Glee/Characters/Other Minor Characters

Bit characters, family members, Ensemble Darkhorses, and One Scene Wonders.

Click here to return to the character page.

Brad the Pianist


An accompanist for the glee club at rehearsals. Has never spoken.

"Brittany: What about him?
 * The Danza: The actor playing him is named Brad Ellis.
 * Fan Nickname: Over at Television Without Pity, he's almost exclusively referred to as "Tinkles."
 * Invisible Backup Band: Brad sometimes falls upon this and this is hilariously lampshaded in "Theatricality".
 * Living Prop: Hilariously lampshaded in "Rumours".

Santana: He's just furniture. Sorry, no offense. (Brad shrugs)"


 * Only One Name: We don't know his last name.
 * The Piano Player
 * The Voiceless

Sandy Ryerson
"No, William, I am not allowed within fifty feet of children."

The former teacher in charge of Glee Club, he was fired when Rachel pointed out his (borderline) inappropriate behavior with male students. He then teamed up with Sue to help bring New Directions down, being rehired to the school as the new head of the art department. Played by Stephen Tobolowsky.

"Sandy: "I'm what they call a predatory gay.""
 * Actor Allusion: Has the same last name as actor Stephen Tobolowsky's most famous role, Ned Ryerson in the movie Groundhog Day.
 * All Gays Love Theater
 * Camp Gay
 * Commuting On a Bus: He played a major role in the first five episodes, but ever since then, he's only dragged out about once or twice a season.
 * Depraved Homosexual: Conversed in "A Night of Neglect":


 * Deus Ex Machina:
 * Girlfriend in Canada: He claims his job-ending scandal cost him his long-distance girlfriend in Cleveland. Will looks unconvinced.
 * Squick: Oh yeah. To the point that he gets kicked out of the Acafellas because "when [Sandy is] around, it's creepy."
 * Stalker With a Crush: For Josh Groban in Acafellas. So bad that Josh Groban gave him a restraining order.
 * Transparent Closet: Though he seems to have come to terms with it as of "A Night of Neglect."

Ken Tanaka


The school's football coach who was engaged to Emma. His friendship with Will is strained by Emma's affections. Has shown himself to be a nice guy despite the way the plot is against him. He seems to honestly and deeply care for Emma and her wishes, despite them being more than a bit insane. Played by Patrick Gallagher. Only lasted one season.


 * All Love Is Unrequited
 * Betty and Veronica: An interesting case, as if we analyze the case closely he could be considered to be either the Betty or the Veronica to Will, who would become the opposing force depending on what you consider Ken to be, although among the Fandom he is universally considered the Veronica to Will’s Betty
 * Demoted to Extra: In the back nine of Season 1.
 * Disposable Fiance: The "Minor Flaws" type. Complete with the "quietly slipping away" part.
 * Limited Wardrobe: He said himself that he owns only one pair of regular pants.
 * Nice Guy: For all the crap that comes his way, he deeply loves Emma, despite her being more than a bit insane. Even after his fallout with Will, he was still respectful enough to give him a wise piece of advice about Emma with seemingly no bitterness.
 * Out of Focus: In The second half of Season 1.
 * Put On a Bus To Hell: For Season 2. He has a "nervous breakdown" which leads to him not coming back to McKinley, making way for Coach Beiste.
 * Romantic False Lead: A subversion actually since Emma was never really into him.
 * Sensitive Guy and Manly Man: Arguable, but Ken is considered to be the Manly Man to Will’s Sensitive Guy.
 * What the Hell, Hero?: Ken calls Will out on his flirtation with Emma, though it has little effect. Will tries to gently discourage Emma, but she only swoons over him all the more

Dustin Goolsby
"This hairline is 85% my own and my sperm count is off the charts."

The new coach of Vocal Adrenaline for season 2, replacing former coach Shelby Corcoran. Portrayed by Cheyenne Jackson.

"Dustin Goolsby: "Admit it. I'm handsome, I'm good looking and I'm easy on the eyes. Also, I'm gorgeous.""
 * Camp Straight
 * Color Coded for Your Convenience: He wears dark colors all the time, so he probably isn't on New Directions' side.
 * Department of Redundancy Department:

"Jesse: Do you know what Vocal Adrenaline is doing right now? They're on their third week of twenty-four-hour-a-day rehearsals. They're on an IV drip."
 * Evil Counterpart: To Will. He hates his Vocal Adrenaline kids because every time he sees them achieve something he's reminded of everything he missed out on. Will loves his kids, for almost the exact same reasons.
 * Jerkass
 * Long Bus Trip: We didn't see hide nor hair of him from "Audition" all the way up to "A Night of Neglect" (although he was supposed to be in a scene in "Special Education.")
 * Manipulative Bastard: Self-admitted in "A Night of Neglect". This seems more of a Informed Ability as we never see this come to fruition.
 * Put On a Bus: Since Vocal Adrenaline didn't win first place at Nationals, their sponsors fired him.
 * Real Men Wear Pink: Had no problem in carrying Sunshine's Hello Kitty backpack with him.
 * Smug Snake
 * Training From Hell:

Holly Holiday
"These kids feel special; they have a voice, and if we don't listen to it, they just tune us out."

A perky substitute teacher who connects to the kids by being modern and mellow. She took over the Glee Club while Will was sick, and was even given the job after Sue fired him. However, she isn't the best at dealing with the kids' serious issues. Portrayed by Gwyneth Paltrow.


