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Zach Sang Show

Amber Riley Talks Glee, Mercedes Jones Storylines, Dreamgirls & Dancing with the Stars

·59 min·5 clips
Amber Riley reveals why she was terrified to join Dancing with the Stars despite being a Glee star.
The episode features an interview with Amber Riley, known for playing Mercedes Jones on Glee. Host Zach Sang opens by praising her contributions to culture and asks about her diverse career moves, including The Masked Singer and Dancing with the Stars. Amber explains her initial fear of joining Dancing with the Stars due to social media criticism and body judgment. She details her audition process for Glee, where Ryan Murphy fought for her role and coached her to be overly stereotypical to impress network executives. Amber discusses her early career as a ghost singer, expressing frustration at not being credited. The conversation shifts to her time on The Masked Singer, where she was called three days before filming after another contestant dropped out, inheriting the Harp costume. She compares this to her experience on the UK version as Jellyfish, which she disliked. Amber talks about her advocacy with the Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation, highlighting efforts to decriminalize HIV in over 30 states and combat misinformation. She reflects on her personal life, including her relationship and nickname. Amber shares her experience in Dreamgirls on the West End, noting it was harder than Glee and involved cultural differences like lack of bottled water. She discusses her current projects, including voice work as Ursula and plans to release original music, though she acknowledges the challenges of independent artistry. The episode includes fan questions from Kelsey about Glee storylines, such as the tater tots plot and Mercedes' relationships. Amber concludes by discussing her evolving relationship with Glee, from resentment to appreciation, influenced by co-stars' podcast and the show's global impact.

As heard by us

Amber Riley reflects on scary yeses, the pace of Glee, and the family foundation that helped steady her.

Amber Riley's conversation with Zach centers on a career turn that began when she stopped letting fear make the call. She frames Dancing with the Stars as the first intimidating opportunity she finally accepted after being asked three times, then traces how that yes made later…

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Why you'd press play

You want Amber Riley on learning to say yes, starting with Dancing with the Stars and carrying that nerve into more competition-show adventures.

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