Noah "Puck" Puckerman is a fictional character from the
Fox
Foxes are small to medium-sized, omnivorous mammals belonging to several genera of the family Canidae. They have a flattened skull, upright, triangular ears, a pointed, slightly upturned snout, and a long bushy tail (or ''brush'').
Twelve sp ...
musical
Musical is the adjective of music.
Musical may also refer to:
* Musical theatre, a performance art that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance
* Musical film and television, a genre of film and television that incorporates into the narr ...
comedy-drama
Comedy drama, also known by the portmanteau ''dramedy'', is a genre of dramatic works that combines elements of comedy and drama. The modern, scripted-television examples tend to have more humorous bits than simple comic relief seen in a typical ...
series ''
Glee
Glee means delight, a form of happiness.
Glee may also refer to:
* Glee (music), a type of English choral music
* ''Glee'' (TV series), an American musical comedy-drama TV series, and related media created by Ryan Murphy
* ''Glee'' (Bran Van 30 ...
''. The character was portrayed by
Mark Salling
Mark Wayne Salling (; August 17, 1982 – January 30, 2018) was an American actor and musician known for his role as Noah "Puck" Puckerman on the television series ''Glee''.
Salling studied at the Los Angeles College of Music before work ...
, and appeared in ''Glee'' from its
pilot episode
A television pilot (also known as a pilot or a pilot episode and sometimes marketed as a tele-movie), in United States television, is a standalone episode of a television series that is used to sell a show to a television network or other distri ...
, first broadcast on May 19, 2009, to the
series finale
A series finale is the final installment of an episodic entertainment series, most often a television series. It may also refer to a final theatrical sequel, the last part of a television miniseries, the last installment of a literary series, or ...
, broadcast on March 20, 2015. Puck was developed by ''Glee'' creators
Ryan Murphy,
Brad Falchuk
Bradley Douglas Falchuk (born March 1, 1971) is an American television writer, director, and producer, best known for co-creating with Ryan Murphy the comedy-drama television series ''Glee'', the drama series ''Pose'', the horror comedy '' Screa ...
and
Ian Brennan. He is
Finn's best friend and football teammate, who initially disapproves of Finn joining the New Directions
glee club
A glee club in the United States is a musical group or choir group, historically of male voices but also of female or mixed voices, which traditionally specializes in the singing of short songs by trios or quartets. In the late 19th century it w ...
at the fictional William McKinley High School in
Lima, Ohio
Lima ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Allen County, Ohio, United States. The municipality is located in northwest Ohio along Interstate 75 in Ohio, Interstate 75 approximately north of Dayton, Ohio, Dayton, southwest of Toledo, Ohio, T ...
, where the show is set, but he eventually joins it himself. In 2010, Salling was nominated for the
Teen Choice Award for Choice TV: Breakout Star Male for his work as Puck, and in 2011 for the
Choice TV: Scene Stealer Male category.
Development
Casting and creation
Puck was played by
Mark Salling
Mark Wayne Salling (; August 17, 1982 – January 30, 2018) was an American actor and musician known for his role as Noah "Puck" Puckerman on the television series ''Glee''.
Salling studied at the Los Angeles College of Music before work ...
. He was also portrayed as a preschooler by Matthew Lepper in the episode "The Substitute". Salling had sent 100 packets to agents and managers, and "one called me and submitted me for Glee that day in her office."
He had five auditions for ''Glee'' before being cast as Puck.
Characterization
Salling found it challenging to make the character "more than two-dimensional so he can be likable at the same time", which necessitated "find
ngthe balance between arrogance and cocky and sensible and likable".
He recalled that "in the breakdown for the show, when they were describing his character in the very beginning, it's like Puck: a man-child." Salling explained that Puck has "stars in his eyes, he's hoping to get out of this small town."
Salling gained before filming the pilot episode in order to better embody his football playing character. He then lost for a scene in the third episode that required him to be toned, which he described as "an extreme experience".