 * Alliterative Name
 * Bi the Way: Apparently had some experiences as a student while attending an all-girls school.
 * The Cast Showoff: Her Spanish is better than Will's. Gwyneth Paltrow actually lived in Spain for awhile and speaks the language perfectly.
 * Catch Phrase: "I thought you'd never ask."
 * Chekhov's Classroom: In the beginning of "A Night of Neglect," she teaches the kids about hermaphroditic Nazi sympathizers. Guess what the last question in the academic decathlon is?
 * Cool Teacher: Sings, dresses up, and gossips to help teach the kids various subjects. She also asked the glee kids specifically what they want to sing. Arguably a deconstruction, however, because she is so lax and mellow that she only cares about herself and can't properly discipline the students when necessary.
 * Genre Savvy: Knows about all the pranks kids use on substitute teachers. She looks up their names so they can't switch them on her, and when they butter the floor she glides across.
 * Hair of Gold
 * I Want My Beloved to Be Happy:
 * Nerd Glasses: Had them in a flashback.
 * Nice Job Breaking It, Hero: Holly mentions Sunshine putting in an appearance at their fundraiser to Dustin Goolsby, who then stops her and her followers from attending.
 * Totally Radical: Subverted. She's up to date on all the cool things teens do, and they love her for it.
 * Sexy Mentor
 * Unfortunate Names: "So, are you a stripper or a drag queen?"
 * You Need to Get Laid: Basically sums up her opinion of Emma Pilsbury. Even when Emma goes to her for marriage counselling, she cites their lack of sex as a big reason as to why it's failing - while this is true, Holly doesn't seem to care about Emma's crippling OCD being a big part of the problem, and doesn't seem to sympathise with her at all.

Roz Washington
A former Olympian who now works as McKinley's synchronized swimming coach, though recently she's begun vying for Sue's cheerleading position. Played by NeNe Leakes

"I won this bronze damn Olympic medal in Beijing, China! I had noodles with the president, and a threesome with Michael Phelps."
 * Darkskinned Blonde: Thanks to dyed hair.
 * Glory Days: She will not hesitate to brag about the bronze medal she won in 2008

"I'm gonna say one thing to you, Sam Evans, and I'm only gonna say it once. If you pee in my pool, I will kill you."
 * Informed Ability: You will probably never actually see Roz in the water, as NeNe Leakes can't swim in real life.
 * Large Ham
 * "The Reason You Suck" Speech: Gives one to Sue in "The Spanish Teacher."
 * The Rival: To Sue.
 * Sassy Black Woman
 * Serious Business: Swimming, and by extension the pool.

David Martinez
The night class Spanish teacher at McKinley, who helps New Directions (and Will) to learn some Spanish. Former teeth model and ridiculously attractive. Becomes the official Spanish teacher after Will resigns in season 3. Played by Ricky Martin.

"Rachel: Cutest
 * Cool Teacher
 * Eternally Pearly White Teeth: Justified, as he used to be a top tooth model.
 * Even the Guys Want Him: Several male members (That aren't Kurt who's gay) of New Directions are unwittingly attracted to him.

Sugar: Smile

Artie: Ever"


 * Mr. Fanservice
 * Tall, Dark and Handsome

William McKinley High School Jazz Band
Artie's friends who play back-up for New Directions, though not official members. . Their are several members who can all play an instrument or two. The most recognizable members are the Bassist, played by Scott Henson, and the drummer, played by John Lock.


 * Living Prop: They rarely interact with any of the other ND members.
 * Everyone Calls Him "Barkeep": None of the members have names; they are simply referred to as the instrument they usually play ("Bassist", "Drummer", etc).
 * The Voiceless
 * The Voiceless

Azimio Adams
"I ain't singing no show tunes. That is the music of my oppressors."

A meathead football jock who, with Karofsky, took over as the school's chief bully once Puck stopped harassing the other members of New Directions. Played by James Earl III.


 * Alliterative Name
 * The Bully
 * Even Evil Has Standards: According to him, picking on crippled people such as Artie is below them and Azimio even mentions his supposed moral code.
 * Ho Yay: Rarely seen out of Dave's company, many fans have jokingly speculated that they are in fact a couple.
 * Jerk Jock: He even targets other jocks.
 * Joker Immunity: There's apparently nothing anyone can do about him. He and Dave assault students in the middle of the halls, in one instance with a teacher watching, and suffer no consequences.
 * Mean Character, Nice Actor
 * Politically-Incorrect Villain: He's extremely homophobic.
 * Scary Black Man
 * Those Two Bad Guys: With Karofsky

Jacob Ben Israel
"Technology has allowed us to be brutally cruel without suffering any consequences. In the past, if I wanted to tell someone they sucked, I’d have to say it to their face."

The School Newspaper Newshound, with a blog. Played by Josh Sussman.

