Puck (Glee)
Encyclopedia
Noah "Puck" Puckerman is a fictional character
from the Fox
musical
comedy-drama
series Glee
. The character is portrayed by actor Mark Salling, and has appeared in Glee from its pilot episode
, first broadcast on May 19, 2009. Puck was developed by Glee creators Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk
and Ian Brennan
. He is Finn
's best friend and football teammate, who initially disapproves of Finn joining the New Directions glee club
at the fictional William McKinley High School in Lima, Ohio
, where the show is set, but he eventually joins it himself. In 2010, Salling was nominated for the Teen Choice Award for Choice TV: Breakout Star Male
for his work as Puck, and in 2011 for the Choice TV: Scene Stealer Male
category.
(Naya Rivera
) that seems to be casual, though Santana confronts both Mercedes Jones
(Amber Riley
) and Lauren Zizes
(Ashley Fink
) when Puck starts pursuing them in the first and second seasons respectively. He falls in love with Quinn Fabray
(Dianna Agron
) after he takes her virginity and impregnates her despite the fact that she's dating his best friend Finn Hudson
(Cory Monteith
) at the time, but he can't give up flirting with and seducing others even when Quinn contemplates raising the baby-to-be with him as he wants rather than giving it up for adoption, since she refuses to have sex with him again. The brief pairing of Puck with Rachel Berry (Lea Michele
) in the episode "Mash-Up
", spurred by his mother urging him to find a Jewish girlfriend, dissolves because he wants Quinn and she wants Finn. Series creator Ryan Murphy was surprised by the positive fan response to their pairing, which he described as "strange and bizarre", explaining that he had believed fans would prefer Rachel to be with Finn. As a result of the response, Murphy planned to revisit their romance later in the season, though nothing much came of it.
In the second season, Puck recruits Lauren to join the glee club when the club needs a twelfth member in order to participate in the Sectionals competition. Within a couple of months, he has fallen in love with her, but she doesn't succumb to his blandishments, and he's forced to woo her over a long period of time, starting as friends. He supports her in her first solo for glee club and runs her campaign for prom queen. They are still a couple at the end of the school year. Television critics have responded positively to the pairing. Robert Canning of IGN
wrote: "The absolute best part of 'Silly Love Songs' was Puckerman's unexpected longing for Lauren Zizes." He added, "The Lauren and Puck pairing came with a lot of laughs, but just as much heart. Puck singing Queen's "Fat Bottomed Girls" induced a chuckle at first, then some toe tapping. But it was Lauren's reaction that truly made the moment: 'That's the first song you've sung to me and it made me feel like crap.' I can't decide if I want to root for this couple, but I certainly know I'm going to be rooting for Lauren." Todd VanDerWerff of The A.V. Club
commented, "For me, the episode's highlight was the very sweet, funny courtship between Puck and Lauren. This may be because the writers have trouble writing for a self-professed bad boy, even though his escapades are straight out of Archie comics and not actually all that 'bad' at all. But it’s always fun to watch Salling sing, and it’s always fun to watch him be smitten. Fink ends up being a good match for him, chemistry-wise, as she projects a confidence and certainty that makes it immediately obvious just what Puck sees in Lauren. The storyline also played out like both characters had something approaching real feelings."
In the fourth episode of the third season, Puck and the adoptive mother of his child Shelby Corcorran kiss.
in their faces. It is later revealed that he is Jewish. He is the best friend of Finn, the quarterback, and has a summer pool-cleaning business that leads to sexual encounters with his adult female clients. He also has sex with fellow students, including in an on-again, off-again relationship with Santana, a cheerleader, which doesn’t end for good until the middle of the second season. Puck initially acts homophobic and mocks Finn for joining the school glee club
, New Directions, but later becomes a part of glee club director Will Schuester
's (Matthew Morrison
) all-male a cappella
group, the Acafellas, hoping to impress the mothers at a performance for the school's PTA meeting. When Finn's girlfriend Quinn becomes pregnant and tells Finn the baby is his, Puck realizes that he is the true father, and offers to support Quinn. She turns him down, calling him a "Lima loser". Puck briefly dates Rachel, the glee club lead vocalist, after his mother urges him to find a Jewish girlfriend; Rachel is initially resistant, but agrees after Puck sings "Sweet Caroline
" for her in front of the glee club.
