Idina Menzel Says Her Relationship With Lea Michele on 'Glee' Wasn't 'Great for the Ego,' Explains Why

Idina Menzel made her Glee debut in the hit show’s first season playing Lea Michele‘s mom. Now, she revealed how the role really made her feel.

The Wicked icon played Shelby Corcoran, who was the coach of the opposing show choir team Vocal Adrenaline. Fans later learned that Shelby was also Rachel’s (Michele) birth mother. The relationship put the high schooler in a tight spot.

After a rocky start for the mother-daughter duo, they found their rhythm. Shelby became a fan favorite on the show and continued to pop up over the years.

In a recent interview, Idina explained that the role was a bit of a hit to her ego.

Read more about how Idina Menzel felt about her role in Glee…

Speaking to Stellar magazine, Idina said that she valued being involved with Glee. However, she was only 15 years older than Lea and being cast as her mom wasn’t the greatest feeling. While the resemblance between them is uncanny, she thought that their relationship could have been changed.

“You know, you’re worried you’re not going to work again, and then people hire you to be someone’s mother when you probably should be their older sister,” she said, via the New York Post. “It just wasn’t great for the ego. But I sucked it up and sucked myself into my clothes, and was excited to work with [creator] Ryan Murphy and be a part of that hit show.”

This isn’t the first time that Idina has opened up about the casting decision.

Despite her reservations about playing the younger star’s mom, Idina and Lea appear to have a good relationship. Back in 2014, Idina weighed in on the other star’s cover of her Frozen mega-hit “Let It Go.” Lea had revealed how much Idina‘s opinions on the song mattered to her after it was released.

Did you know that one of Lea and Idina‘s covers for the show is a favorite of another cast member?