"Brittany: It's like a Jewish cloud."
 * Abhorrent Admirer: For Rachel, obviously.
 * Caught With Your Pants Down: Actually caught naked, in the Library, by Sue.
 * Commuting On a Bus: He was a frequent presence in the first season, but only showed up in a few episodes in Season 2, and hasn't been seen at all so far in Season 3 save for the first episode's opening sequence.
 * Fan Disservice: Gah, we really did not need to see him naked in "Brittany/Britney".
 * No, nor did we need to hear about him masturbating to Rachel.
 * The sweaty butt mark... just the sweaty butt mark.
 * Funny Afro


 * Guilt By Coincidence: Being named Jacob makes him a target for the school's Twihards.
 * Hey It's That Guy: What's Hugh Normus doing in a mortal high school?
 * Matzo Fever: A Jew, he is obsessed with the only other (confirmed) Jewish girl in the cast
 * Panty Thief: He blackmails Rachel into this.
 * School Newspaper Newshound
 * Screams Like a Little Girl: OH DEAR GOD!
 * Stalker With a Crush: To Rachel.
 * Two First Names

Sunshine Corazon


"I'm such a better singer than everyone else so I know how it feels. I'm all alone at the top. Also, I'm really short, so even when I'm in a group of people I feel like I'm wandering alone in a forest."

A Filipina exchange-student with a voice to match Rachel's. Rachel doesn't take it too well, though, and she ends up transferring to Vocal Adrenaline instead. Introduced in Season 2. Played by Charice Pempengco.


 * Adorkable: According to Charice, she'll turn out like this.
 * Break the Cutie: Seriously, even the biggest die-hard Rachel fans would agree that she crossed the line with her treatment of Sunshine. From their duet of "Telephone", where Rachel is trying her best to show Sunshine how talented she is, while Sunshine has the look of someone thinking, "This is really fun. She's nice to be singing this song with me." to Rachel's sending Sunshine to a crackhouse instead of auditions. Bad form, Berry, bad form.
 * This trope continues on into
 * Foil: To Rachel. All the talent without the ego. Also, while Rachel likes to think of herself as The Ingenue, Sunshine actually is. Although it appears that since her Long Bus Trip as, she's acquired something of an ego.
 * Foreign Exchange Student: From the Philippines, where it's sunny every day!
 * Girlish Pigtails: In the bathroom scene.
 * The Ingenue
 * Lonely At the Top: She says this to convince New Directions to let her sing at the benefit.
 * Long Bus Trip: Most of Season 2. The Bus Came Back in "A Night of Neglect."
 * Meaningful Name: Lampshaded by Rachel, who snarks that she is named so because she comes from the Philippines where it's sunny every day (except for the monsoons, of course). Additionally, "Corazon" is a Spanish given name common in the Philippines which means "heart."
 * However, "Corazon" is more of a first name in the Philippines, so most Filipinos agree that her having it as her surname sounded quite strange.
 * Meganekko
 * Naive Newcomer
 * New Transfer Student: An exchange student from the Philippines.
 * Nice Hat: She's seen wearing a beret in nearly every scene she's in, except for her performance at Nationals.
 * Performance Anxiety: Before performing at Nationals, she admits to Rachel that she doesn't think she can do it because of all those people.
 * The Rival: To Rachel, though this is mainly how Rachel perceives her.
 * Sixth Ranger Traitor: She joins New Directions but then leaves to join Vocal Adrenaline. What makes this an unusual case is that her choice is given an understandable motivation, and she does so with no malice.
 * Teens Are Short

Becky Jackson
"Got it, coach!"

A Handicapable Cheerio with Down's Syndrome, who showed up in "Wheels" and has never been too far away since. In season 3 she becomes co-captain of the Cheerios (with Santana). Played by Lauren Potter.


 * Ascended Extra
 * Badass Adorable: See Serious Business below.
 * Bitch in Sheep's Clothing: Don't let her disabilities fool you; she can get pretty mean and manipulative.
 * Deadpan Snarker: Especially when she and Sue hold Cheerio tryouts and Finn tries to dance.
 * The Dragon: As of Season 2, she's Sue's semiofficial right-hand woman. Perhaps the strangest example of this trope ever. In season 3, she's made co-captain of the Cheerios.
 * Hair of Gold
 * Inspirationally Disadvantaged: Started as such, but as she begins to show Sue's influence, it's less and less apparent.
 * Meganekko
 * Morality Pet: Initially to Brittany, but more and more to Sue.
 * Puppy Dog Eyes: "Did I do something wrong?"
 * Replacement Goldfish: To Sue, who can't help but see her sister Jean in Becky.
 * Roaring Rampage of Revenge: After failing to be nominated for prom queen in her senior year. She attacks the cafeteria line and declares a war on xylophones.
 * Serious Business: From the Rocky Horror Glee Show: "Give me some chocolate or I will cut you."
 * Note that this was during the Halloween episode and Becky was dressed as Sue.
 * Sophisticated As Hell: Her inner monologue voice is a very ghetto Helen Mirren.
 * Took a Level In Jerkass: Under Sue's influence.

Shane Tinsley


Mercedes' new boyfriend in season 3 after Sam moves away, and also a linebacker for the football team. Unlike most of the other jocks, he is supportive of New Directions, or at least Mercedes.


 * Huge Guy, Tiny Girl: He's at least as tall as Finn, and twice as wide.
 * Manly Tears: After finding out about Sam and Mercedes' kiss.
 * Nice Guy: Quite different from the other jocks we've seen; Shane supports the glee club and even encourages Mercedes to compete against Rachel for the role of Maria. And while he is displeased with Mercedes leaving him, he accepts it and moves on, and shows no ill will towards her and Sam by the time Prom rolls around.
 * Romantic False Lead: With Sam's triumphant return to McKinley (aka Chord's return to Glee), Shane became one of these for Samcedes.
 * Token Shipping

Harmony
""I've been acting since I was a fetus. Literally. An ultrasound of me was featured on Murder She Wrote.""