When the glee club holds a bake sale to pay for a wheelchair-accessible bus so Artie
(Kevin McHale) can ride with the club to Sectionals competition, it only succeeds because Puck makes a special, popular cupcake recipe—he secretly adds pot, which gives everyone the munchies. He offers a wad of cash to Quinn to show he’d be a good father and provider; she figures out that it’s the money from the bake sale, and refuses to accept it, though she thanks him and apologizes for calling him a "Lima loser". Quinn reconsiders her plan to have the baby adopted and gives Puck a chance to prove himself by helping her to babysit Terri Schuester
's (Jessalyn Gilsig
) three nephews. Puck impresses her, but Quinn later learns that he spent part of the time sexting
Santana. He claims that he would be a good father, but he cannot remain in a committed relationship with Quinn if she refuses to have sex with him; Quinn returns to her original plan of giving the baby to Terri, who is faking a pregnancy to hold on to Will. Rachel begins to suspect that Puck is the father of Quinn's baby and tells Finn. Finn attacks Puck and confronts Quinn, who admits the truth. Puck again offers to be with Quinn, but she turns him down and tells him she wants to be alone, though she moves in with Puck's family since her parents had kicked her out and she can no longer stay at Finn’s house.
In the episode "Laryngitis
", when Puck's mohawk
is shaved off by his doctor, he finds the other McKinley students no longer respect him as a badass. He briefly dates fellow glee club member Mercedes, then a popular cheerleader, to restore his status. His plan works, but he and Mercedes ultimately have little in common, and break up when she quits cheerleading and he returns to his bullying ways. In the first season finale, "Journey to Regionals", Quinn goes into labor immediately after the club performs at the Regionals competition, and Puck is in the delivery room when Quinn give birth to a baby girl, whom Puck names Beth. When Puck and Quinn visit their baby in the hospital nursery, Puck tells Quinn that he loves her. Beth is adopted by Rachel's birth mother Shelby Corcoran (Idina Menzel
), the coach of Vocal Adrenaline, the show choir that defeated New Directions at Regionals.
", Puck is interviewed by blogger Jacob Ben Israel (Josh Sussman
) and reveals that he had a vasectomy over the summer, saying it was the only responsible thing to do. Soon after the school year begins, Puck is arrested and sent to a juvenile detention center for driving his mother's car through a convenience store window and driving off with the ATM
. He returns in "Never Been Kissed
", but he is now on probation
and helps Artie out in an attempt to satisfy his community service
. Though he acts tougher than ever to his classmates, Puck eventually confesses to Artie that he was terrified in juvie, and the two come to the agreement that Artie will tutor Puck, who has to pick up trash to fulfill his community service requirements. In "Special Education
", Puck is asked by Will to find a new glee club member to replace Kurt
(Chris Colfer
), who has left McKinley and New Directions. He tries to recruit from the football team, but they lock him in a port-a-potty; he is rescued the next day by Lauren Zizes, who becomes the club's new twelfth member. Puck makes out with Rachel at her instigation, but leaves abruptly, realizing that he doesn't want to betray Finn for a second time, though Finn breaks up with Rachel when she confesses to him about it. Puck and Finn finally settle their differences in "The Sue Sylvester Shuffle
", and work together to help the football team win its first-ever championship.
In the episode "Silly Love Songs
", Puck unexpectedly falls for Lauren, and performs the song "Fat Bottomed Girls
" by Queen
, which expresses his love of Lauren's bigger body type, but Lauren is offended by the song. Santana, unhappy with being deserted by Puck, slaps Lauren in front of him to warn her away, and Lauren tosses her around like she was nothing, leaving her dazed. Puck immediately begs Lauren to go out with him. She ultimately agrees to go on a pre-Valentine's date with him, but stands him up. Puck clumsily tells Lauren he likes her, not because of her looks but because of her "badass-ness"; Lauren says she is not looking for something casual. They go out on Valentine's Day "as friends", though Puck is clearly hoping for more in the future. In the episode "Sexy
", Lauren tells Puck she's decided to make a sex tape to help her become famous, to his delight, but their plans are dashed when substitute sex education teacher Holly Holliday
(Gwyneth Paltrow
) informs them that as both are underage it would be considered child pornography. As part of a class assignment in the episode "Original Song
", Puck writes and sings a song for Lauren—"Big Ass Heart"—that she likes. In "Born This Way
", Puck discovers that Lauren had been a child beauty queen; he tells her he will run a campaign for her to become that year’s prom queen, and be her king. After candidate Quinn insults Lauren’s candidacy, Puck helps Lauren dig up dirt on Quinn, but the tactic backfires. Neither Puck nor Lauren win the race for prom queen and king, but they remain a couple; they fly with the rest of New Directions to the nationals competition in New York City, where the glee club comes in twelfth out of fifty teams.
available for digital download
and are also featured in the show's soundtrack album
s. He usually accompanies himself on the guitar for solo songs, including "Sweet Caroline", "Only the Good Die Young", "Fat Bottomed Girls", and the song ostensibly composed by Puck, "Big Ass Heart".
