Glee's Shocking Confession: Cast Let Loose with On-Set Drinking Escapades!

Kevin McHale and Jenna Ushkowitz revealed that the memorable intoxicated episode of Glee was influenced by a playful incident that occurred on the set.

According to Ushkowitz, 37, the cast was discovered indulging in a dance party at their base camp, where the trailers are located, following a lunch break where they had enjoyed a small amount of sake. This incident served as the inspiration for the renowned episode.

McHale, aged 35, reminisced about their visit to a sushi restaurant close by where a fellow cast member took charge and encouraged everyone to indulge in an alcohol-fueled lunch.

"We headed out, and I won't disclose any names. There was someone who took the lead. Surprisingly, it wasn't us... This individual urged us all to have a drink," he admitted. "We hesitated, unsure if it was a good idea. Nonetheless, some of us indulged more than others."

Neither McHale nor Ushkowitz got excessively drunk during lunch, but they did disclose that the "ringleader" and a few other members of the cast ventured into other trailers and used permanent markers to doodle on the walls. Ushkowitz was particularly upset to find that her trailer was one of the targets.

"Afterwards, the producers joined our dance party, but later they betrayed us by reporting our actions to the authorities, leading to consequences for us," Ushkowitz shared. "To make matters worse, they even based an episode on it."

Jenna Ushkowitz and Kevin McHale Stephen Greathouse/Shutterstock

The incident served as the inspiration for the season 2 episode titled "Blame It on the Alcohol," which revolves around the issue of underage drinking. The Glee club was tasked with performing at an assembly to raise awareness against alcohol, but the students showed up intoxicated. "We got drunk on set, that's the reason," McHale jokingly explained.

In this episode, Lea Michele's character hosts a house party for the glee club while her parents are away. The group indulges in alcohol, engages in karaoke, and plays a game of spin-the-bottle (a game the cast also enjoyed offscreen).

Some of the character’s drunken moments were inspired by their real-life mannerisms including Ushkowitz’s “cackle” and McHale trying on women’s clothes.

Chord Overstreet, Cory Monteith, Jenna Ushkowitz, Kevin McHale, Dianna Agron, Harry Shum Jr., Lea Michele, and Amber Riley showcased their talents during the Glee! concert tour at Staples Center in Los Angeles on May 28, 2011. Jim Ruymen/UPI/Shutterstock

"We incorporated many of our inside jokes throughout the entire performance. When Santana [Naya Rivera] playfully mouths 'Kiss me'... it's like she's poking fun at herself," McHale explained. "We all tease each other throughout the show."

Ushkowitz observed that Rivera expressing "No me gusta" was highly reminiscent of her own personality, while McHale mentioned that Michele, 36, repeatedly calling for "cheers" was also quite accurate.

Although the inspiration for the episode originated from an on-set incident, both McHale and Ushkowitz concurred that filming the house party scene was one of the most enjoyable experiences they had on set.