A New York Academy Of Dramatic Arts hopeful who seems to be more than a match for Rachel. Portrayed by Lindsay Pearce, one of the runner-ups from The Glee Project.


 * The Ace
 * Always Someone Better: Her musical number of "Anything You Can Do" exemplifies this.
 * Expy: In-universe, of Rachel.
 * Graceful Loser: She shows an odd amount of joy over winning third place in "Hold Onto Sixteen," despite the fact that there were only three teams competing.
 * Meaningful Echo: Her quip about being in Murder She Wrote is quite similar to Rachel claiming she won her first dance competition at three years old.
 * Meaningful Name
 * Promoted Fangirl
 * Raven Hair, Ivory Skin
 * The Rival: Teased as Rachel's rival, but ultimately subverted in "Hold Onto Sixteen" when we find out

Nick
A member of the football team and, like Karofsky in the past, a homophobe. Played by Aaron Hill.


 * Blondes Are Evil
 * Jerk Jock
 * Suspiciously Similar Substitute: Of Karofsky in previous seasons.

Wade Adams/Unique
A transgender student from Carmel High, and by extension a member of Vocal Adrenaline. While normally shy and introverted, she's created a female alter-ego for herself named Unique who represents everything she wants to be. Played by Alex Newell.


 * Attractive Bent Gender
 * Becoming the Mask: Invoked. Unique is currently just Wade's alter-ego, but as a trans person she would like that to become her true persona (or at least the female portion of it).
 * I Just Want to Be Normal: After she performs spectacularly at her Regionals competition, she's made in to a role model for basically every transgender, queer, or just plain different teenager in America. The stress of it gets to her and she almost leaves in the middle of Nationals.
 * Large Ham: As Unique.
 * Token Good Teammate: So far she's the only member of Vocal Adrenaline who's been kind and civil towards New Directions (except Sunshine, but we all know what happened there).
 * Promoted Fanboy: Alex was one of the runners-up on ''The Glee Project".
 * Sassy Black Woman: As Unique.
 * Shrinking Violet: When not Unique, Wade is so timid that not even Jesse channeling Gunnery Sergeant Hartman is enough to make her raise her voice from a whisper.
 * Third Person Person: Unique does not have time to refer to her gloriousness in the first person, fools!
 * Transsexual
 * X Meets Y: Describes herself (or rather, Unique) as the lovechild of Kurt and Mercedes. Ryan Murphy described Alex in exactly the same words during his time on The Glee Project.

Carole Hudson-Hummel
"We don't need any more memories or ghosts. We need a family. A home."

Finn's mother, who raised her son alone after her husband's death. She agrees to take in Quinn early in the first season when it was believed that Finn was the father of Quinn's baby. Later, Kurt sets her up with his own father in a ploy to be able to live with Finn. The two of them tie the knot in "Furt." Played by Romy Rosemont.


 * Expository Hairstyle Change: Once she starts dating Burt, she changes her formerly Messy Hair into something sleeker.
 * Kurt's actually the one that changed it.
 * Glamorous Single Mother: For the most part, averted. Carole is shown to be struggling juggling Finn and her many jobs at the same time.
 * Happily Married: Burt and Carole.
 * Open-Minded Parent: Is incredibly supportive of her son and his interests, and is one of the few characters who does not completely freak out when Quinn gets pregnant.
 * Parental Substitute: For Kurt, who has apparently un-soured on his dad's romance with Carole and accepted her with open arms.
 * Parent With New Paramour: Kurt sets her up with his own dad. By the time he's soured on the idea, it's too late.
 * Second Love: With Kurt's father, Burt Hummel.
 * Skip to The End: Burt and Carole cut the priest off while he says the vows and say their "I Do"s, but it's out of excitement as opposed to just rushing.

Kendra Giardi
"You worry too much, Terri. Mom smoked and drank a bottle of vodka every night when she was pregnant with us and we're TOTALLY normal!"

Terri's sister and the one that come up with the idea of adopting a baby for Terri. Played by Jennifer Aspen.


 * You Fail Biology Forever: Believing her kids being redheads and acting out-of-control was somehow caused by the pre-natal care she received. Or her line to Terri about not getting her baby vaccinated - possibly a Take That to parents who actually believe that vaccines cause various maladies (mainly autism).
 * Blondes Are Evil
 * Dumb Blonde
 * Put On a Bus: Starting in the back nine of season one.
 * Smug Snake
 * Ted Baxter: Minor example, she once said that Terri got the looks and she got "The brains AND the looks".

Jean Sylvester


Sue's older sister, who happens to have Down's Syndrome. Played by Robin Trocki.


 * Hope Spot: Sue was told Jean probably wouldn't pass thirty. And then she turned thirty-five, then forty, then fifty, so much that Sue thought they could grow old together.
 * Inspirationally Disadvantaged
 * Morality Pet: For Sue. Her condition is the reason
 * Inspirationally Disadvantaged
 * Morality Pet: For Sue. Her condition is the reason

Russell & Judy Fabray


Quinn's wealthy parents, who didn't take the news of her pregnancy very well. Played by Gregg Henry and Charlotte Ross.


