door so if there was some major set unrest and they spoke out and through some disaster Ryan fired them, they wouldn't be out of work that long. But of course, none of it's true and the term "Set Source" in thie case means "Zach Johnson made every word up out of a combination of Tumblr jokes and pure lies". Next time may I suggest confirming your information BEFORE you commit slander and libel, which I'm pretty sure this falls under.
That is such nonsense. True fans would never believe that. I know for a fact that Ryan Murphy is awesome. He is one the reason that I wanted to become a director and people saying this about him is terrible and I really think it a load of crap.
That is such nonsense. True fans would never believe that. I know for a fact that Ryan Murphy is awesome. He is one the reason that I wanted to become a director and people saying this about him is terrible and I really think it a load of crap.
I've never been a huge fan of Ryan, but all of this seems so ridiculous to me! I have a hard time believing that any of this is actually even marginally true. Completely ridiculous US, you've lost yourself a reader.
Wow. That's really low. Make up a bunch of crap about a popular show and then tell people to buy your magainze for the rest of the scoop--when there isn't one. Newsflash, US--actors saying that their work days are long and tough is NOT a comment on their boss "tormenting" them. Everyone on Glee has mentioned that their work days are tough. Hello--not only are they doing the same amount of filming as other hour-long dramas, but they have huge numbers to rehearse choreography and vocals for on top of that. Not only is that hours and hours more time, but it's exhausting work. What is Ryan Murphy supposed to do? Take out the music numbers? The actors being a little burned out is not news, and it's no where near commentary on Ryan Murphy. You guys are truly the worst. And not in a Britta Perry way. Like in a Rick Perry way.
I have seen many ridiculous things in my life like Mr.Hands but this takes the cake. Ryan does seem kind of strict but what I just read is so false and is only said to promote the mag.
Literally just read this on Naya Riveria's twitter which was retweeted by Kevin McHale: I think that the malicious things being written about Ryan Murphy are so sad and false. I'm proud to work for such a talented man. The truth is to boring to sell magazines isn't gossip hounds.
A boss that sucks? Huh! Never heard of such a thing! :P
Here's the thing...they're currently on a hit TV show that is very popular. (although it's definitely going downhill this season) They can ALL be replaced...perhaps someone should explain to them the story of David Caruso and 'NYPD Blue'.
That is just rude, but he is their boss.
That is just rude, but he is their boss.
After reading about all the temper tantrums he throws when he doesn't get his way, like when Kings of Leon didn't want to let their music be used in the show, it doesn't really surprise me. He sounds like a unhinged little prima donna.