Jenna Ushkowitz began her career in commercials for Jell-O, followed by roles in Broadway shows like THE KING AND I and SPRING AWAKENING. She’s been playing Tina Cohen-Chang on GLEE from day one, amazing audiences with her unique voice and quirky character. We got the chance to chat with her about the release of her first book, CHOOSING GLEE. Here’s what she had to say:
Congratulations on CHOOSING GLEE! How does it feel to be a published author?
It’s pretty cool! It’s still a little weird to me, I’m still sort of in shock about it – I don’t feel like an author!
What inspired you to write CHOOSING GLEE?
Basically, I’ve always wanted to write a book and I feel like it felt right and organic to write about something that I know. Part of who I am is choosing to be positive, so I wanted to share that with teens because I always wanted a book like this when I was that age.
In your book, you talk about self-confidence and staying true to yourself. How do you personally maintain these traits in yourself?
I owe that to my family. My parents always taught me to have a good head on my shoulders, stay humble and stay true to who I am. I’m not happy if I know that I’m faking it – I’m not a fake person – so it’s all about keeping a good, solid support system around me.
Did you always know that you wanted to be a performer?
Yeah, essentially! Starting at such a young age, acting was always part of who I was. I wanted to be a vet when I was in middle school, but I got into acting and was on Broadway so young… I couldn’t go any other way!
Have you ever had any major set backs or challenges that you’ve had to overcome in your career?
There were times when I did a pilot and then I didn’t get picked up. It was just my character, the show obviously went and it really sucked basically because you think, “What’s wrong with me?” You don’t know what you did wrong; they don’t really give you a real reason — they don’t have to pick you up. I wouldn’t say that it was a setback but it was definitely something that put a damper on my attitude for a little while! When I was younger, I got a role on a TV movie when I was in THE KING AND I and I was super excited because I definitely wanted to do it and they wanted me in Canada in four days and I couldn’t because you have to give four weeks notice when you do a Broadway show. But you can’t dwell!
Let’s talk about GLEE for a bit. Are you anything like Tina?
More and more I find that we have a lot of similarities. The biggest difference is our wardrobe; we don’t really dress alike. I look at her like an onion: you find a different layer and learn something new about her with each episode. There are similarities: I don’t mind staying in the background then coming out and doing my thing and going back like she sort of did in the first couple of seasons. It’s a learning experience for me on GLEE, as a person and as an actor. I think for her it’s getting straight As in school, taking a leadership role in glee club and becoming confident.
Was her high school experience similar or different to yours?
It was pretty much like Rachel’s! I was class president, type A, wanting to be the best at everything and joining all the clubs… obviously I wasn’t slushied, but I was in glee club!
If you knew her in real life, would you get along?
With my 17-year-old self, she might have been a little too dark for me! It’s hard to say because I love Tina so much and she’s so close to my heart.
Reading YouTube comments on videos of GLEE’s covers alone shows how much fans are invested in your character. How does it feel to know that fans are so attached to the show and treat your characters like real people?
It’s sort of funny and weird to us because obviously we’re not those people. I think it’s really sweet and I totally get it. When you meet fans and they think they know you, it’s because they sit in their living rooms and watch you every week. They watch you grow and go through experiences. They relate to that so I think it’s really cool!
What’s your best piece of advice for a gleeful life?
Always look at the glass half full and look for the best in every situation. Be true to yourself, take risks and challenge yourself.
Thank you, Jenna Ushkowitz!