Amber Riley's Stand Against an Intimate Scene in Glee
Amber Riley, known for her role in Glee, stood firm in her decision to reject a 'full-blown scene' portraying Mercedes engaging in intimate moments with Sam
Glees Amber Riley Reveals She Rejected Full Blown Scene Where Mercedes Was Supposed to Lose Virginity to Sam
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Amber Riley shared on a podcast that she stood her ground when Glee writers planned a sex scene for her character Mercedes Jones. In an episode, Mercedes was supposed to lose her virginity to Sam (played by Chord Overstreet). Riley, who is 38 years old, told executive producer Brad Falchuk that she was not comfortable with this storyline.
"He showed me the blue pages with the surprising storyline written on them, and I immediately said, 'No,'" she explained.
Riley's former costars Jenna Ushkowitz and Kevin McHale, who host the Glee recap podcast, were shocked and burst into laughter as they heard about the behind-the-scenes scoop that they were unaware of during that time.
Brad proposed a different approach by suggesting, "What if instead of..." when Riley refused to do a full-blown scene. He then offered a simpler idea of just holding hands and walking into the room before closing the door.
Riley recalled rejecting this alternative angle as well, firmly stating, "No."
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McHale, who is 35 years old, had nothing but praise for Riley's actions, calling them "amazing" and showing his respect.
Riley then went on to elaborate more on the situation in the storyline, expressing that it was something she couldn't support.
"I told them, 'I'm not going to do it. I never say 'no' to you guys. I don't argue about anything... But this?!?'"
The actress then explained why she wasn't happy with the direction the show wanted her character to take.
"It would have been really awkward, and I think it would have come across that way," she explained. "Plus, it just didn't feel like something my character would do. I didn't connect with it."
Glees Amber Riley Reveals She Rejected Full Blown Scene Where Mercedes Was Supposed to Lose Virginity to Sam
Mercedes made a decision on season 5 of Glee that she wasn't ready for sex and preferred to wait until marriage. Riley supported her character's choice and believed she should stand by her decision.
The hosts applauded Riley and discussed the importance of choosing battles on set. Riley responded confidently, "I picked it."
Reflecting on her time on set, Riley expressed her love for acting alongside Overstreet, who is now 35. She mentioned that she has no negative memories about the sitcom's script.
She started by saying, "Chord was sweet. He's just so sweet, very much like his character. He's like boy Bambi." Despite her admiration for him, the actress admitted that she was initially nervous about being in an onscreen relationship with Overstreet.
"It was my first relationship on TV," she explained. "I was always very focused on my career and driven. I didn't date much, so living that out on television was awkward. At first, it was so uncomfortable not knowing what the other person was thinking or feeling. Also, being a plus-size woman on TV, I was worried about how I would be portrayed in relationships. We had to have discussions about where the story was heading, as we were protective of our characters who meant a lot to many people. The show did a great job of portraying high school relationships, which are usually not very deep and often don't last beyond high school as people grow and change."
Glee premiered on Fox in 2009 and ran until 2015. Throughout the series, Riley was a main cast member in every season except for season 5, where she appeared as a guest star.
