Lauren Zizes  /ˈzaɪsiːz/ 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 Murphy, Brad Falchuk, and Ian Brennan. She is a member of New Directions, the glee club at the fictional William McKinley High School in Lima, Ohio, where the show is set. Her storylines have seen her interact with other members of the glee club and form a relationship with Noah Puckerman (Mark Salling). Lauren is also the president of the AV club, and a member of the school's wrestling team. She joins the glee club in the show's second season, putting her in close contact with some of the shows main characters.

Following the character's significantly expanded role in the second season, Fink's portrayal has received predominantly positive reviews. Rosie O'Donnell criticized the character, saying that Fink was unattractive and therefore a bad representation of fat people, but later apologized for these remarks. Lauren made her solo musical debut in the second season, performing The Waitresses' "I Know What Boys Like" in the episode "Comeback". The song was well-received by critics, and was released as a single, available for download; it was subsequently included on the EP released in September 2011 through the Target chain, Glee: The Music, Dance Party. Although Lauren also appears in ensemble musical performances, Fink is not credited as a vocalist on the series' soundtrack albums. Lauren's role was reduced in the beginning of the third season, and she made a final, non-speaking appearance in the third episode, "Asian F".

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. Introduced as a minor antagonist and a sidekick to Quinn Fabray (Dianna Agron) in first episode of Glee, Santana's role grew over the course of the show's first season. In the second season, Rivera was promoted to series regular, and Santana was given more high profile storylines, such as the development of her romantic feelings for her best friend Brittany Pierce (Heather Morris), and subsequent realization that she is a lesbian. Rivera, who has been vocally supportive of the love story between her and Morris' characters, has received ongoing praise for her portrayal of Santana, as well as for her for vocal work in numerous songs performed as part of the show's central glee club, New Directions.

Ashley Rae Fink (born November 20, 1986) is an American actress, known for her role as Lauren Zizes in the television series Glee, and also as Carter McMahon in Huge.

Fink was born in Houston, Texas, and began acting at the age of four after stealing the lead in her school's holiday play. After moving to Los Angeles with her family, Ashley immersed herself in acting and began attending an Arts High School, where she began performing for large audiences as leads in The Wizard of Oz (as the Lion) and You're a Good Man Charlie Brown (as Lucy), to name a few. Fink has said that she was bullied in high school, but that she did not let it get to her. Fink has an older sister named Stephanie and two younger sisters.

Ashley came to Hollywood when she starred in the Tribeca Film Festival hit Fat Girls. She has made multiple TV appearances; she has appeared on Make It or Break It, is the recurring character Lauren Zizes on Fox's Glee and starred as Carter McMahon on the ABC Family show Huge. She also appeared in the Walt Disney Pictures film You Again starring Betty White, Jamie Lee Curtis and Sigourney Weaver, and in her indie horror cult hit All About Evil appearing beside Mink Stole, Cassandra Peterson, Natasha Lyonne and Thomas Dekker. Ashley has also recently broke into filmmaking herself by producing her first short starring Camille Winbush titled "Olivia", which just had its premiere at the Frameline film festival in San Francisco.

Mark Wayne Salling (born August 17, 1982) is an American actor, singer-songwriter, composer, and musician. He is known for his role as Noah "Puck" Puckerman on the comedy television series, Glee.

Salling was born in Dallas, Texas. He is the younger of two children of Condy Sue (née Wherry), a school secretary, and John Robert Salling, Jr., an accountant. He was home-schooled at an early age. Salling was raised in a "strict Christian home" and attended Providence Christian School and Our Redeemer Lutheran during elementary school. He attended, but did not graduate from Culver Military Academy, and later graduated from Lake Highlands High School in 2001. While he attended high school, he was a member of the school wrestling team. Performing was also an integral part of his teenage years; he often performed in bars despite being underage and participated in school talent shows.^{[citation needed]}

After graduating from high school, he attended the Los Angeles Music Academy College of Music in Pasadena, California and began studying guitar, giving guitar lessons to make a living.

Naya Rivera (born January 12, 1987) is an American actress and singer known for her role in the musical comedy television series Glee, as cheerleader Santana Lopez.

Rivera was raised in Valencia, Santa Clarita, California and has lived in or around Los Angeles for most of her life. Rivera is of half Puerto Rican, quarter African, and quarter German descent. At eight or nine months old, she began to be represented by the same talent agent as her mother, who had moved to Los Angeles to pursue modeling.

As a baby, Rivera appeared in commercials for Kmart, but her first significant acting job was at the age of four when she starred as Hillary Winston in the Eddie Murphy produced sitcom The Royal Family in 1991. The show received positive reviews and high ratings initially, but when star Redd Foxx suffered a sudden heart attack on set the show never recovered and was soon canceled. Nonetheless, Rivera received a Young Artist Award nomination for her performance.

Between 1992 and 2002, she had small roles in The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Family Matters, Live Shot, Baywatch, Smart Guy, The Jersey, House Blend, Even Stevens and The Master of Disguise. In 2002 she also appeared in the music video for B2K's "Why I Love You". She was hired for a single-episode guest appearance on The Bernie Mac Show in 2002, but was brought back to work on a further five episodes. She was later featured in single episodes of 8 Simple Rules and CSI: Miami. In between auditions and roles, Rivera worked odd jobs as a telemarketer, a nanny, and a greeter at an Abercrombie & Fitch store.