Lea Michele Shares Why She’s Never Watched Cory Monteith’s ‘Glee’ Tribute Episode

Lea Michele shared an emotional reminiscence about her “Glee” co-star and former boyfriend Cory Monteith whereas making her long-awaited return to the live performance stage final week.

Michele kicked off her “An Night With Lea Michele: Life in Music” tour with a July 20 efficiency at Metropolis Vineyard in Washington, D.C. Moments earlier than her tender rendition of Bob Dylan’s “Make You Really feel My Love,” the actor and singer opened up about performing the track for the primary time in 2013 for “The Quarterback,” a particular “Glee” episode that was devoted to Monteith, who died that 12 months of a drug overdose.

Michele mentioned that “Glee” creator Ryan Murphy requested her to decide on the track that her character, Rachel, would sing to honor Finn (Monteith) on the episode.

“I don’t even keep in mind what I used to be listening to on the time. Like, nothing. I used to be simply in such a gap,” Michele informed the group, as seen in fan footage of the live performance on social media. “I’m grateful that [Murphy] requested me. As a result of it wanted to be one thing that felt actual for me.”

She went on to elucidate that she and Monteith had listened to the track throughout their time collectively. Among the anecdotes she’d shared with Murphy after Monteith’s dying wound up inspiring scenes in “The Quarterback,” too.

“Numerous what I say to [Matthew Morrison’s] character in that classroom have been precise phrases I mentioned to Ryan after every little thing,” she mentioned.

Watch a clip of Lea Michele’s July 20 live performance speech beneath.

Although Michele mentioned the “wild and laborious” expertise of performing “Make You Really feel My Love” helped her to simply accept her loss, she’s by no means watched “The Quarterback” episode in its entirety.

“It’s the one one I’ve not seen,” she mentioned. “As a result of I believe if I don’t watch it, it simply sort of looks like Finn remains to be there. So this [song] could be very particular.”

Earlier this month, Michele honored the ninth anniversary of Monteith’s dying on Instagram with a throwback photograph displaying the couple collectively on the “Glee” set in New York. She captioned the picture merely with a coronary heart emoji.

Although the precise timeline of their relationship is unclear, Michele and Monteith met whereas filming the premiere season of “Glee” in 2009, and confirmed they have been a pair about three years later.

In 2019, Michele married husband Zandy Reich in Napa, California. She and Reich welcomed a son, Ever Leo, a few 12 months later.

“An Night With Lea Michele: Life in Music” will conclude subsequent month with a cease in Nashville. Simply weeks later, Michele will be a part of the solid of Broadway’s “Humorous Woman” as Ziegfeld Follies comic Fanny Brice.