When Ryan Murphy's Glee first premiered, the musical dramedy about a high school Glee club in a small Ohio town became a smash hit - at least for the first few years. While the plot often grew more and more convoluted, including the season 5 episode "Puppet Master" where the cast sang with puppet versions of themselves, there are a few Glee episodes fans return to again and again.
Glee helped many of its young stars skyrocket to fame in the early 2010s, some even winning Golden Globe or Tony awards during or after their time on the show. But if the lives of these Lima, Ohio, teens hit the airwaves during the 1990s explosion of teen dramas, the cast would look and sound a lot different.
Laura Benanti as Rachel Berry
The glee club's resident diva who adds a gold star sticker whenever she signs her name, Rachel Berry is talented, egotistical and very ambitious. This competitive nature, along with her tendency to be self-involved, causes Rachel to butt heads with many of her fellow New Directions members as she tries to retain the spotlight throughout the show's five seasons.
In order to play Rachel, one must be able to belt a number of Broadway show tunes without breaking a sweat. Laura Benanti, who was just getting her start on the Great White Way in the 1990s, has the talent and comedic timing to give Rachel's self-centeredness. And Benanti has the charisma needed to lead such an ensemble-heavy show.
Freddie Prinze Jr. as Finn Hudson
In the pilot, William McKinley High's star quarterback Finn Hudson risks his social status by joining the New Directions. As the series progresses, his allegiance to both teams is tested before he finds harmony between the two. Finn takes on the role of leader within the glee club and tries to be a mediator between feuding members. Throughout the series, he seems to be stuck in a period of transition, trying to find the right path for him to explore.
Finn might not be known for having the strongest performances, but the popular jock turned musical leading man is a pivotal character to the storylines Glee navigates. Freddie Prinze Jr.'s movie career was just picking up steam in the 1990s, and his youth-orientated work like I Know What You Did Last Summer and She's All That would make him recognizable to the audience watching this version of Glee. Charming and funny, Prinze would make a great casting choice for Finn.
Matthew Broderick as Will Schuester
Will Schuester serves as the glee club's director and McKinley's Spanish teacher through most of the show. His personal life and antagonistic relationship with Cheerios coach Sue Sylvester are often the focus of Glee episodes, and his sometimes obsessive need to prove her wrong causes him to push the teens in New Directions too far. While first presented as the show's endearing nice guy for audiences to cheer on, there are moments where Will can be hypocritical, creepy or vindictive throughout Glee's run.
While the character's reception has changed in the 12 years since Glee first premiered, Will Schuester is still an integral part of the series and an actor with musical and comedic talents is needed for the role. By the 1990s, Matthew Broderick proved he had both after winning his second Tony and helming the classic comedy, Ferris Bueller's Day Off. But it's his role in 1999's Election as a high school social studies teacher who sabotages one of his over-ambitious students running for class office that shows the type of satirical situations the show could explore between him and his students.
Carol Burnett as Sue Sylvester
With enough blisteringly calculated insults in her arsenal to take down anyone who crosses her, Sue Sylvester serves as the show's main, tracksuit-wearing villain. Ruthless, sarcastic, ambitious and arrogant, she spends much of the series trying to bring down the glee club and get rid of Will Schuester. Jane Lynch's dry delivery made the outlandish and nasty head coach of the Cheerios a stand-out, even when she's one of the least likable characters on Glee.
The casting of Carol Burnett in the role of Sue would be full circle. Burnett played her Nazi-hunting mother, Doris, in the original show and the pair have impeccable comedic chemistry. Known for her variety show The Carol Burnett Show and film roles like Miss Hannigan in 1982's Annie, Burnett has experience playing the antagonist while still being a funny scene-stealer with a silver tongue.
Neil Patrick Harris as Kurt Hummel
Kurt Hummel starts the series off as a more stereotypical portrayal of a gay teen, with his interests seemingly limited to fashion, Broadway and the many divas he idolizes. His insecurities and fears are hidden away behind a slight air of snobbery. But as time goes on, he becomes a well-rounded character and his confidence grows once he comes out. His relationship with his father, Burt, is one of the most tender and beloved on the show, and the two help one another become better people.
