The Greatest Dancer’s Matthew Morrison: “Cheryl and I bonded over our sons”
Matthew Morrison tells Closer’s Lily Smith about sitting on the judging panel with the Geordie star and why looking back on his Glee days is bittersweet
He found fame in global H TV phenomenon Glee before branching into Hollywood films, and now Matthew Morrison is back on the small screen as a judge on hotly anticipated new talent show The Greatest Dancer alongside Cheryl and professional dancer Oti Mabuse.
But despite all his success, Matthew’s biggest role yet is becoming a father – to one-year-old son Revel with actress wife Renee Puente. He says, “I’m having so much fun being a dad. There’s been a lot of changes – the biggest probably being my relationship. I think a lot of couples can get lost in their children and their relationship suffers, so Renee and I always make sure we put our relationship first. It’s so easy to get lost in parenthood, you’ve never known you can feel so much love for something. I can’t wait to have another – watch this space!”
SPECIAL EXPERIENCE
Becoming a parent has also helped him bond with co-judge Cheryl – who he first worked with on 2011 film What To Expect
When You’re Expecting.
Matthew, 39, says, “It was funny coming onto The Greatest Dancer, because we didn’t really know each other, but we’ve connected so well. Cheryl and I have a common bond in that we both have young sons. It’s been special to talk about that and share our experiences, and it’s been wonderful to get to know her as a mother.
“Becoming a parent is definitely the most important thing we’ll ever do in our lives – it’s changed my life.
“Cheryl and I worked together back in 2011 – but we were literally just cordial to each other, like, ‘Hey how are you doing?’. But this show has really brought us together and it’s been wonderful to get to know her.”
Matthew’s life transformed in 2009 when he landed the role of Will Schuester in the Golden Globe-winning TV show Glee. His co-stars included Lea Michele, Amber Riley and Jane Lynch and, throughout the six series, he worked alongside A-list guest stars including Sarah Jessica Parker, Helen Mirren and Britney Spears.
And while Matthew insists he doesn’t have a favourite, he says he loved working with Gwyneth Paltrow and that he’s over the moon that she married his close friend and Glee’s creator Brad Falchuk last September.
Matthew adds, “Working with Gwyneth was amazing – I was always such a fan of hers, so working with her was incredible. She’s such a close friend of mine, and it’s awesome because she’s now married to one of my great friends, Brad. They’re both wonderful people.”
PAST TRAGEDY
And Matthew adds that, while Glee was invaluable to his career, looking back to that time is bittersweet – given that two of his co-stars, Cory Monteith and Mark Salling, have since passed away. Cory died from a drug overdose in 2012, while Mark took his own life last year.
He says, “Glee was an amazing time. The cast all still see each other now and then and keep in touch. I miss my friends, especially Cory and Mark. They were two incredible guys, they were on their own paths and what happened hasn’t tainted the memories of Glee, but it’s taught me about the business and the nature of fame.”
Since Glee ended in 2015, Matthew continued to act – but his true passion is dance, and he’s excited to be working as a judge on his new show. He says, “I love acting and I always will, but I grew up dancing. It’s done so much for me, so it’s great to be giving back to the next generation of dancers.” The Greatest Dancer airs 6 January on BBC1