Relationships
Puck's main basis for relationships at the beginning is sexual rather than romantic. He has sexual encounters with his female pool-cleaning clients and fellow students, including a recurrent relationship with cheerleader
Santana Lopez
Santana Lopez is a fictional character from the Fox musical comedy-drama series ''Glee''. The character was portrayed by Naya Rivera, and has appeared in ''Glee'' from its pilot episode, first broadcast on May 19, 2009. Santana was developed by ...
(
Naya Rivera
Naya Marie Rivera (; January 12, 1987July 8, 2020) was an American actress, singer, and model. Recognized for her work on the popular musical comedy-drama series ''Glee'', she received various awards, including a Screen Actors Guild Award and ...
) that seems to be casual, though Santana confronts both
Mercedes Jones
Mercedes Jones is a fictional character from the Fox popular musical comedy-drama series ''Glee''. The character is portrayed by actress Amber Riley, and has appeared in ''Glee'' from its pilot episode, first broadcast on May 19, 2009. Mercedes w ...
(
Amber Riley
Amber Patrice Riley (born February 15, 1986), sometimes known mononymously as RILEY, is an American actress and singer. She is best known for her portrayal of Mercedes Jones on the Fox comedy-drama series ''Glee'' (2009–2015). For her perform ...
) and
Lauren Zizes
Lauren Zizes is a recurring fictional character from the Fox musical comedy-drama series, ''Glee''. The character is portrayed by actress Ashley Fink, and first appeared in the season one episode "Wheels", first broadcast on November 11, 2009. ...
(
Ashley Fink
Ashley Rae Fink (born November 20, 1986) is an American actress and singer. She is known for her roles as Lauren Zizes in the television series ''Glee'' and as Carter McMahon in ''Huge''.
Personal life
Ashley Rae Fink was born in Houston, Texas ...
) when Puck starts pursuing them in the first and second seasons respectively. Puck also claimed to have slept with
Brittany Pierce
Brittany Susan Pierce is a fictional character from the Fox musical comedy-drama series ''Glee''. The character is portrayed by actress Heather Morris, and first appeared in the show's second episode, "Showmance". Brittany was developed by ''Gle ...
(
Heather Morris
Heather Elizabeth Morris (born February 1, 1987) is an American actress, dancer, singer, and model. She played the role of Brittany Pierce, Brittany S. Pierce in the Fox Broadcasting Company, Fox musical comedy-drama series ''Glee (TV series), G ...
). He falls in love with
Quinn Fabray
Quinn Fabray is a fictional character from the TV series ''Glee''. The character is portrayed by actress Dianna Agron, and has appeared in ''Glee'' from its pilot episode, first broadcast on May 19, 2009. She is the cheerleading captain at the ...
(
Dianna Agron
Dianna Elise Agron ( ; born April 30, 1986) is an American actress and singer. After primarily dancing and starring in small musical theater productions in her youth, Agron made her screen debut in 2006, and in 2007, she played recurring charac ...
) after he takes her virginity and impregnates her despite the fact that she's dating his best friend
Finn Hudson
Finn Christopher Hudson is a fictional character from the Fox musical comedy-drama series ''Glee''. The character was portrayed by Cory Monteith and first appeared on television when ''Glee'' premiered its pilot episode on Fox on May 19, 2009. ...
(
Cory Monteith
Cory Allan Michael Monteith (; May 11, 1982 July 13, 2013) was a Canadian actor and musician who played Finn Hudson on the Fox television series ''Glee''. As an actor based in British Columbia, Monteith had minor roles on television series before ...
) at the time, but he can't give up flirting with and seducing others even when Quinn contemplates raising the baby-to-be with him as he wants rather than giving it up for adoption, since she refuses to have sex with him again. The brief pairing of Puck with
Rachel Berry
Rachel Barbra Berry is a fictional character and one of the two main protagonists, alongside Mr. Schue in the Fox musical comedy-drama series ''Glee''. The character is portrayed by actress Lea Michele, and appears in ''Glee'' from its pilot epi ...