 * Alpha Bitch: It's implied Judy was one.
 * Heel Face Turn: Judy eventually breaks with her husband's position and supports Quinn.
 * Broken Aesop: The rationale for her doing this is that he cheated on her, not because she decided Quinn had been treated unfairly.
 * Obfuscating Stupidity: Judy most probably knew about Quinn's pregnancy, but didn't say anything.
 * Overprotective Dad: Russell at first, but he doesn't seem to mind throwing her out after her pregnancy is revealed.
 * Put On a Bus To Hell: Russell's off-screen infidelity that led to the breakup of their marriage.
 * Stepford Smiler: Both of them.
 * Straw Character: Both of them, particularly Russell, are shots at ultraconservative Evangelicals.
 * Straw Hypocrite: Russell.
 * Strawman Political
 * Take That: The aforementioned Evangelicals; and Russell's infidelity was a parody of Jesse James' cheating on Sandra Bullock.
 * We Have No Daughter: Their initial reaction to finding out about Quinn's pregnancy.
 * "Well Done, Son" Guy: Quinn has very very mild shades of this. The fact that her dad brings up her sister Frannie, who was apparently married to a good Christian man, helps reinforce this.
 * Your Cheating Heart: Russell cheated on Judy with a "tattooed skank," leading to her leaving him.

Beth Corcoran


Quinn and Puck's daughter, conceived during a one-night stand pre-season one. Quinn gives birth to her in "Journey," where she is then adopted by Shelby.


 * Artistic License Biology: See Lamarck Was Right.
 * Born in An Elevator: Not really, but being born right after a regionals performance seems to have the same effect.
 * Hair of Gold
 * Lamarck Was Right: Despite that fact that Quinn is a natural born brunette and that her blond hair is explicitly a dye job, Beth was somehow born with blond hair. At first, this doesn't seem so implausible, since Quinn could have inherited a blond hair allele from one of her parents. However, if both of Quinn's parents are natural blonds (and we're never led to believe otherwise), then Quinn herself should have been born with blond hair, not brown. Basically, unless one assumes that at least one of Quinn's parents also dyes their hair blond, the genetics don't really add up. In fact, even if one does assume that, the fact that Puck is also a brunette makes it much less likely that Beth would be born blond. (Maybe even impossible, depending on whether Puck has a recessive blond allele.)
 * MacGuffin Girl: For Quinn, who
 * Morality Pet: For Quinn and Puck.
 * Put On a Bus
 * The Bus Came Back: In "I Am Unicorn."
 * Strong Family Resemblance: It's mentioned that she looks very much like Quinn.

Doris Sylvester


Sue's Ex-Nazi-hunter of a mother. After finally catching the last one, she returns to Lima to be part of her duaghters' lives. Sue rebuffs her when she forces herself in after being absent for so many years. Portrayed by Carol Burnett.

"Sue [when asked if ]: As far as I'm concerned she said her goodbyes to us years ago."
 * Deadpan Snarker
 * Gotta Catch Em All: She hunted down every last Nazi in the world.
 * Missing Mom: Left to hunt down the Nazis while Sue and Jean were little girls. Sue did not take this well.


 * My Beloved Smother
 * Sins of Our Fathers: It seems most of the "Nazis" she's been hunting as of late are the descendants of the original Party, who seem to be normal people in their 20's-40's, living normal lives and distancing themselves from the "family business". Doris hunting them down becomes Fridge Horror when you think about it.
 * Special Guest: Oh hi there, Carol Burnett.
 * What the Hell, Hero?: Sue calls her out on leaving the two of them as children to hunt Nazis.

The Evanses
Sam's family, composed of his parents Dwight and Mary and his younger siblings Stevie and Stacy. Played by John Schneider, Tanya Clarke, Cody Hamilton, and Ava Chelsea Ingram respectively.


 * Girlish Pigtails: Stacy.
 * Hair of Gold: Both of Sam's younger siblings.
 * Open-Minded Parent: Dwight and Mary approve of Sam going back to McKinley and staying with friends.
 * Parental Obliviousness: Yes, Mrs. Evans, Sam got all that glitter on his face from Dairy Queen. Good thing she and Mr. Evans never thought to ask why so much of Sam's pay was in fives...
 * Pottery Barn Poor: They sure have a pretty nice house for a family that was homeless just a few months prior to their introduction...
 * Theme Naming: Sam (nicknamed Sammy), Stevie, and Stacy. Adorable.
 * Alphabetical Theme Naming

Mike & Julia Chang


The parents of Mike Chang, Jr. Played by Keong Sim and Tamlyn Tomita.


 * All Asians Are Alike: See Fake Nationality.
 * Education Papa: Harvard, Stanford, or bust.
 * Fantasy Forbidding Father: Mike Sr.
 * Fake Nationality: Both of them make references to their parents in China, but Mike Sr. is played by a Korean and Julia is played by a Japanese-American. Go figure.
 * Follow in My Footsteps: Mike Sr. wants his son to abandon his "unrealistic" dream and do something practical, like he did. Averted with Julia, who also abandoned her dream (to be a dancer, just like Mike Jr.), and wants her son to avoid doing what she did.
 * Honor Before Reason: Mike Sr.
 * I Have No Son: Mike Sr.'s reaction to learning that his son has taken a starring role in the school musical and refuses to go to medical school.
 * So Proud of You: In contrast, this is Julia's reaction to learning the above.
 * Jerkass: Mike Chang, Sr.
 * Open-Minded Parent: Julia, after initially supporting her husband's position.
 * Tragic Dream: Julia's dream of becoming a dancer.
 * Women Are Wiser: Julia is much, much more understanding of her son's career ambitions.
 * Tragic Dream: Julia's dream of becoming a dancer.
 * Women Are Wiser: Julia is much, much more understanding of her son's career ambitions.