Neil Diamond's "Sweet Caroline" was his first solo number, in the episode "Mash-Up", and received favorable reviews from critics, and also from Diamond himself, who had initially been reluctant to license the number to the show. Following the episode's broadcast, Diamond posted his approval on the social networking website Twitter
, writing: "Hey, so who's this guy Puck singing 'Sweet Caroline' so good, so good, so good on #Glee? Loved it!!" Raymund Flandez of The Wall Street Journal
described Puck's voice on the song as "earthly, sensual and full", and Entertainment Weekly
Michael Slezak said that Salling did "more than a serviceable job". "Sweet Caroline" was released as a single
, available for digital download
, and charted at number 34 in the US, 22 in Canada and 37 in Australia.
" that we finally saw him "emerging from his bonehead-punk exterior", and that he "wows us with his sensitive, cool guy turn as a solo singer" performing “Sweet Caroline”. In his review of the following episode, "Wheels
", Todd VanDerWerff of The A.V. Club
wrote, "Mark Salling just seems to have a ridiculous amount of chemistry with all of the female cast members in the show, and it's fun to see him and Dianna Agron get in that food fight. Again, fun stuff, but a serious emotional core that keeps the show grounded."
for his performance as Puck. His Glee castmate, Kevin McHale (Artie), was also nominated in that category, but neither actor won the award. In 2011, he was nominated for the Teen Choice Award for Choice TV: Scene Stealer Male
along with Glee castmate Chris Colfer (Kurt); again, neither actor won.
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
from the Fox
Fox Broadcasting Company
Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...
musical
Musical film
The musical film is a film genre in which songs sung by the characters are interwoven into the narrative, sometimes accompanied by dancing. The songs usually advance the plot or develop the film's characters, though in some cases they serve merely as breaks in the storyline, often as elaborate...
comedy-drama
Comedy-drama
Comedy-drama is a genre of theatre, film and television programs which combines humorous and serious content.-Theatre:Traditional western theatre, beginning with the ancient Greeks, was divided into comedy and tragedy...
series Glee
Glee (TV series)
Glee is an American musical comedy-drama television series that airs on Fox in the United States, and on GlobalTV in Canada. It focuses on the high school glee club New Directions competing on the show choir competition circuit, while its members deal with relationships, sexuality and social issues...
. The character is portrayed by actor Mark Salling, and has appeared in Glee from its pilot episode
Pilot (Glee)
"Pilot" is the pilot episode of the television series Glee, which premiered on the Fox network on May 19, 2009. An extended director's cut version aired on September 2, 2009. The show focuses on a high school show choir, also known as a glee club, set within the fictional William McKinley High...
, first broadcast on May 19, 2009. Puck was developed by Glee creators Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk
Brad Falchuk
Brad Falchuk is a television writer, director and producer. He is best known for his work on the television series Nip/Tuck, Glee, and American Horror Story.-Early life:...
and Ian Brennan
Ian Brennan (writer)
Ian Brennan is a television writer, actor and producer. He is best known for his work on the television show Glee.-Early life:Brennan is the son of John and Charman Brennan. His sister, Sarah Brennan, is one of the founders of in Chicago...
. He is Finn
Finn Hudson
Finn Hudson is a fictional character from the Fox musical comedy-drama series Glee. The character is portrayed by actor Cory Monteith, and has appeared in Glee from its pilot episode, first broadcast on May 19, 2009. Finn was developed by Glee creators Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk and Ian Brennan...
's best friend and football teammate, who initially disapproves of Finn joining the New Directions glee club
Glee club
A glee club is a musical group or choir group, historically of male voices but also of female or mixed voices, which traditionally specializes in the singing of short songs—glees—by trios or quartets. In the late 19th Century it was very popular in most schools and was made a tradition...
at the fictional William McKinley High School in Lima, Ohio
Lima, Ohio
Lima is a city in and the county seat of Allen County, Ohio, United States. The municipality is located in northwestern Ohio along Interstate 75 approximately north of Dayton and south-southwest of Toledo....
, where the show is set, but he eventually joins it himself. In 2010, Salling was nominated for the Teen Choice Award for Choice TV: Breakout Star Male
2010 Teen Choice Awards
2010 Teen Choice Awards were held on August 8, introducing a lot of new categories now separated into "Movie", "TV", "Music", "Summer", "Fashion" and "Other". The show aired on August 9, 2010 on Fox, co-hosted by Katy Perry, who also performed, and Cory Monteith, Chris Colfer, Kevin McHale, and...
for his work as Puck, and in 2011 for the Choice TV: Scene Stealer Male
2011 Teen Choice Awards
The 2011 Teen Choice Awards hosted by Kaley Cuoco aired live on August 7, 2011 at 8/7c on Fox. This was the first time that the ceremonies were aired live since the 2007 show...
category.