(
Lea Michele
Lea Michele Sarfati (; born August 29, 1986) is an American actress, singer, songwriter, and author. She began her career as a child actress on Broadway (theatre), Broadway, appearing in productions of ''Les Misérables (musical), Les Misérab ...
) in the episode "
Mash-Up", spurred by his mother urging him to find a Jewish girlfriend, dissolves because he wants Quinn and she wants Finn. Series creator
Ryan Murphy was surprised by the positive fan response to their pairing, which he described as "strange and bizarre", explaining that he had believed fans would prefer Rachel to be with Finn. As a result of the response, Murphy planned to revisit their romance later in the season,
though nothing much came of it.
In the second season, Puck recruits Lauren to join the glee club when the club needs a twelfth member in order to participate in the Sectionals competition. Within a couple of months, he has fallen in love with her, but she doesn't succumb to his blandishments, and he's forced to woo her over a long period of time, starting as friends. He supports her in her first solo for glee club and runs her campaign for prom queen. They are still a couple at the end of the school year. In the fourth episode of the third season, Puck and the adoptive mother of his child Shelby Corcoran kiss. He ends the series dating Quinn.
Storylines
Season 1
![Mark Salling Glee Premiere](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c6/Mark_Salling_Glee_Premiere.jpg)
Puck is introduced as a football player and bully at William McKinley High School; he is frequently seen throwing fellow students into dumpsters, or tossing
slushies
A slushy (also spelled slushie and less commonly slushee) is a type of beverage made of flavored ice and a drink, similar to granitas but with a more liquid composition. It is also commonly called a slush, a slurpee, frozen beverage, or frozen dr ...
in their faces. It is later revealed that he is
Jewish
Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...
. He is the best friend of Finn, the quarterback,
and has a summer pool-cleaning business that leads to sexual encounters with his adult female clients. Despite that, he has sex with fellow students, including in an on-again, off-again relationship with Santana Lopez, a cheerleader, which does not completely end forever until the middle of the second season.
Puck initially acts
homophobic
Homophobia encompasses a range of negative attitudes and feelings toward homosexuality or people who are identified or perceived as being lesbian, gay or bisexual. It has been defined as contempt, prejudice, aversion, hatred or antipathy, m ...
and mocks Finn for joining the school
glee club
A glee club in the United States is a musical group or choir group, historically of male voices but also of female or mixed voices, which traditionally specializes in the singing of short songs by trios or quartets. In the late 19th century it w ...
, New Directions, but later becomes a part of glee club director
Will Schuester
William Michael Schuester, often referred to as Mr. Schue, is a fictional teacher character and one of the two main protagonists from the Fox musical comedy-drama series ''Glee'', alongside his student Rachel Berry. He has appeared in ''Glee'' ...
's (
Matthew Morrison
Matthew James Morrison (born October 30, 1978) is an American actor, dancer and singer-songwriter, best known for his role as Will Schuester on the Fox Broadcasting Company, Fox television show ''Glee (TV series), Glee'' (2009–2015). He has s ...
) all-male
a cappella
''A cappella'' (, also , ; ) music is a performance by a singer or a singing group without instrumental accompaniment, or a piece intended to be performed in this way. The term ''a cappella'' was originally intended to differentiate between Ren ...
group, the Acafellas, hoping to impress the mothers at a performance for the school's
PTA meeting.
He subsequently joins New Directions along with two other members of the football team. When Finn's girlfriend Quinn is impregnated and tells Finn the baby is his, Puck realizes that he is the actual father, and offers to support Quinn. She rejects his proposal, calling him a "Lima loser".
Puck begins dating
Rachel Berry
Rachel Barbra Berry is a fictional character and one of the two main protagonists, alongside Mr. Schue in the Fox musical comedy-drama series ''Glee''. The character is portrayed by actress Lea Michele, and appears in ''Glee'' from its pilot epi ...
