Glee stars back up drunk' episode

The episode was blasted by angry parents everywhere - but Cory Monteith, who plays Finn on the show, stands by the trashtastic episode.

"Glee has always taken on the responsibility of exploring certain issues," he told TVFIX.

"If the show wasnt about taking chances, to explore some of the subjects, sometimes its gonna hit the mark and sometimes it's gonna miss. It's in the spirit of exploring normal teenage life."

Castmate Heather Morris (Brittany) added: "They did it in Saved by the Bell! Jessie took depression pills!"

"I think that our show really tackles important issues while being funny," Lea Michele (Rachel) said.

"So face it, kids are gonna drink in high school, but why not have them watch a TV show where they can learn the lessons on how to do it right, safety is most important."

The cast said the ep was one of their favourite to film - though acting-wise it did pose somewhat of a challenge.

"Youre not playing you drunk, you're playing what the character would be drunk," Lea explained of the challenge.

"That was a weird thing for me but I was like, 'should I have a couple of drinks?' But then I'd be Lea, not Rachel. So that was a really tough acting moment for me."

"You have to be committed," added Amber Riley (Mercedes).

"Whatever it was that you decided your character would be like drunk, you had to commit to it the rest of the time."

All the Glee student cast are above the legal drinking limit in real life - but none more than Cory, who truns 30 next year. Now that's a guy who has managed to stop time.

"Its awesome cos its complimentary, because people think I look relatively young enough to play a teenager," Cory said.

"At the same time you gotta wonder when we're gonna stop pretending I'm 17. I'm like Arthur Fonzarelli."

More ridiculous actor-to-character age differences in our slideshow!