Being on ’Glee’ was amazing. I remember my first day on set, my first day I arrived to the set I was in my trailer and all of the actors came and banged on my door - Lea Michele, Chris Colfer, Amber Riley, Naya Rivera. They all welcomed me with open arms, so it was a great experience. It felt like family, and I miss them a lot over there.

NeNe Leakes—best known as a breakout star of Bravo’s reality series *The Real Housewives of Atlanta*—also acted in scripted television, including a recurring role as swim coach Roz Washington on Fox’s musical dramedy *Glee* (notably during the show’s early peak years). This quote comes from Leakes reflecting on her experience joining the ensemble cast and the reception she received on her first day on set. By naming principal cast members (Lea Michele, Chris Colfer, Amber Riley, Naya Rivera), she situates the memory in the core *Glee* era and emphasizes the show’s reputation for a close-knit, collaborative atmosphere.

Leakes frames her time on *Glee* less as a professional credit than as an emotionally formative experience of belonging. The anecdote of the cast “banging on [her] door” functions as a vivid symbol of initiation: a newcomer is actively invited into the group rather than left to navigate hierarchy alone. Her language—“welcomed me with open arms,” “felt like family,” “I miss them”—underscores how ensemble productions can create intense, temporary communities, especially for performers crossing from reality TV into scripted acting. The quote also reads as a tribute to colleagues, preserving a sense of warmth and camaraderie associated with the series.