(
Lea Michele
Lea Michele Sarfati (; born August 29, 1986) is an American actress, singer, songwriter, and author. She began her career as a child actress on Broadway (theatre), Broadway, appearing in productions of ''Les Misérables (musical), Les Misérab ...
), the glee club lead vocalist, after his mother urges him to find a Jewish girlfriend; Rachel is initially resistant, but agrees after Puck sings "
Sweet Caroline
"Sweet Caroline" is a song written and performed by American singer Neil Diamond and released in May 1969 as a single with the title "Sweet Caroline (Good Times Never Seemed So Good)". It was arranged by Charles Calello, and recorded at Americ ...
" for her in front of the glee club. However, Rachel later breaks up with him after a brief romance.
When the glee club holds a bake sale to pay for a wheelchair-accessible bus so
Artie
Artie is a masculine given name, usually a diminutive of Arthur. Notable people with the given name include:
People
* Artie Bettles (1891–1971), Australian rules footballer
* Artie Butler (born 1942), American popular music arranger, songwriter ...
(
Kevin McHale) can ride with the club to Sectionals competition, it only succeeds because Puck makes a special, popular cupcake recipe—he secretly adds
pot, which gives everyone the munchies. He offers financials to Quinn to show he will be a good father and provider; she figures out that it's the money from the bake sale, and refuses to accept it, though she expresses her gratitude and apologizes for abusing him verbally.
Quinn reconsiders her plan to have the baby adopted and gives Puck a chance to prove himself by helping her to babysit
Terri Schuester
Terri Schuester is a fictional character from the Fox musical comedy-drama series '' Glee''. The character is portrayed by actress Jessalyn Gilsig, and has appeared in ''Glee'' from its pilot episode, first broadcast on May 19, 2009. Terri was ...
's (
Jessalyn Gilsig
Jessalyn Sarah Gilsig (born November 30, 1971) is a Canadian actress. She is best known for her roles as Lauren Davis in ''Boston Public'', Gina Russo in ''Nip/Tuck'', Terri Schuester in ''Glee'', and as Siggy Haraldson in ''Vikings''.
Early life ...
) three nephews. Puck impresses her, but Quinn later learns that he was
sexting
Sexting is sending, receiving, or forwarding sexually explicit messages, photographs, or videos, primarily between mobile phones. It may also include the use of a computer or any digital device. The term was first popularized early in the 21st ...
Santana mostly. Puck claims he will be help her to parent their child, but he cannot remain in a committed relationship with Quinn if she refuses to have sex with him; Quinn returns to her original plan of giving the baby to Terri, who is faking a pregnancy to hold on to Will.
Rachel begins to suspect that Puck is the father of Quinn's baby and tells Finn. Finn attacks Puck and confronts Quinn, who admits the truth. Puck again offers to be with Quinn, but she declines and tells him she wants to be alone, though she moves in with Puck's family since her parents had kicked her out and she can no longer stay at Finn's house.
In the episode "
Laryngitis
Laryngitis is inflammation of the larynx (voice box). Symptoms often include a hoarse voice and may include fever, cough, pain in the front of the neck, and trouble swallowing. Typically, these last under two weeks.
Laryngitis is categorised ...
", when Puck's
mohawk Mohawk may refer to:
Related to Native Americans
*Mohawk people, an indigenous people of North America (Canada and New York)
*Mohawk language, the language spoken by the Mohawk people
*Mohawk hairstyle, from a hairstyle once thought to have been t ...
is shaved off by his doctor, he finds the other McKinley students no longer respect him as a badass. He romances fellow glee club member
Mercedes, once a popular cheerleader, to restore his status. His plan is successful, but he and Mercedes ultimately have nothing in common, and split when she quits cheerleading and he returns to his bullying ways. In the first-season finale, "
Journey to Regionals
"Journey to Regionals" is the twenty-second episode and first season finale of the American television series ''Glee''. The episode was written and directed by series creator Brad Falchuk, and premiered on the Fox network on June 8, 2010. In "Jou ...
