10 Gen Z Actors Glee's Reboot Needs To Cast
Mary Kassel is a Senior Writer & Critic who joined the Screen Rant team in 2023.
After graduating from Emerson College with a degree in Media Arts Production, Kassel started at Screen Rant with a focus on the critical analysis side of movies and television while continuing to work on set in film production.
At Screen Rant, Kassel primarily writes for the Classic TV section, mining their encyclopedic knowledge of television history for content. However, they also contribute to the Books team and review both film and television as a critic.
Over ten years since Glee concluded in 2015, we're finally getting a reboot of the iconic and infamous TV show, and it's sure to be as big a pop culture moment as the original. When Ryan Murphy's campy musical teen dramedy series premiered in 2009, there was nothing else like it airing. While there have been copycats, no series has lived up to the drama and jaw-dropping moments of the show, and whoever is tapped to join the new cast will have big shoes to fill.
Now that the Glee revival is confirmed, several key cast members will be returning, like Lea Michelle as Rachel Berry. While it's exciting to imagine what Murphy will have in store for the characters from the original series, there's a lot of room for Gen Z actors to take on recurring or guest roles at McKinley High. Ryan Murphy's TV shows have only become more explosively popular in the past decade, paving the way for a Glee reboot to find audiences old and new.
Ella Bright
Known for her starring role as Hannah in Prime Video's teen romance show, Off Campus, Ella Bright has proven that she has the acting and singing chops to join the cast of the Glee reboot. While not every actor in Glee needs to be an amazing singer, it certainly helps, as the fabric of the series revolves around musical performances.
At only 19, Bright is a veteran actor, getting her start as a child performer in the British TV series Mallory Towers. As she comes into her own, taking on more adult roles, Bright could still pass as a high school student, and her charming demeanor would be a welcome addition to the reboot. Based on her typecasting, Bright would easily slip into the role of the girl next door in Glee, similar to Melissa Benoist's Marley.
Milo Manheim
Audiences might recognize Milo Manheim for his role in School Spirits as the ghost Wally, a romantic lead in the series. However, Manheim has been working for many years, starring in the Disney movie series Zombies and even doing a stint as Seymour in the off-Broadway revival of Little Shop of Horrors in 2025.
Murphy has never shied away from bringing acting talent from Broadway and across musical theater into Glee, and it's unlikely that this will stop now. Though Manheim has been playing a ghost stuck in high school in School Spirits for several years now, the 25-year-old performer could squeeze out a few more years of pretend adolescence, as his great comedic timing would be a welcome addition to Glee.
Christopher Briney
As the central heartthrob, Conrad Fisher, in The Summer I Turned Pretty, Christopher Briney successfully captured the hearts and minds of a generation of young audience members. Since breaking out in the Prime Video teen drama, Briney has cemented himself as a Hollywood talent to watch, joining the cast of Hacks season 5 in a hilarious recurring role.
In Glee, it could be interesting to see Briney appear as a young teacher, similar to Mr. Shue, or as a romantic interest for one of the returning characters. At 28, Briney probably wouldn't be tapped to portray one of the students, but audiences know he can capture this angst if he needs to. With The Summer I Turned Pretty movie expected in 2027, there's more Briney to look forward to in the coming years.
Owen Thiele
Adults has quickly become the de facto sitcom defining Gen Z, and Owen Thiele's presence in the series has a lot to do with this. Thiele also appears in the show Overcompensating, another recent TV project that's connected with younger audiences who will likely be tuning in to the Glee reboot. While audiences haven't seen much of Thiele's singing, this could be an interesting next step for him.
With his comedic chops and undeniable chemistry with everyone he shares the screen with, Thiele would seamlessly fit into the tone and style of Glee. Part of the fun of Glee is the large ensemble of characters and their many intersecting relationships, and there's no question that Thiele would be able to riff with everyone in the Glee reboot.