Casting and creation
Puck is played by Mark Salling. He has also been portrayed as a preschooler by Matthew Lepper in the episode "The Substitute". Salling had sent 100 packets to agents and managers, and "one called me and submitted me for Glee that day in her office." He had five auditions for Glee before being cast as Puck.Characterization
Salling found it challenging to make the character "more than two-dimensional so he can be likable at the same time", which necessitated "find[ing] the balance between arrogance and cocky and sensible and likable". He recalled that "in the breakdown for the show, when they were describing his character in the very beginning, it's like Puck: a man-child." Salling explained that Puck has "stars in his eyes, he's hoping to get out of this small town." Salling gained 20 pounds (9.1 kg) before filming the pilot episode in order to better embody his football playing character. He then lost 30 pounds (13.6 kg) for a scene in the third episode that required him to be toned, which he described as "an extreme experience".Relationships
Puck's main basis for relationships at the beginning is sexual rather than romantic. He has sexual encounters with his female pool-cleaning clients and fellow students, including a recurrent relationship with cheerleader Santana LopezSantana Lopez
Santana Lopez is a fictional character from the Fox musical comedy-drama series Glee. The character is portrayed by actress Naya Rivera, and has appeared in Glee from its pilot episode, first broadcast on May 19, 2009. Santana was developed by Glee creators Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk and Ian Brennan...
(Naya Rivera
Naya Rivera
Naya Marie Rivera is an American actress and singer known for her role in the musical comedy television series Glee, as cheerleader Santana Lopez.-Early life:...
) that seems to be casual, though Santana confronts both Mercedes Jones
Mercedes Jones
Mercedes Jones is a fictional character from the Fox popular musical comedy-drama series Glee. The character is portrayed by actress Amber Riley, and has appeared in Glee from its pilot episode, first broadcast on May 19, 2009. Mercedes was developed by Glee creators Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk and...
(Amber Riley
Amber Riley
Amber Patrice Riley is an American actress and singer best known for her role on the series Glee as Mercedes Jones.-Early life and career:...
) and Lauren Zizes
Lauren Zizes
Lauren Zizes is a recurring fictional character from the Fox musical comedy-drama series, Glee. The character is portrayed by actress Ashley Fink, and has appeared in Glee since the season one episode "Wheels", first broadcast on November 11, 2009. Lauren was developed by Glee creators Ryan...
(Ashley Fink
Ashley Fink
Ashley Rae Fink is an American actress, known for her role as Lauren Zizes in the television series Glee, and also as Carter McMahon in Huge.-Personal life:...
) when Puck starts pursuing them in the first and second seasons respectively. He falls in love with Quinn Fabray
Quinn Fabray
Quinn Fabray is a fictional character from the Fox musical comedy-drama series Glee. The character is portrayed by actress Dianna Agron, and has appeared in Glee since its pilot episode, first broadcast on May 19, 2009. She is a former cheerleader at the fictional William McKinley High School in...
(Dianna Agron
Dianna Agron
Dianna Agron is an American actress, best known for her portrayal of Quinn Fabray on the television series Glee.-Early life:Dianna Agron was born in Savannah, Georgia, and raised in San Antonio, Texas and San Francisco, California. She is the daughter of Mary and Ronald S. Agron, a general...
) after he takes her virginity and impregnates her despite the fact that she's dating his best friend Finn Hudson
Finn Hudson
Finn Hudson is a fictional character from the Fox musical comedy-drama series Glee. The character is portrayed by actor Cory Monteith, and has appeared in Glee from its pilot episode, first broadcast on May 19, 2009. Finn was developed by Glee creators Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk and Ian Brennan...
(Cory Monteith
Cory Monteith
Cory Allan Monteith is a Canadian actor and musician, best known for his role of Finn Hudson on the Fox television series Glee.-Early life:...
) at the time, but he can't give up flirting with and seducing others even when Quinn contemplates raising the baby-to-be with him as he wants rather than giving it up for adoption, since she refuses to have sex with him again. The brief pairing of Puck with Rachel Berry (Lea Michele
Lea Michele
Lea Michele Sarfati , known professionally as Lea Michele, is an American actress and singer. Michele began working professionally as a child actress on Broadway in productions such as Ragtime and Les Misérables. She originated the role of Wendla in the musical Spring Awakening and currently plays...
) in the episode "Mash-Up
Mash-Up (Glee)
"Mash-Up" is the eighth episode of the American television series Glee. The episode premiered on the Fox network on October 21, 2009. It was written by series co-creator Ian Brennan and directed by Elodie Keene...
", spurred by his mother urging him to find a Jewish girlfriend, dissolves because he wants Quinn and she wants Finn. Series creator Ryan Murphy was surprised by the positive fan response to their pairing, which he described as "strange and bizarre", explaining that he had believed fans would prefer Rachel to be with Finn. As a result of the response, Murphy planned to revisit their romance later in the season, though nothing much came of it.