Alma Lopez


Santana's paternal grandmother. Played by Ivonne Coll.


 * Abusive Abuela: She's apparently so venomous that Santana thought her own name was Garbage Face until she was five, which is both deeply unsettling and explains why Santana (as a self-proclaimed bitch) admires her so much.
 * Cool Old Lady: Santana certainly thought so.
 * Ice Queen
 * I Have No Granddaughter:
 * Parental Substitute: She's implied to have been Santana's primary caretaker when she was a child (including putting her to bed at night), and it's suggested that her son and daughter-in-law practice Hands-Off Parenting.
 * They're Called Personal Issues for A Reason: Believes in this. The problem isn't so much that, but more on the scandal when people talk about it out loud.

Hiram and Leroy Berry


Rachel's fathers, who paid Shelby to be their surrogate. Their love for theater and performing rubbed off on their daughter in a big way. Played by Jeff Goldblum and Brian Stokes Mitchell.


 * AcCENT Upon the Wrong SylLABle: Leroy prefers his name pronounced "Leh-ROY", rather than the more common "LEE-roy"
 * Some people prefer this pronounciation to avoid certain stereotypes.
 * All Gays Love Theater: They even met while performing in a show together...a show that's an expy of Naked Boys Singing.
 * But Not Too Black: Leroy, but justified. It's long been established that Rachel's parents are a mixed couple and that none of them know which is her biological father, so it makes sense for her black dad to be light-skinned.
 * But Not Too Gay: An early criticism of the show is that Rachel talked about her dads a lot but we never actually got to meet them. Their appearance in the third season finally put this to rest.
 * Camp Gay
 * The Ghosts: Rachel's dads were oft-mentioned but never appeared onscreen until the third season episode "Heart".
 * The Other Darrin: The actors are different from the photos in Rachel's locker that we see back in "Pilot".
 * Stage Dads: A benevolent version. While they've certainly pushed Rachel towards performing and encourage her diva-like behavior, she has a good relationship with them.
 * Twofer Token Minority: A gay, interracial, Jewish couple.

Cooper Anderson
Blaine's older brother, who does credit card commercials. Portrayed by Matt Bomer.

"Young Cooper: (after watching Blaine dance) Your balance is completely off.
 * Aloof Big Brother: Blaine's, who notes how it seems like he's just pointing out everything Blaine does wrong.

Young Blaine: But I just learned to walk three years ago!"

"Cooper: I’m sorry, are you talking to me right now? Because I can’t tell if you’re talking to me if you don’t point your finger."
 * The Charmer: He's able to wrangle free Cokes out of the normally-grumpy Sandy.
 * Giving Someone the Pointer Finger

"Cooper: Stanislavski says the fingers are the eyes of the body, but he never mentioned that the toes…are the ears."
 * It's All About Me
 * Large Ham: He suggests SHOUTING ALL OF YOUR LINES because the character is REALLY INTENSE.
 * Metaphorgotten:


 * Punny Name: It's a reversal of news Journalist Anderson Cooper.
 * Shout Out: His name is one to Anderson Cooper.
 * Tall, Dark and Snarky
 * Ted Baxter: May or may not be this; during his "master class" he gives out really nonsensical advice for someone who should know what he's doing. That, or he's just a Jerkass.

Maribel Lopez
Santana's mother. Played by Gloria Estefan.


 * Education Mama: Never got to go to college herself, and wants her daughter to.
 * Open-Minded Parent: Is ultimately fine with Santana not going to college and following her dreams.
 * Special Guest: Santana's mom is played by one of the biggest names in Latin pop music history.

Josh Groban
"Crowds of screaming teenagers don't do it for Josh Groban... No... Josh Groban likes a blousy alcoholic."

Josh Groban. Seriously.


 * As Himself
 * The Cameo
 * Jerkass: Not so much in "Acafellas", but definitely in "Journey". Oddly enough, he's also arguably the only one of the four judges in that episode that judges the competition completely fairly.
 * Likes Older Women: "Josh Groban loves a blowsy alcoholic." Later, he propositions Sue.
 * Scary Black Man: His bodyguard.
 * Third Person Person

Olivia Newton-John
"Brunettes have no place in show business."

Olivia Newton-John is offended that the brunette Josh Groban has his own TV Tropes entry, and she does not.


 * As Herself
 * Blondes Are Evil
 * The Cameo
 * Deus Ex Machina: For Sue in "Bad Reputation".
 * Diabolus Ex Machina: For New Directions in "Journey".
 * Jerkass
 * Shameless Self Promotion: Brings up all her successes whenever the opportunity arises (there was at least some justification at first).
 * Took a Level In Jerkass: She might have been more that a little irritated that the best show biz thing she could do that night was judge some little school show choir contest in Ohio.

Rod Remington
"Slammin'."

Lima's local news anchor, "Ohio legend", and frequent show choir competition judge.


