Amber Riley isn’t interested in revisiting the past, at least not when it comes to Glee. While the beloved musical series continues to resonate with a new generation of fans, Riley is standing firm: a reboot isn’t in the cards. In a candid podcast interview, the powerhouse behind Mercedes Jones reflected on the show’s cultural legacy, the heartbreaking losses within its cast, and why some stories are better left untouched. Still, one idea lights her up with the possibility of a solo series centered around Mercedes. And that, she says, she’d do in a heartbeat.
A legacy not to be protected
Amber Riley has heard the question countless times: Would she ever return for a Glee reboot? Appearing on Monét Talks, she didn’t hesitate. “I love answering this question,” she said, grinning. “No!” Not even the lure of a multimillion-dollar offer could tempt her. “I just feel like what we did was so phenomenal, I don’t want to risk trying to reinvent the wheel.”
For Riley, Glee wasn’t just a hit TV show—it was a lightning-in-a-bottle moment that captured a rare kind of chemistry. “Now if they redo it, I think that’s amazing,” she added graciously. “But, you know, we lost cast members. I just feel like the chemistry, that formula, was so specific, and it’s changed now.” With heartfelt clarity, she acknowledged the challenge of recreating something that, in her view, was already complete.
A show that shaped a generation
From 2009 to 2015, Glee was more than a musical comedy—it was a cultural reset. The series, which earned six Emmy Awards and launched dozens of Billboard hits, brought the drama of high school and the magic of performance into millions of homes. Audiences connected with its bold, emotional storylines—and its unforgettable cast of misfits who found power in their voices.
Riley’s Mercedes Jones stood tall among the crowd: a diva in her own right, unafraid to demand solos and respect. Alongside co-stars like Lea Michele, Chris Colfer, Naya Rivera, and Kevin McHale, she helped define the soul of New Directions. Years after its finale, Glee continues to captivate viewers discovering the series for the first time, but Riley insists that some experiences should remain as they were—untouched and true.
Celebrating the bygones
Part of Riley’s hesitation is rooted in loss. “We lost cast members,” she said softly, acknowledging the absence of beloved co-stars who made the show what it was. Cory Monteith, who played Finn Hudson, died in 2013 from a drug overdose. Mark Salling, known for his role as Puck, died by suicide in 2018 following a criminal investigation. In 2020, Naya Rivera—who portrayed the fiercely magnetic Santana Lopez—tragically drowned in a boating accident after saving her son.
For Riley, the idea of recreating Glee without those vital presences feels wrong. The emotional glue that held the show together wasn’t just the music or the writing—it was the people. “That formula… it’s changed now,” she reflected. The magic wasn’t just on screen; it lived in the bonds formed behind the scenes, in friendships and heartbreaks shared out of frame.
A right-deserved spotlight
While Riley has no interest in reliving the ensemble journey of Glee, she lights up at the thought of a different possibility: a Mercedes Jones spinoff. “If Mercedes got a spinoff on her own, I would do that,” she said without hesitation.
It’s a vision many fans have long hoped for. Mercedes was more than a supporting voice—she was an embodiment of confidence, vulnerability, and talent rarely seen with such depth on network television. A solo series could explore her rise in the music industry, her personal growth, and the battles she continues to fight for recognition and creative control.
In many ways, Riley and Mercedes mirror one another: powerful, principled, and unafraid to speak their truths. And if Riley has any say, the next chapter for Mercedes won’t be a return to what was—it’ll be the bold, beautiful start of something entirely her own.
