Matthew Morrison as Will Schuester

Matthew Morrison (born October 30, 1978) studied musical theater, vocal performance and dance at New York University’s renowned Tisch School of the Arts. His big Broadway break came when he was cast as heartthrob “Link Larkin” in the hit “Hairspray.” Morrison was later nominated for a Tony Award for his role in “The Light in the Piazza,” and received a Drama Desk nomination for Outstanding Actor in a Musical for “10 Million Miles.” He was most recently seen in the Tony Award-winning revival of “South Pacific” at Lincoln Center Theater in New York.

No stranger to the small screen, Morrison has had guest-starring roles on “Numb3rs,” “CSI: Miami,” “As the World Turns,” “Law & Order: Criminal Intent” and “Ghost Whisperer.”

His film credits include “Dan in Real Life,” “I Think I Love My Wife” and “Music And Lyrics.”

A California native, Morrison divides his time between Los Angeles and New York.

Jessalyn Gilsig as Terri Schuester

Jessalyn Gilsig (born November 30, 1971) had the distinction of simultaneously starring in two of television’s most acclaimed drama series: Golden Globe-winning “Nip/Tuck” and Brett Ratner’s drama “Prison Break.” On “Nip/Tuck,” Gilsig portrayed the obsessive, sex-addicted “Gina Russo,” which helped garner her additional recurring roles on the hit drama “Heroes” as the biological mother of cheerleader “Claire Bennet” and on “Friday Night Lights.” She most recently had a recurring role on “CSI: NY.”

Audiences also know Gilsig from “Boston Public,” a role that creator David E. Kelley developed with her in mind. She was also a series regular on Kelley’s “Snoops,” and appeared in a multi-episode arc of “The Practice.” Gilsig also recurred as a detective on Steven Bochco’s “NYPD Blue.”

Gilsig also has an impressive list of film credits. She appeared in the hit remake of “Prom Night,” and will once again reunite with the film’s director for a remake of the thriller “The Stepfather” opening this fall. She will also star in the upcoming mini-series “XIII” alongside Val Kilmer and Stephen Dorff. She has also worked with Robert Redford on “The Horse Whisperer,” and appeared as Sally Field’s daughter in “A Cooler Climate.” Additional film credits include “Chicks with Sticks,” “See This Movie” and “Flood.”

A Montreal native, Gilsig honed her talents at Harvard University’s prestigious American Repertory Theatre. She currently resides with her producer husband and toddler daughter in Los Angeles where she enjoys painting. In fact, her works appeared in the acclaimed film “The Station Agent” as the painting of Patricia Clarkson’s character.

Gilsig lives in Los Angeles.

Jayma Mays as Emma Pillsbury

In 2004, Jayma Mays (born July 16, 1979) made her first television appearance on “Joey,” and the following year landed a wonderful role in Wes Craven’s film “Red Eye.” Most recently, Mays had recurring roles on the Emmy Award-winning series “Ugly Betty,” and the critically acclaimed “Heroes,” and has guest-starred on numerous series including HOUSE, “Six Feet Under,” “The Comeback,” “Entourage,” “Stacked,” “How I Met Your Mother” and “Ghost Whisperer.”

Her feature film credits include Clint Eastwood’s “Flags of Our Fathers,” “Blind Guy Driving” and the indie “Bar Starz.” She also starred in 20th Century Fox’s spoof film, “Epic Movie,” where she met her husband, Adam Campbell. Jayma most recently starred opposite Kevin James in “Paul Blart: Mall Cop.”

Mays is from Grundy, VA, and graduated from Radford University with a degree in Performing Arts. She lives in Los Angeles.

Jane Lynch as Sue Sylvester

Jane Lynch (born July 14, 1960) cut her theatrical teeth at The Second City, Steppenwolf Theatre and in many church basements all over the greater Chicago area.

Lynch’s film credits include the upcoming “Julie & Julia,” “Post Grad” and “Paul and Brownie Masters.” Her past film work includes Christopher Guest’s “For Your Consideration,” “A Mighty Wind” and “Best in Show,” as well as “Role Models,” “The Rocker,” “Spring Breakdown,” “Alvin and the Chipmunks,” “Walk Hard,” “Talladega Nights,” “The 40 Year Old Virgin,” Margaret Cho’s “Celeste and Bam Bam,” Alan Cumming’s “Suffering Man’s Charity,” “Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events,” “Sleepover,” “Surviving Eden” and the animated film “Space Chimps.”

Her recent television credits include the series “Party Down,” “Lovespring International,” “Desperate Housewives,” “Weeds,” as well as the last season of “The L Word” opposite Cybill Shepherd. She has had recurring roles on “Boston Legal,” “Two and a Half Men,” “Criminal Minds” and “The New Adventures of Old Christine.”

Lynch’s play “Oh Sister, My Sister!” had runs at the Tamarind Theatre and Bang Theater, garnering the LA Weekly Comedy Ensemble of the Year Award.

Lynch lives in Los Angeles.