 * Alliterative Name
 * Bi the Way: Is not a fan of labels.
 * Catch Phrase: "Slammin', [correspondent]."
 * The Gump: "Saw that guy get stabbed" at Altamont, and was a regular on the club scene with Queen in the 1970s.
 * Ho Yay: He partied hard with Freddie Mercury.
 * I'm a Man, I Can't Help It: Rod says something similar to Sue after she catches him with Andrea.
 * It's All About Me: Seems unable to participate in any conversation without turning the topic to himself.
 * Large Ham: The actor appears to be doing his best William Shatner impression.
 * Really Gets Around: He likes to play the field. Even on getting married, he proudly proclaimed it an "open" situation.
 * Ted Baxter: Has more than a little of this, though, interestingly, Olivia Newton-John and Josh Groban don't question his presence as a judge even when they turn on Sue as not being a real celebrity, so he may indeed have something going for him.

April Rhodes
"I haven't had a drink in forty-five minutes!"

The star of the McKinley glee club in Will's school days, now a washed-up drunk. Played by Kristin Chenoweth.


 * Actor Allusion:
 * She sings "A House is Not a Home" which Kristin Chenoweth's character sang in Promises Promises.
 * Not to mention her Lampshaded "Cheno Notes" in her rendition of "Maybe This Time".
 * Bottle Fairy
 * Innocent Cohabitation: In “Home”, this is what happens between Will and April during her stay at his house, even if Sue later tried to twist it for her own purposes.
 * The Mistress: Becomes this to a rich man, and ends up doing quite well from his death.
 * Mrs. Robinson: When told by Will to try and win over the rest of the glee club, she is shown, among other things, exiting the school showers with Puck and some other football players, everybody smiling.
 * Sexy Shirt Switch: April Rhodes is shown coming out of the locker room shower after a couple of football players wearing Puck's jersey.

Bryan Ryan
"His dreams didn't come true, and neither. Will. Yours."

A former star of the McKinley High glee club and a rival of Will Schuester, now a bitter and jaded member of the school board, trying to take down the arts program and with it, Glee Club. Played by Neil Patrick Harris.


 * Always Someone Better: In their younger years, Bryan was this to Will.
 * Blonde Guys Are Evil: It's really more Blondes Are Bitter or Blondes Are Jaded, but he falls into this.
 * Broken Bird
 * Chick Magnet: He was extremely popular with the ladies back in his time, as seen in Will’s memories, also a trait he shares with his actor, Neil Patrick Harris.
 * Color Coded for Your Convenience: Bryan’s antagonistic role in “Dream On” is only more accentuated by the black leather and dark clothing he wears.
 * Deadpan Snarker: He is played by Neil Patrick Harris, so this comes as no surprise to anyone.
 * Does This Remind You of Anything??: Bryan Ryan lies to his wife that he's going on "business trips" when he's actually visiting New York to see Broadway plays. He has a secret stash of playbills in the basement.
 * Foe Yay: With Will. He also has "angry sex" with Sue.
 * Hannibal Lecture: He gives a brutal one to New Directions, stating callously and quite coldly that dreams are only that-dreams- and that they'll never come true. The lecture affects the members of New Directions to the point that it leaves all of them badly shell-shocked and actually drives Tina to tears.
 * Irony: The one girl he always wanted got married to his apparent rival and the man he mocked during his younger years.
 * Jerkass: But he will Pet the Dog if everything is going his way.
 * Mr. Fanservice: What part of Neil Patrick Harris was confusing? Bryan Ryan himself was one In–Series as well during his school days.
 * One-Scene Wonder: Quite possibly the most popular adult character in the series (excluding Sue), not only because he is played by the magnificent Neil Patrick Harris, although this does help, but because he stole every scene he was in.
 * The One That Got Away: He describes Terri as this.
 * Two First Names: Bryan Ryan, played by the king of two (or is it three?) first names himself.

Vocal Adrenaline


Hailing from Carmel High, they fill the spot of New Directions' rival glee club during the first season and end of the second season. As such, they seem very good, thanks in no small part to the training it seems they undergo (in addition, Tina says they dope their dancers).

Their key members seem to rotate every season.They were coached by Shelby in the first season, and their lead singer was Jesse. After Shelby was Put On a Bus after "Journey," she was replaced by Dustin in season 2, and their lead singer was Sunshine. In season 3 Jesse returns, this time as coach, and their lead singer is Wade/Unique.

"Jesse: Do you know what happens in Vocal Adrenaline if someone dies during a rehearsal? They use them as a prop. Like Weekend at Bernie's."
 * Always Someone Better: For New Directions.
 * Card-Carrying Villain: This seems to be the case.
 * Combat Pragmatist
 * Fake Band: Except for the soloists, the performers are professional dancers lip-syncing to a group of anonymous singers. A number of So You Think You Can Dance? finalists have appeared as Vocal Adrenaline "singers".
 * Kick the Dog:
 * Opposing Show Choir: They're the "evil empire" of show choir.
 * Out of Focus: In the second season.
 * The Rival
 * Serious Business: Their motto is rumored to be "murder or be murdered," they give their dancers human growth hormones, and one of their spotlights is so bright one needs to wear sunscreen onstage.


 * When New Directions goes to Carmel to hire their choreographer, Rachel mentions that they practice every day from 2:30 pm until midnight.
 * Training From Hell: When you're taught and directed by the likes of Dakota Stanley, Shelby Corcoran, Dustin Goolsby and Jesse St. James, this is bound to happen.