", Quinn goes into labour immediately after the club performs at the Regionals competition, and Puck is in the delivery room when Quinn give birth to a baby girl, whom Puck names Beth. When Puck and Quinn visit their baby in the hospital nursery, Puck tells Quinn that he loves her. Beth is adopted by Rachel's birth mother
Shelby Corcoran
Shelby Corcoran is a recurring fictional character from the Fox musical comedy-drama series '' Glee''. Portrayed by actress Idina Menzel, Shelby was introduced in the fourteenth episode of the show as the coach of Vocal Adrenaline, a rival sho ...
(
Idina Menzel
Idina Kim Menzel ( ; ; born May 30, 1971) is an American actress and singer. Particularly known for her work in musicals on the Broadway stage and having achieved mainstream success across stage, film and music, Menzel has garnered the honorif ...
), the coach of Vocal Adrenaline, the show choir that defeated New Directions at Regionals.
Season 2
In the season opener, "
Audition
An audition is a sample performance by an actor, singer, musician, dancer or other performer. It typically involves the performer displaying their talent through a previously memorized and rehearsed solo piece or by performing a work or piece giv ...
", Puck is interviewed by blogger
Jacob Ben Israel
''Glee (TV series), Glee'' is a musical comedy-drama television series that aired on Fox Broadcasting Company, 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 sho ...
(
Josh Sussman
Joshua Mark Sussman is an American actor, best known for his role as Hugh Normous in ''Wizards of Waverly Place'' and his role as Jacob Ben Israel in ''Glee''. He also had a minor role on the Nickelodeon TV series '' Drake & Josh'' as Clayton.
...
) and reveals that he had a vasectomy over the summer, saying it was the only responsible thing to do. Soon after the school year begins, Puck is arrested and sent to a juvenile detention center for driving his mother's car through a convenience store window and driving off with the
ATM. He returns in "
Never Been Kissed
''Never Been Kissed'' is a 1999 American romantic comedy film directed by Raja Gosnell and starring Drew Barrymore, Jessica Alba, David Arquette, Michael Vartan, Leelee Sobieski, Jeremy Jordan, Molly Shannon, Garry Marshall, John C. Reilly and ...
", but he is now on
probation
Probation in criminal law is a period of supervision over an offender, ordered by the court often in lieu of incarceration.
In some jurisdictions, the term ''probation'' applies only to community sentences (alternatives to incarceration), such ...
and helps Artie out in an attempt to satisfy his
community service
Community service is unpaid work performed by a person or group of people for the benefit and betterment of their community without any form of compensation. Community service can be distinct from volunteering, since it is not always performed ...
, although this is only initially because Puck claimed he was "helping a crip" and they misunderstood him. Though he acts tougher than ever to his classmates, Puck eventually confesses to Artie that he was terrified in juvie, and the two come to the agreement that Artie will tutor Puck, who has to pick up garbage to fulfill his community service requirements. In "
Furt
"Furt" is the eighth episode of the second season of the American musical television series ''Glee'', and the thirtieth episode overall. It was written by series creator Ryan Murphy, directed by Carol Banker, and premiered on Fox in the United ...
", Puck, Artie,
Mike Chang
Michael Robert Chang Jr. is a fictional character from the Fox musical comedy-drama series ''Glee''. The character is portrayed by actor and dancer Harry Shum Jr., and has appeared on ''Glee'' since the fourth episode in the first season, "Preg ...
(
Harry Shum Jr.
Harry Shum Jr. (born April 28, 1982) is an American actor, dancer, choreographer, and singer. He is best known for his roles as Mike Chang on the Fox television series ''Glee'' (2009–15), Benson Kwan on the ABC television series ''Grey's Anato ...
