"I imagine that season two was a bit overwhelming. The show was the hottest thing on television. Your faces were everywhere. You had that Super Bowl episode. You had the Golden Globes. How was your experience being nominated for a Golden Globe during season two?" Rita questioned Rachel.
"You know it's an interesting thing. You spend all your days working with this amazing group of people and when you're in the moment on set, the last thing running through your mind is getting some kind of trophy for it. We're actors. We work because we love it. The pay off for the work itself is getting paid for the hours you spend filming. Nominations and awards are...strange," Rachel fumbled for a response.
"But you'd previously won a Tony. Is it that different?"
"It's hard to explain. As a kid, I knew what I wanted to do with my life. I've wanted to be on Broadway for as long as I can remember. Back then, it was about the lights and the fame. I wanted to sing for people and have them gasp in awe of my talent," Rachel chuckled. "But when you actually get there it's a different experience. It's no longer about the bright lights and the audience fawning over you. It becomes about the work. Studying the craft cultivated this desire in me to do it for the sake of the character and the people that I work with- not myself. I, personally, have very little do with it. It's about doing the work justice."
"So fame and awards are…just a perk?"
Rachel paused and thought it over. During season two, the show was nominated for a Golden Globe. She was also nominated individually. For the Emmy's that previous Fall, they all got to attend as presenters and on behalf of their show's nomination. Nobody had been singled out. A few cast members gained notoriety on the red carpet. Quinn and Rachel had been standouts in terms of fashion. It was still a far cry from actually being nominated. The Golden Globe nomination gave Rachel a new goal. She wanted an Emmy for herself by the time the show ended. Their show won the Golden Globe that year. It had served a proof that all of their hard work was paying off. An Emmy wasn't some impossible task to strive for.
"Find me an actor who acts for a living but has never won a Tony or an Emmy or an Oscar. Do you think they're not satisfied with their job because they didn't get a golden statue? I'll tell you right now, they're satisfied. If you love what you're doing and you can make a living doing it, there's no way you're unsatisfied. Some of the most successful actors leading huge franchises will never win Academy Awards. Some of the best actors I've ever seen or worked with on Broadway have never been nominated for a Tony. I know very few people who would chose acting as a profession and be miserable about having a full-time acting job, even if they weren't nominated. They're just happy to be working," Rachel explained.
Quinn agreed, "Yeah, it's really not about awards. When you're nominated-"
"As you will be for an Oscar. It's almost certain that in a few months your name will be on that list," Rita cut in.
"Well that's very kind of you to say, and…who knows. But I didn't make the film with an Oscar floating around in my head. It's quite strange to be rewarded for loving your job. It seems redundant. Loving your job is the reward. Working with a talented cast is the reward. Getting a statue and standing up in front of your peers to talk about how great you are is…yeah, it's strange," Quinn pursed her lips.
"That first nomination was exciting because it was in a sense a justification. The Tony meant that everything that I had worked for since I was a little girl had paid off. I had made it. My Tony will always mean the world to me because it reminds me that I made my dream come true. I made it to Broadway and I was fortunate enough to work with the most astoundingly talented people in that show. Who knew a girl from small town Ohio could do that?" Rachel shrugged.
"Or two girls from the same small town in Ohio could make careers in this business," Quinn laughed.
"It still doesn't even seem real. Some days it feels like I'm sixteen years old and I'm going to wake up and realize that none of this happened. I'll probably go to school and get hit in the face with a slushie," Rachel grinned.
"I would probably be the one throwing it," Quinn shrugged.
"So is it really just an honor to be nominated? Or did you want to win that first time?" Rita grinned with a tiny giggled.
Rachel looked completely flabbergasted. She sputtered a few times with wide eyes.
"Of course I wanted to win! I am insanely competitive. I always want to win. I don't act for the sake of awards but if I'm nominated you can bet I want it," Rachel gasped.
All three chuckled at that.
"So the Emmy win was better than the first Golden Globe nomination?" Rita teased.
"Infinitely so!"
They all laughed again and Quinn squeezed Rachel's shoulder.