By the mid-1990s, Neil Patrick Harris was already a household name thanks for his starring role as the titular Doogie Howser, M.D. Much like Carol Burnett, he also had a guest role on the original Glee playing a New Directions glee club alum and former rival of Will Schuester. Harris has the charm and emotional depth required for many of Kurt's storylines, and his talents would shine in each of his musical numbers.
Alicia Silverstone as Quinn Fabray
Quinn Fabray has one of the most complicated personal lives in Glee. The president of the celibacy club becomes a teen mom after sleeping with her boyfriend's best friend and this pregnancy gets her roped into the messy love life of her teacher, Will Schuester. As the series goes on, Quinn matures and becomes more than just the mean, popular cheerleaders she was introduced. But her storylines became melodramatic and tend to fall in line with soap opera storytelling, and many feel her overall Glee story arc was lacking.
In 1995's Clueless, Alicia Silverstone's Cher Horowitz transforms from the typical popular Beverly Hills teen into a sincere, dedicated person. Silverstone could give Quinn the heart and growth needed to have fans cheer her on, even as she makes more and more impulsive decisions. She would also make a perfect leader for the Unholy Trio, much like Dianna Agron did in the original show.
James Marsden as Blaine Anderson
A charming Dalton Academy Warbler, Blaine Anderson sweeps Kurt Hummel off his feet after his season 2 debut. After he transfers to McKinley the following season, Blaine's flaws, as well as his vocal talents, become more apparent. His personality goes through many changes throughout the show, going from being more reserved to loosening up before falling back onto his conservative tendencies. While his romance with Kurt is a roller coaster, Klaine is one of the more successful pairings on the show.
With his floppy brown locks, the voice of a Disney prince and boy-next-door charm, James Marsden could fill Darren Criss's Warbler blazer. In the 1990s, he was a few years away from his blockbuster roles in X-Men and The Notebook. He mostly had bit parts on hit shows like Blossom, Party of Five and The Nanny. Getting cast in the role of Blaine could be Marsden's big break, as it was for Criss.
Brittany Murphy as Brittany Pierce
Brittany S. Pierce is the show's adored, naive cheerleader and nicest member of the Unholy Trio. While her intelligence is often the butt of jokes on the show, she is emotionally intelligent and kinder than many of her McKinley classmates. Her offhanded one-liners are some of the funniest quotes on the show, and her quirks and incredible dancing help make her one of the show's most memorable characters.
Brittany Murphy's breakout role was as the goofy, "unhip" Tai Fraiser in Clueless, a character with a similar good nature to Glee's beloved Brittany. Murphy's natural comedic talents would aid in her delivery of even the most outlandish Brittany-isms, and her infectious personality would help her work well with the rest of the cast.
Eva Mendes as Santana Lopez
Santana Lopez hides razors in her hair and much like her mentor Coach Sylvester, her scorching insults aim to kill. Her introduction starts as the usual cheerleader stereotype, but Santana becomes a character far beyond that. Brutal, bitchy and happy with her spot atop the social ladder, she goes through a transformation as she accepts her sexuality and comes out as a lesbian. Her relationship with Brittany is one of the core romances of the series, and many of her more tender moments involve her beloved girlfriend.
In the 1990s, Eva Mendes was just starting her career in Hollywood. Much like the late Naya Rivera, Santana Lopez could be her breakout role and Mendes would bring humor to the role as evident in her supporting role in The Other Guys as well as the depth required for Santana's more emotional scenes as seen in The Place Behind The Pines.
Matthew Lawrence as Sam Evans
With his Justin Bieber-esque blonde hair and innocent dorkiness, Sam Evans becomes a hot commodity within the New Directions when he arrives in season 2. A nice guy with nerdy interests and a touch of awkwardness, he tries to navigate his way around his new school and social connections. His insecurities surrounding his body are often featured in episodes and over the course of the series, he gains more confidence and starts to feel more comfortable in his skin.
Mostly known for his roles in Mrs. Doubtfire and Boy Meets World, as well as as being the second of three Lawrence brothers, Matthew Lawrence is a charming fit for the role of Sam Evans in the 1990s. With experience in teen-focused shows and comedies, having a role in this version of Glee would fit well on Lawrence's Hollywood résumé.