Ryan Murphy Reveals That Mr. Schuester Was Originally a Crystal Meth Addict on GLEE

Glee creator Ryan Murphy was the guest on the first episode of the "And That's You REALLY Missed" podcast, which deep dives into a behind-the-scenes look at the hit musical series.

Insider reports that in the new episode, Murphy reveals that the character of Mr. Schuester, who was eventually played by Matthew Morrison, was originally written for Justin Timberlake and had a crystal meth addiction.

"When we were writing the pilot, I've never really talked about this, that pilot was written for Justin Timberlake. Mr Schue was written for Justin," Murphy revealed.

While discussing how Glee was created, Murphy stated that he had just signed an overall deal with FOX and was having conversations about creating a new musical series. One day while at the gym, Murphy revealed that he was given a script by a stranger who said that his friend had written the pilot.

"Mr. Schue, I believe, was a crystal meth addict in Ian [Brennan]'s script," Murphy said. "The NC-17 version of show choir with a weird protagonist who was unraveling."

Murphy thought that the script was the perfect idea for a musical series and began to collaborate with Brennan on a more "optimistic" script.

The "And That's What You REALLY Missed" podcast is hosted by Glee stars Jenna Ushkowitz (Tina Cohen-Chang) and Kevin McHale (Artie Abrams). Their conversation with Murphy will continue on the next episode of the iHeart Radio-produced podcast.

The FOX musical comedy GLEE followed a dynamic group of high school students from the halls of McKinley to the mean streets of New York City, as they embarked on life after high school.

The show became a bona fide cultural phenomenon, receiving prestigious honors, including a Golden Globe Award and a Peabody Award.

The series boasted critical acclaim, a die-hard fan base, two Grammy Award nominations, two Platinum and five Gold albums, more than 53 million songs and more than 13 million albums sold worldwide, two sold-out concert tours, a 3-D movie, four Emmy Awards and three Golden Globes, including the award for Best Television Series - Comedy or Musical.

Its initial starring cast featured Morrison as club director and Spanish teacher Will Schuester, Jane Lynch as cheerleading coach Sue Sylvester, Jayma Mays as guidance counselor Emma Pillsbury, Jessalyn Gilsig as Will's wife Terri, and Dianna Agron, Chris Colfer, Kevin McHale, Lea Michele, Cory Monteith, Amber Riley, Jenna Ushkowitz and more.

GLEE attracted A-list guest stars, including Gwyneth Paltrow, Kate Hudson, Sarah Jessica Parker, Shirley MacLaine, John Stamos, Kristin Chenoweth, Olivia Newton-John, Britney Spears, Neil Patrick Harris, Peter Facinelli, June Squibb, Demi Lovato and Adam Lambert, among many others.

Listen to the episode here: