Glee-fully yours

He joined his cast-mates for a sold-out,18-city Glee Live! concert tour,portions of which were captured on film for Glee: The 3D Concert Movie and on tape for a tie-in CD. McHale also recently spent several days in Australia,where several Glee members at a pair of ‘Gleek-On’ events.

“The ‘Gleek-Ons’ were very interesting,” McHale says. “All the fans in the area sign up and come to meet us. We do Q&A sessions and pose for photos.

“This whole Glee experience has been great,” he continues. “It’s been a bucket list of things to check off that I never even knew existed on my bucket list. I’ve met Oprah (Winfrey). I’ve met the First Family,” says the 23-year-old,who grew up in Texas,and was a member of the boy band NLT before Glee came his way in 2009.

The movie captures songs from the concerts,which featured all of the show’s young actors,including the Warblers.

“For the people around the world and in the US who didn’t get to the show,the movie is basically what you missed,” McHale says. “It’s 3D and interactive,and you’ll basically see the entire show.”

The movie shows the actors only as their respective characters,performing songs heard during the first two seasons of Glee.

For McHale that meant donning Artie’s signature sweaters and black glasses—and maneuvering around the stage in a wheelchair,because Artie is a paraplegic,though McHale is not.

“That was a harder concept for me to grasp—being in character,” McHale says.

“But,come second tour,I was more mentally prepared and I got it,” he continues. “I saw how it worked. As far as the wheelchair goes,it’s really not that much different using it on a stage than it is doing it on the set of the show,” McHale says.

Season 3 of Glee recently started production,and Fox will kick off the new season in September.

McHale reports that he’s been pleased with the way the writers have developed Artie.

“At the very beginning,I obviously had no idea what to expect. It was always my dream to have an on-screen relationship. So far I’ve had two. I’ve gotten to lose my virginity to a cheerleader,which was awesome and which I never thought would ever happen for Artie,because he is the resident geek. So,you know,

disproving stereotypes.”

“I just want them to keep it in the same vein as that,” says McHale.

“I think that Glee,no matter how long some of us are on show,will have been the most amazing experience of our lives.”

“I’d love to be on it as long as they want me,” he adds. “but Rule 1 is play the character how it’s supposed to be played. So,if Artie is no longer supposed to be in high school,then he’s not in high school. There’s no need to force something that’s not meant to be. So we’ll see what happens.”