"However, the first nomination for our show really was an honor. That part isn't made up- it is truly an honor just to be nominated. You have this out of body moment when they announce your name as a nominee. You look around at your competition and realize that these are people who you truly admire. Suddenly you're in the same sentence as actresses that you've gushed over for years? It's mind-boggling. The whole experience is weird…but so cool. Getting all dressed up. Interviews on the red carpet. Goodness, just walking on the red carpet! It's amazing. Then they announce your name and- that first time, I wouldn't have heard my own name announced if I had won. My heart was just pounding in my ears. I couldn't hear anything. I think my entire body went numb. It was televised and I knew that everyone I had ever known was watching. I can't even begin to describe how that felt. I think I was in shock."
"What about when the announced the winner?" Rita chuckled.
"They said Christina Applegate's name and the sound came back. I could breathe again. I mean sure I wanted to win but at least I could feel my body again. It was more relief than anything else. I was entirely unprepared for that situation."
"But you'd already won a Tony," Rita laughed gaily, clearly enjoying this hyperactive version of Rachel Berry.
"Even winning a Tony hadn't prepared me for that. I think it was because I had spent so much of my life preparing for when I would win a Tony. I had practiced speeches since practically birth. I hadn't fathomed that I would ever be on television. I never dreamed I'd be nominated for a Golden Globe and later an Emmy. All I had pictured was a Tony. All I pictured was Broadway. I trained for Broadway. This was just a curveball. If I had won that year, I would've passed out before I made it to the stage. Christina Applegate is phenomenal. She deserved it. It also gave me time to let things sink in. This whirlwind of SING! just piled on experience after experience without ever really giving us a moment to stop and let it sink in. It was a constant go, go go," Rachel explained.
Golden Globes Red Carpet
Nine Years Ago
"Rachel." "Rachel." "Miss Berry." "Rachel Berry."
The flashes were everywhere as soon as Rachel stepped out of the limo. She was learning to settle into her public persona. With the nomination, came the fact that people knew so much about her. Her breakup with Josh had been long forgotten after the critically acclaimed Super Bowl episode. When the Golden Globe nominations came out and Rachel's name was on the list, the only person who seemed shocked by it was Rachel. She swore she didn't have a snowball's chance in Hell of winning. The competition was fierce but that tiny flicker of excitement still danced beneath her breast.
Red carpets always looked so big on television. She knew from experience that the Tony's red carpet had been ridiculously small but she expected something a little bigger for Hollywood. It was less than a block long. However, the entire red carpet was packed with bodies. Her stomach flipped as she took in the sheer volume of the screams of fans and the number of people in such a small space. The Emmy's had been huge but she'd had Josh by her side at the time. She hadn't been a nominee either. She was just another face that seemed semi-familiar to some of the people there. Now it was slightly different.
Rachel took a deep breath and then waved to the crowd. She plastered on her signature grin and started the long walk down a short carpet. She saw Courtney out of the corner of her eye being interviewed by some network. She knew that the rest of her castmates were around somewhere. In the mess of bodies it was hard to tell where any of them could be. Courtney waved before being escorted to the next man with a microphone. Rachel waved back as her publicist guided her by the small of her back to the strip where the photographers waited. She posed and smiled. She turned via the shouted requests. She giggled and laughed at the antics of photographers all trying to get the best shot. After a few seconds, her publicist guided her to her first interview with the ABC anchor.
"We have about fifteen minutes to get in as many interviews as possible. Try to keep things sweet but short. You want to save the most time for Seacrest," Ann, her publicist instructed.
"You'll be close by, right? I mean, you'll keep an eye on the clock?" Rachel asked, still smiling but her eyes gave away her nerves.
"I've got this down to a science, Rachel. You'll be fine," Ann smiled, patting her arm.
Rachel waited a few more seconds for the anchor to finish up with his previous interview. Julianne Moore smiled at Rachel as they passed to swap spots. Rachel took another deep breath to calm her frantic heart. Julianne Moore had freaking smiled at her.
"Next we have Rachel Berry of SING! joining us. Rachel, you look stunning today. Tell me, it is my job as a host to ask, who are you wearing?"
"It's your job as a host?" Rachel giggled.
"Well I am a dude so I don't know much about this subject. It's still the number one question of the day though, isn't it?"
"I'm wearing Oscar De La Renta. I just fell in love with this dress," Rachel beamed, giving a little twirl for the camera.
She was wearing a silk, black sweetheart cut gown. It reached to the floor but bustled up on the side a little to expose her legs though the train flowed out behind her. It made her look long and sleek. The sweetheart cut gave just enough cleavage to being appealing without going too slutty into a low-cut hooker vibe. She had loved the dress the moment she saw it and knew it was the one.