In the second season, Puck recruits Lauren to join the glee club when the club needs a twelfth member in order to participate in the Sectionals competition. Within a couple of months, he has fallen in love with her, but she doesn't succumb to his blandishments, and he's forced to woo her over a long period of time, starting as friends. He supports her in her first solo for glee club and runs her campaign for prom queen. They are still a couple at the end of the school year. Television critics have responded positively to the pairing. Robert Canning of IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
wrote: "The absolute best part of 'Silly Love Songs' was Puckerman's unexpected longing for Lauren Zizes." He added, "The Lauren and Puck pairing came with a lot of laughs, but just as much heart. Puck singing Queen's "Fat Bottomed Girls" induced a chuckle at first, then some toe tapping. But it was Lauren's reaction that truly made the moment: 'That's the first song you've sung to me and it made me feel like crap.' I can't decide if I want to root for this couple, but I certainly know I'm going to be rooting for Lauren." Todd VanDerWerff of The A.V. Club
The A.V. Club
The A.V. Club is an entertainment newspaper and website published by The Onion. Its features include reviews of new films, music, television, books, games and DVDs, as well as interviews and other regular offerings examining both new and classic media and other elements of pop culture. Unlike its...
commented, "For me, the episode's highlight was the very sweet, funny courtship between Puck and Lauren. This may be because the writers have trouble writing for a self-professed bad boy, even though his escapades are straight out of Archie comics and not actually all that 'bad' at all. But it’s always fun to watch Salling sing, and it’s always fun to watch him be smitten. Fink ends up being a good match for him, chemistry-wise, as she projects a confidence and certainty that makes it immediately obvious just what Puck sees in Lauren. The storyline also played out like both characters had something approaching real feelings."
In the fourth episode of the third season, Puck and the adoptive mother of his child Shelby Corcorran kiss.
Season 1
Puck is introduced as a football player and bully at William McKinley High School; he is frequently seen throwing fellow students into dumpsters, or tossing slushiesSlush (beverage)
A slush is a flavored frozen drink.There are a number of different kinds of slush drinks:* Frozen carbonated beverages, typified by the Slurpee or ICEE, are made by freezing a carbonated drink. These machines are complicated and expensive, and notably require a carbon dioxide supply...
in their faces. It is later revealed that he is Jewish. He is the best friend of Finn, the quarterback, and has a summer pool-cleaning business that leads to sexual encounters with his adult female clients. He also has sex with fellow students, including in an on-again, off-again relationship with Santana, a cheerleader, which doesn’t end for good until the middle of the second season. Puck initially acts homophobic and mocks Finn for joining the school glee club
Glee club
A glee club is a musical group or choir group, historically of male voices but also of female or mixed voices, which traditionally specializes in the singing of short songs—glees—by trios or quartets. In the late 19th Century it was very popular in most schools and was made a tradition...
, New Directions, but later becomes a part of glee club director Will Schuester
Will Schuester
William "Will" Schuester, often referred to as Mr. Schue, is a fictional character from the Fox musical comedy-drama series Glee. The character is portrayed by actor Matthew Morrison and has appeared in Glee since its pilot episode, first broadcast on May 19, 2009. Will was developed by Glee...
's (Matthew Morrison
Matthew Morrison
Matthew James "Matt" Morrison is an American actor, director, musician, and singer-songwriter. He is best known for starring in multiple Broadway and Off-Broadway productions, including his portrayal of Link Larkin in Hairspray on Broadway, and most notably for his Emmy and Golden Globe nominated...
) all-male a cappella
A cappella
A cappella music is specifically solo or group singing without instrumental sound, or a piece intended to be performed in this way. It is the opposite of cantata, which is accompanied singing. A cappella was originally intended to differentiate between Renaissance polyphony and Baroque concertato...
group, the Acafellas, hoping to impress the mothers at a performance for the school's PTA meeting. When Finn's girlfriend Quinn becomes pregnant and tells Finn the baby is his, Puck realizes that he is the true father, and offers to support Quinn. She turns him down, calling him a "Lima loser". Puck briefly dates Rachel, the glee club lead vocalist, after his mother urges him to find a Jewish girlfriend; Rachel is initially resistant, but agrees after Puck sings "Sweet Caroline
Sweet Caroline
"Sweet Caroline" is a pop song written and performed by Neil Diamond and officially released on September 16, 1969, as a single. It was later released on December 9, 1972 as a part of Diamond's Hot August Night album. There are three distinct mixes of this song...
" for her in front of the glee club.
When the glee club holds a bake sale to pay for a wheelchair-accessible bus so Artie
Artie Abrams
Artie Abrams is a fictional character from the Fox musical comedy-drama series Glee. The character is portrayed by actor Kevin McHale, and has appeared in Glee from its pilot episode, first broadcast on May 19, 2009. Artie was developed by Glee creators Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk and Ian Brennan...