Lea Michele as Rachel Berry

At just 8 years old, Lea Michele (born August 29, 1986) made her Broadway debut as “Young Cosette” in “Les Miserables.” Since then, Michele has shared the stage with Broadway greats Audra McDonald and Brian Stokes Mitchell in “Ragtime” as well as Alfred Molina and the 20th anniversary cast of “Fiddler on the Roof.”

Best known for her role as “Wendla” in the Tony Award-winning Broadway production of “Spring Awakening,” Michele was nominated for a Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actress in a Musical for her performance. She was recently nominated for a Teen Choice 09 Award in the Choice TV: Breakout Star Female category.

Michele has also performed at Radio City Music Hall during the Tony Awards with the casts of “Spring Awakening,” “Ragtime” and “Fiddler on the Roof.” Michele is featured on the cast recordings of these productions. She was last seen as “Eponine” in the star-studded production of “Les Miserables” at the Hollywood Bowl. She has performed solo concerts to sold-out crowds at Feinstein’s at Loews Regency in New York and at the Upright Cabaret in Los Angeles.

On the small screen, Michele has appeared on “Third Watch” and “Guiding Light.” She currently divides her time between New York City and Los Angeles.

Cory Monteith as Finn Hudson

Before becoming an actor, Cory Monteith (born May 11, 1982) held a number of odd jobs as a Wal-Mart greeter, a school bus driver, a roofer and a cab driver. Monteith’s small-screen credits include a lead role on the cable series “Kaya,” a starring role in the movie of the week “Hybrid” and a recurring role on “Kyle XY.” He has also had numerous guest appearances on “Smallville,” “Supernatural,” “Stargate SG-1,” “Flash Gordon” and “Interns.”

His film credits include “Final Destination 3,” “The Invisible,” “Deck the Halls” and “Whisper.”

Now that Monteith is living in Los Angeles full-time, he is waiting for a spare moment so that he can learn to surf.

Dianna Agron as Quinn Fabray

During her budding career, Dianna Agron (born April 30, 1986) has appeared on numerous television shows including “Numb3rs,” “Shark,” “Close to Home” and “CSI: NY.” She also had a recurring role on the critically acclaimed series “Veronica Mars.” Most recently, she was seen as “Debbie Marshall” on the sci-fi hit “Heroes,” and she appeared in “It’s a Mall World,” a series of short films directed by Milo Ventimiglia.

Agron, 23 years old, grew up in San Francisco, and is a supporter of the animal rights organization PETA. She lives in Los Angeles.

Chris Colfer as Kurt Hummel

Chris Colfer (born May 27, 1990) grew up performing in community and regional theatre in Clovis, CA. At age 14, he assistant-directed a theatrical benefit for Valley Children’s Hospital. Colfer was very active throughout high school: he was involved in drama, was the president of the writer’s club, was editor of the school literary magazine and was a speech and debate champion. He also wrote, directed and starred in a musical spoof of “Sweeney Todd,” titled “Shirley Todd,” at the end of his senior year.

Colfer lives in Los Angeles.

Kevin McHale as Artie Abrams

Kevin McHale’s (born June 14, 1988) love for acting and singing began after he appeared in local commercials in Dallas. Since making the move to Los Angeles, the multi-talented actor has appeared in various television and film projects. McHale was most recently seen on the critically acclaimed cable series “True Blood,” and his additional television credits include “The Office,” “Zoey 101″ and “All That.” He also had a role in the feature film “Bratz.”

In 2003, McHale joined the boy band NLT (Not Like Them), a Pop/R&B/Hip-Hop group responsible for singles “That Girl” and the Timbaland-produced “She Said, I Said.” As the opening act for the Pussycat Dolls, McHale and NLT traveled all over the U.S. performing in the national House of Blues tour and the 16-date “Bandemonium” tour.

McHale, 20 years old, is a native of Plano, TX, but currently resides in Los Angeles.

Jenna Ushkowitz as Tina

A seasoned theater actor, Jenna Ushkowitz (born April 28, 1986) starred in “The King and I” and recently finished her run in the Tony Award-winning Broadway production of “Spring Awakening.”

Her television credits include “Sesame Street,” “Reading Rainbow” and “As the World Turns,” and her independent film credits include “Babyface” and “Educated.” Recently, Ushkowitz hosted “Yankees on Deck,” which is a behind-the-scenes sports show geared towards young audiences.

Ushkowitz, 22, graduated from Marymount Manhattan College and lives in New York City.

Amber Riley as Mercedes Jones

Amber Riley (born February 15, 1986) got her first break when Ryan Murphy cast her in the pilot “St. Sass.” Although the pilot was not picked up, Riley was able to use that experience to land a role on the television series “Cedric the Entertainer Presents.”

Riley has performed in numerous theater productions including “Alice in Wonderland,” “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” “Into the Woods” and “Mystery on the Docks” with the Los Angeles Opera.

Riley resides in Long Beach, CA with her family.

Mark Salling as Puck

Mark Salling (born August 17, 1982) is from Dallas. A guitar player and seasoned songwriter, Salling has performed and recorded with several different artists. He also recently released his debut album, “Jericho,” on which he provided all of the instrumental and vocal tracks. He continues to write and record new material for upcoming records.

Salling lives in Los Angeles.