"So in getting dressed for these things, do you just try on a bunch of dresses or do you kind of have an idea what you want? This is your first time, isn't it?" the host questioned.
"Actually I did this before for the Tony's. For that, I knew exactly what I wanted. We presented at the Emmy's this past year but that was really kind of last minute. For tonight, I had no idea what I should wear going into this. I have a wonderful team behind me and my best friend Kurt is a stylist. He knows my style and my figure so well. He always finds the perfect dresses. This one he actually showed me a picture from a fashion show and I swore I did not have the height to pull it off, but Kurt just knows these things. It was the first dress I tried on and I immediately knew this was it," Rachel grinned excitedly.
"That's right, you're a Tony winner so awards and speeches aren't totally new to you. What about tonight with all of Hollywood watching? Excited? Nervous?"
"You know it's crazy but going into the Tony's I knew exactly how my night would go. I'd planned for that since I was a little girl. But this is…how do you plan for this? I think I'm nervous wreck," Rachel confessed with a little chuckle.
"Well you look great. You don't look nervous at all. You seem incredibly put together. Do you think you can keep it together if they announce your name or are you a crier?"
"I'm a total crier. I have no idea what I will say if I win."
"You didn't prepare a speech?" the host laughed.
"I'm a bit of a control freak so I did write something. You have to! I'm sure I'd forget it though. We'll just see. All of the ladies tonight are so spectacular. It's really just a honor to be in the same category as them," Rachel replied with a polite smile.
The rest of the interviews continued on in the same manner. She and Ryan Seacrest had a nice back and forth going. She couldn't believe she was on E! being interviewed by Ryan Seacrest at the red carpet of the Golden Globes. She was a nominee. She felt faint but smiled anyway.
"So how does it feel to be nominated? SING! just kind of came out swinging right away. You're almost finished with season two and you all have taken over. Your show is nominated. You're the first standout of your cast to be nominated. Does it even feel real?" Ryan questioned.
"Not at all. I can't believe I'm standing here. Our show is so wonderful and we are so proud of it but to be nominated for a Golden Globe…I have no words."
"Well I am a huge fan of the show. This time last year, there was buzz building about this crazy musical comedy and I had watched a few times. You had a stunning dress at the Emmy's and people were paying attention. Now you're a nominee. I have a feeling people will be paying attention to Rachel Berry for years to come."
"Thank you. It's so crazy. Quinn and I used to have Buffy the Vampire Slayer marathons when we were living together back when our show first started. Now I'm in the same category as Sarah Michelle Gellar? I can't even begin to wrap my head around that. It's just insane," Rachel sputtered.
She took a deep breath hoping the dizziness would pass. She could pass out at any minute. She'd certainly be the talk of the town if she passed out live on television with Ryan Seacrest. She hoped she didn't look as faint as she felt. She forced another smile.
"So you're a closet Buffy fan?" Ryan laughed.
"I'm not a closet anything. I'm completely open about that fact. It's Quinn's fault though. She converted me. I don't know how she did it but she got me to watch and we're both obsessed. No secret about it," Rachel giggled.
She swallowed thickly. What if she just passed out? She was still joking with Seacrest. Was she making any sense? Why did she just confession to the world that she has an obsession with Buffy the Vampire Slayer? Way to be a professional! She was a joke. She was going to pass out.
"Speaking of blondes who you are apparently obsessed with-," Ryan segued.
"Sarah Michelle Gellar is behind me?" Rachel squeaked.
It was official. She was seconds from hitting the deck. The lights were closing in.
"Or me," Quinn laughed as Ryan ushered her into the interview.
Salvation. Quinn gently grabbed Rachel's wrist and steadied her. The world came back into focus with razor sharp intensity. Rachel grinned and took a deep breath. No longer overwhelmed she felt calmed by the blonde's presence. Quinn smiled at her softly almost reserved and bit her lip. It was a curious look that Rachel had never really seen on Quinn's features before. Her hazel eyes danced with mirth but she seemed so taken. What had enraptured her so fully?
"It appears our next guest is a little early and a closet Buffy fan. Rachel was just telling the world all your darkest secrets," Ryan teased.
"Great," Quinn chuckled.
"My God, you look gorgeous," Rachel gushed before launching forward and hugging Quinn tightly.
"Look at you," Quinn beamed, kissing Rachel's cheek.
"Red is so your color, Quinn."
"Always a Cheerio," Quinn smirked.