(Kevin McHale) can ride with the club to Sectionals competition, it only succeeds because Puck makes a special, popular cupcake recipe—he secretly adds pot, which gives everyone the munchies. He offers a wad of cash to Quinn to show he’d be a good father and provider; she figures out that it’s the money from the bake sale, and refuses to accept it, though she thanks him and apologizes for calling him a "Lima loser". Quinn reconsiders her plan to have the baby adopted and gives Puck a chance to prove himself by helping her to babysit Terri Schuester
Terri Schuester
Terri Schuester is a fictional character from the Fox musical comedy-drama series Glee. The character is portrayed by actress Jessalyn Gilsig, and has appeared in Glee from its pilot episode, first broadcast on May 19, 2009. Terri was developed by Glee creators Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk and Ian...
's (Jessalyn Gilsig
Jessalyn Gilsig
Jessalyn Gilsig is a Canadian actress known for her roles in the television series Boston Public, Nip/Tuck and as Will Schuester's ex-wife Terri Schuester in Glee...
) three nephews. Puck impresses her, but Quinn later learns that he spent part of the time sexting
Sexting
Sexting is the act of sending sexually explicit messages or photographs, primarily between mobile phones. The term was first popularized in early 21st century, and is a portmanteau of sex and texting, where the latter is meant in the wide sense of sending a text possibly with...
Santana. He claims that he would be a good father, but he cannot remain in a committed relationship with Quinn if she refuses to have sex with him; Quinn returns to her original plan of giving the baby to Terri, who is faking a pregnancy to hold on to Will. Rachel begins to suspect that Puck is the father of Quinn's baby and tells Finn. Finn attacks Puck and confronts Quinn, who admits the truth. Puck again offers to be with Quinn, but she turns him down and tells him she wants to be alone, though she moves in with Puck's family since her parents had kicked her out and she can no longer stay at Finn’s house.
In the episode "Laryngitis
Laryngitis (Glee)
"Laryngitis" is the 18th episode of the American television series Glee. The episode premiered on the Fox network on May 11, 2010. It was directed by Alfonso Gomez-Rejon and written by series creator Ryan Murphy. In "Laryngitis", glee club member Puck dates Mercedes in an attempt to raise his...
", when Puck's mohawk
Mohawk hairstyle
The mohawk is a hairstyle in which, in the most common variety, both sides of the head are shaven, leaving a strip of noticeably longer hair...
is shaved off by his doctor, he finds the other McKinley students no longer respect him as a badass. He briefly dates fellow glee club member Mercedes, then a popular cheerleader, to restore his status. His plan works, but he and Mercedes ultimately have little in common, and break up when she quits cheerleading and he returns to his bullying ways. In the first season finale, "Journey to Regionals", Quinn goes into labor immediately after the club performs at the Regionals competition, and Puck is in the delivery room when Quinn give birth to a baby girl, whom Puck names Beth. When Puck and Quinn visit their baby in the hospital nursery, Puck tells Quinn that he loves her. Beth is adopted by Rachel's birth mother Shelby Corcoran (Idina Menzel
Idina Menzel
Idina Kim Menzel is an American actress, singer and songwriter. She is widely known for originating the roles of Maureen in Rent and Elphaba in Wicked.-Early life:...
), the coach of Vocal Adrenaline, the show choir that defeated New Directions at Regionals.
Season 2
In the season opener, "AuditionAudition (Glee)
"Audition" is the second season premiere and 23rd episode overall of the American television series Glee. The episode was written by Ian Brennan, directed by Brad Falchuk, and premiered on the Fox network on September 21, 2010...
", Puck is interviewed by blogger Jacob Ben Israel (Josh Sussman
Josh Sussman
Josh Sussman is an American actor, best known for his role as Hugh Normous in Wizards of Waverly Place and his role as Jacob Ben Israel in Glee.-Biography:Sussman grew up in Teaneck, New Jersey...
) and reveals that he had a vasectomy over the summer, saying it was the only responsible thing to do. Soon after the school year begins, Puck is arrested and sent to a juvenile detention center for driving his mother's car through a convenience store window and driving off with the ATM
Automated teller machine
An automated teller machine or automatic teller machine, also known as a Cashpoint , cash machine or sometimes a hole in the wall in British English, is a computerised telecommunications device that provides the clients of a financial institution with access to financial transactions in a public...
. He returns in "Never Been Kissed
Never Been Kissed (Glee)
"Never Been Kissed" is the sixth episode of the second season of the American television series Glee, and the 28th episode overall. It was written by Brad Falchuk, directed by Bradley Buecker and premiered on Fox on November 9, 2010. In "Never Been Kissed", the glee club members are assigned a boys...
", but he is now on probation
Probation
Probation literally means testing of behaviour or abilities. In a legal sense, an offender on probation is ordered to follow certain conditions set forth by the court, often under the supervision of a probation officer...
and helps Artie out in an attempt to satisfy his community service
Community service
Community service is donated service or activity that is performed by someone or a group of people for the benefit of the public or its institutions....
