Character
Holly Holliday is a recurring fictional character from the Fox musical comedy-drama series, Glee. Portrayed by Gwyneth Paltrow, the character appeared in three episodes during the…
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Holly Holliday is a recurring fictional character from the Fox musical comedy-drama series, Glee. Portrayed by Gwyneth Paltrow, the character appeared in three episodes during the show's second season and two episodes of the fifth. This was Paltrow's first role on television. Holly was developed by Glee co-creator Ryan Murphy, a personal friend of Paltrow's, who suggested that she showcase her vocal and dancing abilities ahead of the release of her film Country Strong, in which she played a country singer. Introduced as a substitute teacher who takes the place of glee club director Will Schues
Holly Holliday is a recurring fictional character from the Fox musical comedy-drama series, Glee. Portrayed by Gwyneth Paltrow, the character appeared in three episodes during the show's second season and two episodes of the fifth. This was Paltrow's first role on television. Holly was developed by Glee co-creator Ryan Murphy, a personal friend of Paltrow's, who suggested that she showcase her vocal and dancing abilities ahead of the release of her film Country Strong, in which she played a country singer. Introduced as a substitute teacher who takes the place of glee club director Will Schuester (Matthew Morrison) while he is ill, she forms a romantic bond with Will, but decides to break up with him and takes a teaching job in another town after realizing that he is still in love with Emma Pillsbury (Jayma Mays).
Paltrow's debut performance attracted positive commentary and earned her a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series in 2011. Many reviewers praised her subsequent portrayal of Holly in the "Sexy" episode, preferring it to her first appearance in "The Substitute" installment, though they disagreed over how Paltrow was used. Her final appearance in the "A Night of Neglect" episode was met with divergent reactions. She performed several musical numbers during her appearances, which include critically acclaimed renditions of "Forget You" by Cee Lo Green and "Landslide" by Fleetwood Mac. Paltrow was additionally featured in the 2011 concert film Glee: The 3D Concert Movie. In 2014, she reprised the role for the show's hundredth episode and the following episode.
Holly is a substitute teacher who makes her first appearance on Glee in the second season's seventh episode, "The Substitute". She is filling in at McKinley High School for the ailing Spanish teacher Will (Matthew Morrison), who is also director of the glee club, New Directions. Club member Kurt (Chris Colfer), who had seen her perform "Conjunction Junction" when she subbed for his English class, asks her to also take over Will's glee club rehearsals. Instead of assigning songs, Holly asks the club members what kind of music they would like to perform, and when Puck (Mark Salling) suggests "Forget You", she sings the song and they all join in, except for Rachel (Lea Michele). Holly later wins her over by asking Rachel what she would like to sing that she hasn't been able to, and they perform a number from Chicago together. Holly bonds with Sue (Jane Lynch), who is the acting principal with Principal Figgins (Iqbal Theba) also out sick, and Sue fires the still-ailing Will, making Holly the full-time director of the glee club. When he recovers, Will confronts Holly at school, but she is unwilling to give up her new position. She later discovers she is in over her head when Mercedes (Amber Riley) gets in trouble, and Holly turns to Will for help. She reveals that she was once a more serious teacher like Will until a student punched her in the face, at which point she became far more free spirited. Holly ultimately returns to substitute teaching and Will is reinstated. He assigns the glee club to perform "Singin' in the Rain" on his return, but faced with their dismay at being given another old song, he asks for Holly's help to modernize it, and they all perform a mash-up of it with Rihanna's "Umbrella".
Holly later returns to McKinley High as a substitute sex education teacher in the season's fifteenth episode, "Sexy". She informs Will that the members of New Directions are woefully ignorant about sex. He invites her to teach the glee club about safe sex, and she performs a rendition of Joan Jett's "Do You Wanna Touch Me (Oh Yeah)", much to the chagrin of the new head of the celibacy club, guidance counselor Emma (Jayma Mays). Holly advises Puck and Lauren (Ashley Fink) that the sex tape they plan to make is illegal, as both are minors, and helps Brittany (Heather Morris) and Santana (Naya Rivera) start to come to terms with their true feelings for each other, later performing "Landslide" with them in front of the club. When Emma's choice of "Afternoon Delight" as an abstinence song reveals her sexual naivete, her husband Carl (John Stamos) asks Holly for an appointment for him and Emma to work out issues in their sex life. During the counseling session, he reveals that Emma is still a virgin, and in answer to a question from Holly, Emma admits that she may still have feelings for Will. At the end of the episode, Holly begins a relationship with Will.
Source: Holly Holliday (CC BY-SA)
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In January 2014, it was confirmed that Gwyneth Paltrow would reprise her role as Holly for the show's special two-part hundredth episode, among other past guest stars. In the episode, Holly slides through the class after being invited by an apologetic April Rhodes (Kristin Chenoweth) to keep the spirit of the glee kids and alumni up by performing. She refuses to follow Will's assignment of redoing the songs they performed, and instead sings "Happy". She and April vow to try to save the glee club after seeing Will giving a pep talk to the alumni. In the following episode, it is revealed that she and Sue remain best friends and auditioned for The Amazing Race together, going by the name "Team Gorgeous". She asks Sue to give glee club a chance to slip onto other clubs at school and Sue gives her a week to try. After her performance of "Party All the Time" got parents mad, Will told her to stop trying as he has
