It Was Theater Bootcamp’: Amber Riley Reminisces About Glee, Says It’ll Always Be ‘Fond Memory’

It’s been nine years since the musical rom-com series Glee ended! Amber Riley, who played Mercedes Jones on the hit TV show, fondly remembers her time on the Glee sets, calling it a “theater bootcamp.”

The Mama Mia! I Have A Dream star looked back on her Glee days with love and fondness. The actress told People’s Magazine she learned a lot during the show’s filming, especially with a four-hour sleep schedule. “That good ol’ Glee sleep training, you better know how to function in four hours. It literally was like bootcamp. It was theater bootcamp—it was just on television,” said Riley. The actress is starring as Julie in the upcoming musical The Preacher’s Wife.

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Time On Glee Made Riley More Professional

Although the show is now in “the rearview mirror” for the actress, she will always remember those days as they made her a better professional. Riley spoke about her schedule on Glee, “You had to be professional, you had to be on time, you had to hit your mark, you had to know your lines. There’s 17 of us, we have X amount of things that have to be done in a day.”

The actor went on, “Everyone has to be a team player. So I think that’s probably the biggest thing I’ve taken into other jobs. It’s like, play your part so the day can go through smoothly.”

She also told PEOPLE that she had tried to apply the same focus and professionalism on every other project of her career.

Glee Catapulted Riley’s Career

The actress and singer couldn’t stop gushing about her love for Glee! She admitted that nobody would have known who Riley was if not for the show. “It was the thing that catapulted my career. Nobody would know who Amber Riley was — well, I don’t know that, but I’m just saying as of now, you guys wouldn’t know who I am if it was not for Glee, you know what I’m saying?” the actress said.

Riley also expressed her gratitude towards the show that helped her find an audience for her acting and singing talents, “And it really was the reason that people got to hear my voice. So I will always be so thankful and so grateful for that,” she added.

The actress expressed her gratitude one last time: “I always try to take good things from whatever experience I have, and I always just try to move forward. I mean, it’s been off television for such a long time, and it’s in the rearview mirror for me, but it’ll always be a fond memory,” said Riley.

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‘It Was Theater Bootcamp’: Amber Riley Reminisces About Glee, Says It’ll Always Be ‘Fond Memory’