Heather Morris Discusses Why She Felt Like An Outsider On The Glee Set

Heather Morris will always be remembered for her role on the hit Fox musical drama "Glee." She played Britany S. Pierce, a ditzy cheerleader at the fictional William McKinley High School who later becomes the captain of the cheering squad. Morris appeared on the show from 2009 to 2015 in a total of 95 episodes, and became a fan-favorite for her killer dance moves and brilliant one-liners. As "Gleeks" know, Morris was nabbed her spot on the show after being brought in to teach choreography for "Single Ladies" to the cast, which she had performed as a backup dancer for Beyoncé herself on the "Single Ladies" promotional tour and at the 2008 American Music Awards.

During an appearance on the "And That's What You REALLY Missed" podcast, Morris said she had to work extra hard to prove that she deserved a spot on the show, given that she didn't have to audition for her role. "When I started this show, essentially I just had ... a really unhealthy work habit that I had tried to keep up for so long," she shared. "Just basically because I had not had to work hard for this show. I got this job just out of thin air essentially. I had put in the work as a dancer, but I didn't audition for this job. I just got it." 

She also looked back on her time on "Glee" and discussed why she struggled to fit in amongst her co-stars on her first days on-set. "I felt like a little kitty in the corner," she said. "Science experiment, just be funny."

Heather Morris admitted on the "And That's What You REALLY Missed" podcast that being on the set of "Glee" as a newcomer felt rather intimidating. She spoke to hosts and former co-stars Kevin McHale and Jenna Ushkowitz about the cast's camaraderie, and how she felt like an outcast upon joining the show. "I felt like you guys had this circle and this friendship that you established previously ... And it felt like, for me, we were these outsiders. Like you guys had established this Glee club, and we weren't," said Morris. "I loved what you guys had. I always loved that you guys were outspoken and could do that. I just didn't feel like I had the privilege to do that."  

Morris explained that as a seasoned dancer, she was trained to "show up," "keep quiet," and simply do the work. "So when we were going to the set, and all of these rehearsals, and starting shooting, I just couldn't blow it, I couldn't say no," she said. "And I didn't even know I had the voice to do that because, like I said, I was a dancer and that's not what you do." 

After she left the show, Morris said she suffered from severe burnout and lacked all motivation. "It was a really hard show to work on," she concluded. "You just don't know until you're there." Since leaving "Glee," Morris has appeared on shows like "Dancing with the Stars" and "The Masked Dancer." In October 2022, she was unveiled as the Season 2 winner of "Masked Dancer" under her disguise, Scissors, per the Mirror.