. Though he acts tougher than ever to his classmates, Puck eventually confesses to Artie that he was terrified in juvie, and the two come to the agreement that Artie will tutor Puck, who has to pick up trash to fulfill his community service requirements. In "Special Education
Special Education (Glee)
"Special Education" is the ninth episode of the second season of the American musical television series Glee, and the 31st episode overall. It was written by series creator Brad Falchuk, directed by Paris Barclay, and aired on Fox in the United States on November 30, 2010...
", Puck is asked by Will to find a new glee club member to replace Kurt
Kurt Hummel
Kurt Hummel is a fictional character and one of the male leads in the Fox musical comedy-drama series Glee. Series creators Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk and Ian Brennan initially conceived of him as a fashionable gay countertenor who is routinely bullied at school...
(Chris Colfer
Chris Colfer
Christopher Paul "Chris" Colfer is an American actor and singer known for his portrayal of Kurt Hummel on the television series Glee, for which he won a 2011 Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actor and was also nominated twice for an Emmy...
), who has left McKinley and New Directions. He tries to recruit from the football team, but they lock him in a port-a-potty; he is rescued the next day by Lauren Zizes, who becomes the club's new twelfth member. Puck makes out with Rachel at her instigation, but leaves abruptly, realizing that he doesn't want to betray Finn for a second time, though Finn breaks up with Rachel when she confesses to him about it. Puck and Finn finally settle their differences in "The Sue Sylvester Shuffle
The Sue Sylvester Shuffle
"The Sue Sylvester Shuffle" is the eleventh episode of the second season of the American musical television series Glee, and the 33rd episode overall. It was written by Ian Brennan, directed by Brad Falchuk, and was broadcast immediately following Super Bowl XLV on February 6, 2011...
", and work together to help the football team win its first-ever championship.
In the episode "Silly Love Songs
Silly Love Songs (Glee)
"Silly Love Songs" is the twelfth episode of the second season of the American musical television series Glee, and the 34th overall. The Valentine's Day-themed episode was written by series creator Ryan Murphy, directed by Tate Donovan, and premiered on Fox on February 8, 2011...
", Puck unexpectedly falls for Lauren, and performs the song "Fat Bottomed Girls
Fat Bottomed Girls
"Fat Bottomed Girls" is a song by the English rock band Queen. Written by guitarist Brian May, the track featured on their 1978 album Jazz, and also appears on the band's compilation album, Greatest Hits...
" by Queen
Queen (band)
Queen are a British rock band formed in London in 1971, originally consisting of Freddie Mercury , Brian May , John Deacon , and Roger Taylor...
, which expresses his love of Lauren's bigger body type, but Lauren is offended by the song. Santana, unhappy with being deserted by Puck, slaps Lauren in front of him to warn her away, and Lauren tosses her around like she was nothing, leaving her dazed. Puck immediately begs Lauren to go out with him. She ultimately agrees to go on a pre-Valentine's date with him, but stands him up. Puck clumsily tells Lauren he likes her, not because of her looks but because of her "badass-ness"; Lauren says she is not looking for something casual. They go out on Valentine's Day "as friends", though Puck is clearly hoping for more in the future. In the episode "Sexy
Sexy (Glee)
"Sexy" is the fifteenth episode of the second season of the American television series Glee, and the 37th overall. It was written by Brad Falchuk, directed by Ryan Murphy, and premiered on Fox on March 8, 2011. This episode mainly revolves around the topics of sex and adolescent sexuality...
", Lauren tells Puck she's decided to make a sex tape to help her become famous, to his delight, but their plans are dashed when substitute sex education teacher Holly Holliday
Holly Holliday
Holly Holliday is a recurring fictional character from the Fox musical comedy-drama series, Glee. The character is portrayed by actress Gwyneth Paltrow, and appeared three times during the show's the second season. Holly is Paltrow's first-ever role in a scripted television show...
(Gwyneth Paltrow
Gwyneth Paltrow
Gwyneth Kate Paltrow is an American actress and singer. She made her acting debut on stage in 1990 and started appearing in films in 1991. After appearing in several films throughout the decade, Paltrow gained early notice for her work in films such as Se7en and Emma...
) informs them that as both are underage it would be considered child pornography. As part of a class assignment in the episode "Original Song
Original Song
"Original Song" is the sixteenth episode of the second season of the American television series Glee, and the 38th episode overall. It was written by Ryan Murphy, directed by Bradley Buecker, and premiered on Fox in the United States on March 15, 2011...
", Puck writes and sings a song for Lauren—"Big Ass Heart"—that she likes. In "Born This Way
Born This Way (Glee)
"Born This Way" is the eighteenth episode of the second season of the American television series Glee, and the 40th episode overall. It originally aired on Fox in the United States on April 26, 2011. The episode was written by Brad Falchuk and directed by Alfonso Gomez-Rejon, and is a tribute to...