The blonde did a goofily little bow in her dress. Rachel's heart stuttered as she giggled.
"So who are you wearing?" Ryan asked, watching the antics with an amused smirk.
"What? I'm sorry," Quinn turned her attention back to Ryan with a stupid grin plastered on her face.
Rachel linked their fingers together and bounced on the balls of her feet in excitement. She couldn't believe she was being interviewed by Ryan Seacrest with her best friend.
"Who are you wearing?" Ryan repeated.
"Oh right. The all-important red carpet question," Quinn laughed.
"Well I do normally dress like this during our Buffy marathons," Rachel teased.
"Yeah right. You have no fashion sense without Kurt," Quinn huffed.
Rachel slightly smacked her arm in mock protest. They both giggled. None of this seemed nearly as taxing with the other standing close.
"Who are you wearing?" Ryan tried a third time, unable to hide his amusement.
"Georges Shakra," Quinn finally answered.
"Well you both look stunning."
"Seriously, the most beautiful girl from McKinley High," Rachel laughed.
Quinn rolled her eyes but blushed deeply. Ryan grinned, straightening his tie. You'd get no argument from him. Quinn looked absolutely gorgeous. Fashion Police was sure to have both ladies on their Best Dressed lists.
"I'm thrilled to be here. She's going to win tonight," Quinn smiled warmly at the small brunette.
Rachel shook her head in protest.
"So Quinn can you share what's up next for your character this season? We've been hearing a lot of buzz about this Nationals episode. How are things going over there on the set of SING!?" Ryan winked.
"You know, I'm not entirely sure how much I can give away. There are big things happening. The writers are fantastic and constantly keep me on my toes. I never really know what's coming next," Quinn answered.
Rachel stood by her watching silently and nodding along. She couldn't wipe the grin off her face as she watched Quinn's mouth move along forming each word. She was trying to pay attention but the blonde was breathtaking. Dressed in Cheerio red with her flowing golden locks curled loosely and hanging down. Her lips were the same shade of red as her dress. Her teeth flashed when she smiled, perfect and white. Her hazel eyes seemed to pop with the eye-shadow. Quinn's team had turned perfection into art. Rachel could hardly differentiate between the butterflies swirling for the Golden Globes and the dips and dives for a different reason. Quinn winked at her causing Rachel's stomach to flip again.
"No secrets? Not even a hint? A love triangle popping up for Samantha? I've been hearing things," Ryan prodded.
"Well I will say this much…Miss Ripley may not be so lonely later this season," Quinn teased, cocking an eyebrow.
"So new love interest or an old flame? Who's gonna win?" Ryan pressed a little more.
"That is for you to watch and find out."
The rest of the night was a blur. Rachel had been a nervous wreck, squeezing Quinn's hand before the announcement of each category. David and Chase had presented an award. Rachel cheered the loudest for them after and got a few strange looks from some of the people around their seats. Quinn hid her smirk just before Rachel went pale. Her category was announced.
Quinn had known Rachel Berry for years. They'd performed together almost all of their lives at this point. In all of that time, she'd rarely seen Rachel get even a little nervous. Or if she had seen Rachel get nervous it was more about the overwhelming crowds than anything to do with her own performance.
Rachel Berry was terrified.
Quinn squeezed her hand for support when Rachel paled. There was a camera on Rachel for her reaction. Quinn was beaming proudly next to her. The camera zoomed in for the reaction shot as Tina Fey opened the envelope. Rachel held her breath and Quinn lost the feeling in her fingers from the pressure of the brunette's squeeze. The seconds ticked by agonizingly slow. The dramatic pause felt like a lifetime while Rachel impatiently waited for the moment when she was allowed to breathe again.
"Christina Applegate."
Rachel promptly let go of Quinn's hand. She plastered on the fakest smile Quinn had ever seen. She nodded to the camera. They both clapped slowly. Courtney leaned forward from behind them and placed her hand on Rachel's shoulder. The camera left and Rachel gasped for air.
"What just happened?" Rachel asked.
Quinn leaned over and pulled her into a loose one-armed hug. They weren't being filmed so she didn't care which celebrities saw them all consoling Rachel. Everybody knew if you were nominated you wanted to win.
"Applegate," Quinn murmured.
"I nearly had a panic attack," Rachel whispered.
"Do you need to go to the restroom? Are you…you're not going to, like…cry, are you?" Courtney asked peering between their two heads.
