page_title: List of Glee characters
section_title: Jesse St. James
hierarchical_section_title: List of Glee characters / Supporting characters / Rival choir personnel / Jesse St. James
caption_attribution_description: Español: El actor estadounidense Jonathan Groff en el festival LGBT Outfest 2013. Polski: Jonathan Groff w 2013 roku
context_page_description: Glee is a musical comedy-drama television series that aired on Fox in the United States for six seasons from 2009 to 2015. It focuses on the high school glee club New Directions competing in the show choir competition circuit, while its members deal with relationships, sexuality and social issues.
  The initial main cast encompassed club director and Spanish teacher Will Schuester, cheerleading coach Sue Sylvester, guidance counselor Emma Pillsbury, Will's wife Terri, and eight club members played by Dianna Agron, Chris Colfer, Kevin McHale, Lea Michele, Cory Monteith, Amber Riley, Mark Salling and Jenna Ushkowitz. For the second season, formerly recurring cast members Mike O'Malley, Heather Morris and Naya Rivera were promoted to the main cast. In the third season the main cast remained at fifteen, with Harry Shum, Jr. and Darren Criss promoted to it, while Gilsig and O'Malley no longer received star billing. The fourth season began with fourteen in the main cast, with Chord Overstreet being promoted, and Mays and Agron were removed and demoted to recurring cast.
context_section_description: Jesse St. James (Jonathan Groff) is the male lead of Vocal Adrenaline and one of the main antagonists of the first season. Introduced in the episode "Hell-O", he is directed to befriend Rachel by Vocal Adrenaline coach Shelby Corcoran (Idina Menzel), who is secretly her biological mother. Jesse and Rachel begin dating, and he briefly transfers to McKinley High, joining New Directions. Once the truth about Shelby is revealed, however, Jesse transfers back. He ends his relationship with Rachel by egging her in the McKinley High parking lot along with his fellow members of Vocal Adrenaline, humiliating her. In the episode "Prom Queen", he returns, after having flunked out of college, in an attempt to befriend Rachel again, claiming that his biggest regret was choosing Vocal Adrenaline over love. He joins Rachel, Sam and Mercedes, who have teamed up to go do "prom on a budget", at the McKinley junior prom; however, after getting into a fight with a jealous Finn, he's kicked out of prom. He sets up a consulting business to help show choirs with their performances; his first client is New Directions. His resumed relationship with Rachel ultimately fails when Finn suddenly kisses her in the middle of a Nationals performance and Rachel chooses to get back together with him. Jesse returns in the latter part of the third season as the new coach of Vocal Adrenaline, replacing the fired Dustin Goolsby. He and Rachel have a friendly moment when she encourages him on his first Nationals as Vocal Adrenaline's coach, and he tells her he likes her cocky side. He also (somewhat mockingly) congratulates Finn on being engaged to Rachel. Later, after sadly watching Rachel perform at Nationals (and implying he still has feelings for her), Jesse talks to Carmen Tibideaux (Whoopi Goldberg) and tells her Rachel's the most talented person he knows.
  In a controversial essay for Newsweek, critic Ramin Setoodeh wrote that Groff, who is openly gay, was unconvincing as the straight Jesse ("he seems more like your average theatre queen; a better romantic match for Kurt than Rachel"). Groff's performance was defended by Murphy and guest star Kristin Chenoweth, both of whom described Setoodeh's essay as homophobic; it was also condemned by GLAAD president Jarrett Barrios.
  St. James returns in the season six episode “We Built This Glee Club”. He convinces Rachel to join him in the new Broadway show. But she chooses to re-enroll in NYADA instead of joining him, a decision he accepts. In the series finale, titled “Dreams Come True”, it is revealed that in 2020, Jesse is the director of Rachel's Broadway show and the two are now married.
caption: Jonathan Groff portrays Jesse St. James
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