AceShowbiz - After two years as Melchior Gabor in "Spring Awakening', Jonathan Groff[ was offered a role on "[t=Glee", a TV show featuring his "Spring Awakening" co-star, Lea Michele. Groff declined, feeling that doing another seven years of playing a singing teenager would not provide artistic growth. Ryan Murphy, the show's creator, revealed that he had written "Glee" with Groff and Michele in mind.

Groff explained his decision to Vanity Fair, stating that he wanted to act and saw the "Glee" role as more of the same. Instead, he chose to do off-Broadway plays, which he believed offered greater artistic opportunities.

Despite initially turning down "Glee", Groff eventually joined the show in a recurring role as Jesse St. James. This allowed him to balance his love for singing with his desire to pursue acting. By doing so, he experienced the best of both worlds.