) and
Sam Evans
Sam Evans is a fictional character from the Fox musical comedy-drama series ''Glee''. The character is portrayed by actor Chord Overstreet, and appeared on ''Glee'' starting with the second season premiere episode entitled "Audition", first bro ...
(
Chord Overstreet
Chord Paul Overstreet (born February 17, 1989) is an American actor and musician. He is best known for his role as Sam Evans on the Fox television series ''Glee'' (2009–2015). He has starred in the Apple TV+ comedy series ''Acapulco'' since 20 ...
) confront
Dave Karofsky
David Karofsky is a recurring fictional character from the Fox musical comedy-drama series ''Glee''. The character is portrayed by actor Max Adler, and has appeared in ''Glee'' since its first season episode " Mash-Up", first broadcast on Octo ...
(
Max Adler) in the boys locker room to get him to stop bullying
Kurt Hummel
Kurt Elizabeth Hummel is a fictional character from the Fox musical comedy-drama series ''Glee''. Series creators Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk and Ian Brennan initially conceived of him as a fashionable gay countertenor who is routinely bullied a ...
(
Chris Colfer
Christopher Paul Colfer (born May 27, 1990) is an American actor, singer, and author. He gained international recognition for his portrayal of Kurt Hummel on the television musical ''Glee'' (2009–2015). Colfer's portrayal of Kurt received crit ...
). Because he was still on probation, Puck reluctantly had to watch the beat down between Sam and Karofsky, but despite not being allowed to fight and feeling helpless about it, he showed great restraint and was still praised for standing up for Kurt. "
Special Education
Special education (known as special-needs education, aided education, exceptional education, alternative provision, exceptional student education, special ed., SDC, or SPED) is the practice of educating students in a way that accommodates th ...
", Puck is asked by Will to find a new glee club member to replace Kurt, who has left McKinley and New Directions. He tries to recruit from the football team, but they lock him in a
port-a-potty
A chemical toilet collects human excreta in a holding tank and uses chemicals to minimize odors. They do not require a connection to a water supply and are used in a variety of situations. These toilets are usually, but not always, self-containe ...
; he is rescued the next day by
Lauren Zizes
Lauren Zizes is a recurring fictional character from the Fox musical comedy-drama series, ''Glee''. The character is portrayed by actress Ashley Fink, and first appeared in the season one episode "Wheels", first broadcast on November 11, 2009. ...
(
Ashley Fink
Ashley Rae Fink (born November 20, 1986) is an American actress and singer. She is known for her roles as Lauren Zizes in the television series ''Glee'' and as Carter McMahon in ''Huge''.
Personal life
Ashley Rae Fink was born in Houston, Texas ...
), who becomes the club's new twelfth member. Puck gets intimate with Rachel at her instigation, but leaves abruptly, realizing that he doesn't want to betray Finn for a second time, though Finn dumps Rachel when she confesses to him about it. Puck and Finn finally settle their differences in "
The Sue Sylvester Shuffle
"The Sue Sylvester Shuffle" is the eleventh episode of the second season of the American musical television series ''Glee'', and the thirty-third episode overall. It was written by Ian Brennan, directed by Brad Falchuk, and was broadcast immedia ...
", and they work together to help the football team win its first-ever championship.
In the episode "
Silly Love Songs
"Silly Love Songs" is a song by the British–American rock band Wings that was written by Paul and Linda McCartney. The song first appeared in March 1976 on the album ''Wings at the Speed of Sound,'' then it was released as a single backed with ...
", Puck unexpectedly falls for Lauren, and performs the song "
Fat Bottomed Girls
"Fat Bottomed Girls" is a song by the British rock band Queen. Written by guitarist Brian May, the song appears on the band's seventh studio album ''Jazz'' (1978) and later on their compilation album ''Greatest Hits''. When released as a single ...
" by
Queen
Queen or QUEEN may refer to:
Monarchy
* Queen regnant, a female monarch of a Kingdom
** List of queens regnant
* Queen consort, the wife of a reigning king
* Queen dowager, the widow of a king
* Queen mother, a queen dowager who is the mother ...