", Puck discovers that Lauren had been a child beauty queen; he tells her he will run a campaign for her to become that year’s prom queen, and be her king. After candidate Quinn insults Lauren’s candidacy, Puck helps Lauren dig up dirt on Quinn, but the tactic backfires. Neither Puck nor Lauren win the race for prom queen and king, but they remain a couple; they fly with the rest of New Directions to the nationals competition in New York City, where the glee club comes in twelfth out of fifty teams.
Musical performances
As Puck, Salling features in many songs that have been released as singlesSingle (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
available for digital download
Music download
A music download is the transferral of music from an Internet-facing computer or website to a user's local computer. This term encompasses both legal downloads and downloads of copyright material without permission or payment...
and are also featured in the show's soundtrack album
Soundtrack album
A soundtrack album is any album that incorporates music directly recorded from the soundtrack of a particular feature film or television program. In some cases, not all the tracks from the movie are included in the album; however there are rare cases of songs in the trailers that do not appear in...
s. He usually accompanies himself on the guitar for solo songs, including "Sweet Caroline", "Only the Good Die Young", "Fat Bottomed Girls", and the song ostensibly composed by Puck, "Big Ass Heart".
Neil Diamond's "Sweet Caroline" was his first solo number, in the episode "Mash-Up", and received favorable reviews from critics, and also from Diamond himself, who had initially been reluctant to license the number to the show. Following the episode's broadcast, Diamond posted his approval on the social networking website Twitter
Twitter
Twitter is an online social networking and microblogging service that enables its users to send and read text-based posts of up to 140 characters, informally known as "tweets".Twitter was created in March 2006 by Jack Dorsey and launched that July...
, writing: "Hey, so who's this guy Puck singing 'Sweet Caroline' so good, so good, so good on #Glee? Loved it!!" Raymund Flandez of The Wall Street Journal
The Wall Street Journal
The Wall Street Journal is an American English-language international daily newspaper. It is published in New York City by Dow Jones & Company, a division of News Corporation, along with the Asian and European editions of the Journal....
described Puck's voice on the song as "earthly, sensual and full", and Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
Michael Slezak said that Salling did "more than a serviceable job". "Sweet Caroline" was released as a single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
, available for digital download
Music download
A music download is the transferral of music from an Internet-facing computer or website to a user's local computer. This term encompasses both legal downloads and downloads of copyright material without permission or payment...
, and charted at number 34 in the US, 22 in Canada and 37 in Australia.
Critical response
Salling as Puck has received some positive reviews. Flandez said of Puck in the first season episode "Mash-UpMash-Up (Glee)
"Mash-Up" is the eighth episode of the American television series Glee. The episode premiered on the Fox network on October 21, 2009. It was written by series co-creator Ian Brennan and directed by Elodie Keene...
" that we finally saw him "emerging from his bonehead-punk exterior", and that he "wows us with his sensitive, cool guy turn as a solo singer" performing “Sweet Caroline”. In his review of the following episode, "Wheels
Wheels (Glee)
"Wheels" is the ninth episode of the American television series Glee. Written by series creator Ryan Murphy and directed by Paris Barclay, the episode premiered on the Fox network on November 11, 2009...
", Todd VanDerWerff of The A.V. Club
The A.V. Club
The A.V. Club is an entertainment newspaper and website published by The Onion. Its features include reviews of new films, music, television, books, games and DVDs, as well as interviews and other regular offerings examining both new and classic media and other elements of pop culture. Unlike its...
wrote, "Mark Salling just seems to have a ridiculous amount of chemistry with all of the female cast members in the show, and it's fun to see him and Dianna Agron get in that food fight. Again, fun stuff, but a serious emotional core that keeps the show grounded."
Accolades
In 2010, Salling was nominated for the Teen Choice Award for Choice TV: Breakout Star Male2010 Teen Choice Awards
2010 Teen Choice Awards were held on August 8, introducing a lot of new categories now separated into "Movie", "TV", "Music", "Summer", "Fashion" and "Other". The show aired on August 9, 2010 on Fox, co-hosted by Katy Perry, who also performed, and Cory Monteith, Chris Colfer, Kevin McHale, and...
for his performance as Puck. His Glee castmate, Kevin McHale (Artie), was also nominated in that category, but neither actor won the award. In 2011, he was nominated for the Teen Choice Award for Choice TV: Scene Stealer Male
2011 Teen Choice Awards
The 2011 Teen Choice Awards hosted by Kaley Cuoco aired live on August 7, 2011 at 8/7c on Fox. This was the first time that the ceremonies were aired live since the 2007 show...
along with Glee castmate Chris Colfer (Kurt); again, neither actor won.
External links
- Puck at Fox.comFox Broadcasting CompanyFox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...