The Dalton Warblers
"This is a kangaroo court!"

An a capella glee club from an all-boys prep school, the Dalton Warblers provide New Directions' main competition during the second season. They're run by a student council rather than a teacher; their lead singer is Blaine, and they later take on Kurt when he changes schools to get away from Karofsky.


 * Acrofatic: Dominic Barnes, aka Trent, is adorably round-faced and chubby - and can really move.
 * Assimilation Academy: Played with. The Warblers frown upon Kurt's natural theatricality - and on singing anything that isn't a top-40 hit - but he and they learn to adjust somewhat.
 * Cast Full of Pretty Boys: Most of the guys in there are straight-up Bishonen, and most of the ones that aren't are still good-looking.
 * The Comically Serious: "YOU MOCK US, SIR."
 * Elaborate University High
 * Fake Band: In Season 2, the non-lead part was performed by the Tufts University Beelzebubs, and the visible cast just lip-synced.
 * Fan Fic Magnet: Oh boy. There's even an entire LiveJournal community dedicated solely to Dalton fanfic.
 * Hey It's That Guy: Telly Leung, aka Wes, will be a familiar face to any Broadway aficionados; he's been seen in Flower Drum Song and Rent, among others.
 * Re-watching previous episodes you'll notice one of the Warblers looks familiar.
 * Also, one warbler happens to be Antonio Garcia, the Gold Samurai Ranger
 * One-Gender School
 * Put On a Bus: Wes graduates between seasons 2 and 3.
 * School Uniforms Are the New Black: Nobody except Blaine has been seen outside their uniforms. Mostly justified as most of their screentime is set in Dalton Academy, but they even wear them when singing in public and to competitions (which is also justified as they are representing the school at competitions and may be required to be in uniform by school rules).
 * Not so justified when they're wearing them while all other teams are in costume. It'd be akin to the school requiring the football team to play in blazers and ties.
 * Serious Business: Everything.
 * Shipper On Deck: They are outraged by Blaine's suggestion that they turn one of their Regionals numbers into a duet, until he specifies that he wants to sing it with Kurt - at which point they unanimously approve the idea. It's Wes's smirk that makes it.
 * Step Up to The Microphone: Although he has only had a one line in the entire show, Nick sings the majority of "Uptown Girl" - very well indeed.
 * Team Pet: Pavarotti the canary.
 * Those Two Guys: Wes and David, the two most-seen non-Blaine, non-Kurt Warblers. After Kurt transfers to Dalton, it's revealed that they are two of the three-member Warblers' Council, and are frequently seen in company with a third guy, Thad.
 * There's also Jeff and Nick, two Warblers even more in the background than the Council.
 * Took a Level In Jerkass: In "Michael," although this is something of Sebastian's fault, and they get better by the end of it.
 * Word of Gay: Trent, the slightly chubby Warbler, is usually called the "sassy Warbler" behind the scenes.
 * Worthy Opponent: Unlike, say, Vocal Adrenaline, the Warblers wouldn't even think of using underhanded tactics to win. They and New Directions even cheer for each others' teams at Sectionals and Regionals (although, admittedly, Kurt leads them in that).
 * When Sebastian.
 * Three episodes later

The Troubletones
Another glee club in WMHS, founded by the Mottas after New Directions turned Sugar down. They're trained by Shelby Corcoran, who quit her New York job to teach them. The club consisted of Sugar, Mercedes, Santana, Brittany and a bunch of nameless cheerleaders. The club


 * Amazon Brigade
 * A House Divided: Mercedes, Santana, and Brittany end up quitting New Directions temporarily when they complain that they aren't getting enough attention within it, and join up with the Troubletones.
 * Defector From Decadence
 * Four-Temperament Ensemble: The four major characters in the group counts, with Mercedes being phlegmatic I, Santana being choleric, Brittany being supine and Sugar being sanguine.
 * Little Black Dress: The "Rumour Has It/Someone Like You" mashup has tons.
 * Living Prop: The members that aren't Santana, Mercedes, Brittany, and Sugar are this. No dialog and are barely treated as actual members of the team outside of performances. When Finn has the two teams temporarily merge, the extra girls are nowhere to be seen.
 * The Rival: To New Directions, obviously. Their name stems from the fact that they're around to stir up trouble.
 * Start My Own

Aural Intensity
A Glee club from West Hill High School that has faced New Directions twice at Regionals. The second time,.


 * The Generic Guy: All we know about them is that their former coach was Camp Gay.
 * Hufflepuff House
 * Pals With Jesus: They sing about this.
 * Pandering to The Base: An In-universe example, they seem to plan their setlists for Regionals specifically to appeal the judges.
 * The Problem With Pen Island: ORAL Intensity. Then again
 * Punch Clock Villain: They may use low tricks during competitions, but they don't mess with other clubs as would do, say, Vocal Adrenaline.
 * Yes Man

Golden Goblets
A Glee club from Our Lady of Perpetual Sorrow that faces New Directions at Regionals in Season 3.


 * The Generic Guy
 * Pals With Jesus

Portland Scale Blazers
A nationally ranked Glee club. Won the 2011 National Show Choir Championships, and competes against Vocal Adrenaline and New Directions on the 2012 Nationals, placing third.


 * The Generic Guy
 * Informed Ability: Having won the previous National Championship, one would expect them to be quite good, but their only number shown (Starlight Express) isn't anything special, and they get third place.