, which expresses his love of Lauren's bigger body type, but Lauren is offended by the song. Santana, unhappy with being deserted by Puck, slaps Lauren in front of him to warn her away, and Lauren tosses her around like she was nothing, leaving her dazed. Puck immediately begs Lauren to go out with him. She ultimately agrees to go on a pre-Valentine's date with him, but stands him up. Puck clumsily tells Lauren he likes her, not because of her looks but because of her "badass-ness"; Lauren says she is not looking for something casual. They go out on Valentine's Day "as friends", though Puck is clearly hoping for more in the future. In the episode "
Sexy
Sexy is an adjective to describe a sexually appealing person (or thing), primarily referring to physical attractiveness. It may also refer to:
* Sexual arousal, the arousal of sexual desire, during or in anticipation of sexual activity
* Sexual a ...
", Lauren tells Puck she's decided to make a sex tape to help her become famous, to his delight, but their plans are dashed when substitute sex education teacher
Holly Holliday
Holly Holliday is a recurring fictional character from the Fox musical comedy-drama series, ''Glee''. Portrayed by Gwyneth Paltrow, the character appeared in three episodes during the show's second season and two episodes of the fifth. This w ...
(
Gwyneth Paltrow
Gwyneth Kate Paltrow (; born ) is an American actress and businesswoman. She is the recipient of various accolades, including an Academy Award, a Golden Globe Award, and a Primetime Emmy Award.
Paltrow gained notice for her early work in films ...
) informs them that as both are underage it would be considered child pornography. As part of a class assignment in the episode "
Original Song", Puck writes and sings a song for Lauren—"Big Ass Heart"—that she likes. In "
Born This Way", Puck discovers that Lauren had been a child beauty queen; he tells her he will run a campaign for her to become that year's prom queen, and be her king. After candidate Quinn insults Lauren's candidacy, Puck helps Lauren dig up dirt on Quinn, but the tactic backfires.
Neither Puck nor Lauren win the race for prom queen and king,
but they remain a couple; they fly with the rest of New Directions to the nationals competition in New York City, where the glee club comes in twelfth out of fifty teams.
Season 3
Lauren breaks up with Puck at the beginning of school year and drops out of glee club, claiming that it is hurting her reputation.
Shelby Corcoran, who adopted baby Beth, gets a teaching job at McKinley, and invites Puck and Quinn to be a part of Beth's life, provided they both become more responsible. Puck does so, and Shelby allows him to see Beth.
Quinn decides she wants to regain custody of Beth, but Puck is torn, and tells Shelby of Quinn's plans. He spends increasing amounts of time with Beth, but then falls in love with Shelby.
She sleeps with him once, though she tells him afterward she has made a mistake, to his disgust,
and subsequently resigns from McKinley.
One day his father visits him at work asking him for money for rent. This visit makes Puck fear that he might one day be like his father and visit Beth at work and ask her for money. He decides to be a father that Beth would be proud of and tries to do better in school and graduate with his class. After he fails his geography final and discovers that he is not graduating he decides to not care about grades and flunk out. In the episode "
Props
A prop, formally known as (theatrical) property, is an object used on stage or screen by actors during a performance or screen production. In practical terms, a prop is considered to be anything movable or portable on a stage or a set, distinc ...
", he gets into a fight with Rick "The Stick" Nelson and pulls out a knife.
Coach Beiste (
Dot-Marie Jones
Dorothy-Marie Jones (born January 4, 1964) is an American actress and retired athlete who has had multiple roles in television. She attended California State University, Fresno, where she set records for shot put. Jones is also a 15-time world ...