Jack Haven
After spending many years starring in the Netflix teen dramedy, Atypical, Jack Haven left this series that was firmly rooted in reality in favor of more surreal, genre-bending projects. Frequently collaborating with writer-director Jane Schoenbrun, Haven was in I Saw the TV Glow and Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Misma. While Glee isn't as horror-oriented as these works, Javen could handle the elements of Glee that lean into magical realism.
There are many roles Haven could take on if they joined the cast of the Glee reboot. It's unlikely that they would play a student, but since characters from the first show will be returning, they could be part of the texture of those lives. Having a background in such a wide variety of genres only helps the case for Haven's ability to fit into the world of Glee.
Sophie Thatcher
Yellowjackets season 4 is coming soon, marking the end of an era for the cast, including Sophie Thatcher. Thatcher has been busy since her breakout role in Yellowjackets season 1, joining the cast of many terrifying and genre-bending movies like Heretic and Companion. A rising star in young Hollywood, Thatcher would be a big draw for Gen Z viewers who have been following her career.
Thatcher has been making quite a name for herself within the horror and survival genres, which would make Glee a significant departure for the actress. However, even in the high-stakes environment of Yellowjackets, Thatcher manages to make the audience laugh, as well as in the thriller Companion. It would make sense for Thatcher to appear as a recurring or guest character who shakes things up for the Glee Club.
D'Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai
In the years since Reservation Dogs ended, D'Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai has transitioned to film acting, with roles in Warfare, Hell of a Summer, and Caught Stealing. This has been a successful career move for Woon-A-Tai, allowing audiences to separate him from his character, Bear, in Reservation Dogs. However, enough time has passed, and Woon-A-Tai should consider a return to television.
Woon-A-Tai is still more than capable of playing an older teen at 25, and it wouldn't be a stretch to see him play one of the football players who find themselves secretly enjoying being in the Glee Club. With untested singing abilities but plenty of charm that captures the audience's attention whenever he's onscreen, Woon-A-Tai would be a perfect choice for McKinley High's next generation.
Havana Rose Liu
Havana Rose Liu's role in Bottoms is proof enough that the actress is more than ready for the offbeat, campy tone of Glee. A capable actress who fits into every project she joins, Liu is quickly becoming one of the most sought-after performers of her generation. She starred in Her Private Hell alongside Sophie Thatcher in 2026, giving audiences a look at a new side of her as an actress.
Liu is capable of disappearing into any role, but based on her work in Bottoms, it's hard not to see the similarities between Liu and Dianna Agron's character, Quinn Fabray. As a beautiful queen bee with more depth than viewers could've ever expected, Quinn became a fan favorite on Glee. It's likely that whoever Liu might play on the Glee reboot would be more than meets the eye.
Rachel Zegler
Getting a famed musical theater actor to guest star on Glee was something that Murphy never failed to do. One of the biggest names in the up-and-coming generation of Broadway and screen actors is Rachel Zegler. With a strong career in film and on the stage, it's hard to imagine that Zegler would sign on to multiple seasons of a TV series. However, this doesn't mean she couldn't guest star.
As a member of Gen Z and a musical theater lover herself, the 25-year-old actress is likely familiar with the legacy of the original Glee. Though Zegler doesn't quite have the same legacy as the Broadway legend Kristin Chenoweth, her recurring guest spot on Glee could be inspiration for a role for Zegler.
Marcello Hernandez
Hilarious, charming, and one of the biggest stars on Saturday Night Live right now, Marcello Hernandez is slowly breaking into more film and TV roles. As one of the most beloved current cast members on SNL, Hernandez is a treat to watch onscreen. His success on the sketch comedy show makes it easy to wonder how he would do in a TV show, and the hilarity of Glee could be the perfect place for him to land.
It would be sad to see Hernandez leave the cast of SNL, but there's no reason he couldn't be in a few episodes of the Glee reboot while maintaining his place on the sketch series. While Glee doesn't have to worry about attracting fans of the original show to watch the new one, actors with crossover popularity and name recognition like Hernandez would help broaden the reboot's appeal.
- Release Date
- 2009 - 2015-00-00
- Network
- FOX
- Showrunner
- Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk
- Writers
- Ian Brennan, Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk
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