Amber Riley says she fought for her joy character Mercedes Jones to stay true to her values.
In a recent episode joy podcast And that’s what you REALLY missedthe actress told co-hosts Kevin McHale and Jenna Ushkowitz that she refused to act in a scene in which her character – who is portrayed as having strong Christian values - had sex with her boyfriend, Sam Evans (played by Chord Overstreet).
“I said [Glee co-creator] Brad [Falchuk]”Absolutely not,” Riley, 38, recalled, adding that she found out about the scene when it was already finalized. “It was written. I said, ‘No.'”
According to Riley’s recollection of the conversation, Falchuk suggested they tone down the more explicit sex scene and instead go with an implied scene where the two “hold hands and walk into the room and then close the door.”
Amber Riley.
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The Single black female star said she even rejected any implication that Mercedes and Sam had sex.
“I just said ‘No,'” she said. “I won’t do it. I never say ‘no’ to you. I don’t argue about anything… But this?’ It would be so embarrassing, and I feel like it would look weird.”
In the show, Mercedes was a devout Christian who stated that she intended to remain a virgin until marriage, so Riley said she felt the sex talk would be untrue to the character.
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“Let him stand his ground if that’s what he’s saying [was going to do]” Riley said of Mercedes.
She explained this with the younger viewing audience in mind joy it was important to her.
“I mean, I grew up a church girl. It just wouldn’t happen. Like, not at that age, you know what I’m saying? Not so easy,” she said, further explaining why she had such strong convictions against the scene.
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Naya Rivera and Amber Riley in “Glee.”
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“And then being under pressure and all that stuff – and doing it for somebody else when it’s not what you really believe in – the message I felt it would send to young girls wouldn’t be great.
Mercedes and Sam had a casual relationship in joy starting from season 2, but by the end of the last season of the show, they were pure friends.
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Source: HIS Education