Rachel took another deep breath and shook her head. She flashed a reassuring smile to Courtney who leaned back in her seat. Courtney then nodded to Chase and the rest of the group who all seemed to sigh in relief. Quinn still held her arm loosely around Rachel.
"What can I do?" Quinn asked.
"Just sit with me. I'm fine. I thought I was going to throw up or pass out."
"You're okay," Quinn promised.
"I know," Rachel replied immediately. "At the next commercial break, I could really use a glass of water."
Quinn raised her eyebrow at that but didn't comment.
"Yes, I am slightly disappointed. Yes, sad and thirsty are nearly synonymous. But I am fine. I think this is actual thirst, not a Berry Sad Remedy," Rachel smiled half-heartedly.
Quinn nodded and took her arm back. They settled back into their seats comfortably until the commercial break. Rachel's night turned around again after their bathroom break. They had stopped for water first. Rachel chugged two glasses then smiled at Quinn sincerely. They waited in a short line for the ladies room right behind Zoe Saldana. Rachel whispered excitedly while Quinn kept trying to shush her. If Zoe heard Rachel's excitement, she seemed to ignore it. Quinn was pretty sure she saw a flash of amusement of the other woman's face at least once.
In the lobby of the restroom, Quinn fumbled with Rachel's zipper while the brunette bounced around excitedly, talking rapidly to Kirsten Dunst. Quinn internally recited every line from Bring It On while simultaneously counting the steps to old Cheerios routines. Rachel squirmed while gesturing happily.
"I really think your show is amazing and you deserved a win just as much as Christina," Kirsten smiled politely.
"Oh goodness. Thank you. That means the world. I mean I know that we work such long hours and we all have studio recordings and dance rehearsals and then filming on top that. It seems like there is so much work into every single episode. It's just nice to be recognized for the work that everyone puts into the show. Hardest working cast ever, "Rachel rambled on.
Quinn rolled her eyes and tried again to get the zipper to slide up the rest of the way. Rachel wiggled around more as she gestured wildly. Kirsten Dunst was apparently a serious fan of the show and was pressing Rachel for insider secrets. Quinn kept repeating "I'm bitchin, great hair, the boys all love to stare" in her head. She tried to focus on the task at hand.
"Can you hold still for two seconds? It's like dressing a three year old," Quinn grunted.
Rachel huffed but stood in place while Kirsten laughed and ranted on about the Lemily breakup earlier in the season.
"There!" Quinn exclaimed in triumph, backing up into someone else.
"Oh God, I'm sorry," the other blonde gasped.
"I am so- Claire Danes," Quinn blurted.
Claire Danes laughed while Rachel turned around instantly.
"Claire Danes," Rachel repeated.
"Hello," Claire chuckled.
"I love you," Rachel fumbled quickly.
Quinn smacked her arm. She and Rachel both blushed.
"What I mean is-we love you- your show. You…bathroom?" Rachel stuttered.
"Way to be cool," Quinn groaned, as Claire laughed and walked around them to the stalls.
Kirsten Dunst had apparently disappeared. She either saw the disastrous meeting and fled, or hopefully wandered away before Quinn even bumped into Claire Danes.
"Isn't she like your first girl crush?" Rachel asked loudly.
Quinn face palmed. The chuckle from behind them told them both that Claire Danes had not made it into the stalls yet and was obviously not deaf. Quinn flushed all the way up to her ears and grabbed Rachel by the hand to pull her from the bathroom.
"I didn't get to wash my hands," Rachel whispered furiously.
"You are so gross," Quinn grunted but pulled Rachel along anyway.
Once they got back to their seats, Quinn attempted to slouch down in hers as far as humanly possible when Claire Danes walked past them. Rachel was too busy asking every cast member for hand sanitizer until Brooke finally came through with a small bottle.
SING! won for best comedy. The entire cast made their way to the stage as Alan gave his acceptance speech. Quinn barely had a moment to scan the familiar faces of admired actors before she was dragged back off the stage by Chase. After endless interviews and after party madness, Courtney, Rachel, Quinn, and Scott made their way back to Scott's apartment to pass out for the night. Rachel's spirits had entirely turned around after the bathroom adventure. They all drifted off one by one to the sounds of Rachel recounting all of her experiences from the night- and how she couldn't look at it as a loss but rather as the night that she embarrassed Quinn in front of Claire Danes and their show won a Golden Globe.