) breaks up the fight and she informs Puck that he could get expelled from school for bringing the knife. He tells her that it's a prop knife that they used in their production of ''West Side Story'' and that he does not care since he is flunking out anyway. They have a heart to heart and the next day, she tells him that what he told her in their heart to heart the day before and it gave her the strength to leave her abusive husband. She told him that she owes him big time and that she talked to his geography teacher and she agreed to let Puck retake the test. In the season finale, Puck studies with Quinn's help and then retakes his final exam. He passes with a C− and graduates from McKinley.
Season 4
In the Season 4 premiere, it is revealed that Puck has a paternal half-brother named
Jake
Jake may refer to:
Name
* Jake (given name), including a list of persons and fictional characters with the name
* Katrin Jäke (born c. 1975), German swimmer
* Jake (gamer), American ''Overwatch'' player and coach
Animals
* Jake (rescue dog), a ...
(
Jacob Artist
Jacob Artist (born October 17, 1992) is an American actor, singer, and dancer. He is best known for his roles as Jake Puckerman on the Fox musical comedy-drama series ''Glee'' and as Brandon Fletcher on the ABC drama-thriller series '' Quantico'' ...
) who he was not aware of, though the two are introduced to each other by Will in the following episode, "
Britney 2.0
"Britney 2.0" is the second episode of the fourth season of the American musical television series '' Glee'', and the sixty-eighth episode overall. Written by Brad Falchuk and directed by Alfonso Gomez-Rejon, it aired on Fox in the United Stat ...
", while Puck is briefly visiting Lima from his new home, Los Angeles. Jake later turns to Puck for advice over the phone on how to get
Marley Rose
Marley Rose is a fictional character from the Fox musical comedy-drama series '' Glee''. The character is portrayed by actress Melissa Benoist, and has appeared in ''Glee'' since the premiere of the fourth season, " The New Rachel", first broa ...
(
Melissa Benoist
Melissa Marie Benoist ( ; born October 4, 1988) is an American actress, singer and producer. Her first major role was Marley Rose on the Fox musical comedy drama ''Glee'' (2012–2014), where she was a series regular during the fifth season. S ...
) to date him, and Puck subsequently invites Jake to visit him in California over the Christmas holiday; the two get matching tattoos. Puck decides to return to Lima to live, and the two Puckermans arrange for their mothers to meet on Christmas Day where the two families bond. Puck later starts dating
Kitty (
Becca Tobin
Rebecca Grace Tobin (born January 18, 1986) is an American actress, singer, and dancer. She is known for her role as Kitty Wilde on the Fox musical comedy-drama series ''Glee''.
Early life
Tobin grew up in Marietta, Georgia, the younger of two ...
) in order to keep her away from Jake and spoiling his budding relationship with Marley, though Puck and she break up when he moves into Finn's dorm room at the college Finn has just started attending, even though Puck is not enrolled there. He appears less frequently this season, despite still being credited as a series regular.
Season 5
Puck makes infrequent guest appearances starting from this season. Puck is devastated by Finn's death. In "
The Quarterback", three weeks after the funeral, he steals a memorial tree planted for Finn and demands that Kurt, Finn's stepbrother, give him Finn's football jacket. Coach Beiste takes him to task for being drunk regularly after so many weeks, and the two mourn Finn together, but Beiste tells him he has to guide his own life without Finn's help, and asks him to replant the tree. When he later does so, he tells her that he intends to join the Air Force. In "
100" Now in the Air Force, Puck comes back to McKinley to say goodbye to the Glee Club before it is disbanded. He sees Quinn and the two of them have a conversation. He is about to tell Quinn that he still has feelings for her when her boyfriend, Biff McIntosh, shows up and shows Puck that he is rude. Puck sings
Avril Lavigne
Avril Ramona Lavigne ( ; born September 27, 1984) is a Canadian singer and songwriter. At age 16, she signed a two-album recording contract with Arista Records. Her debut studio album, ''Let Go (Avril Lavigne album), Let Go'' (2002), is the ...
's song
Keep Holding On
"Keep Holding On" is a power ballad by Canadian singer-songwriter Avril Lavigne, appearing as the last track on Lavigne's third studio album, ''The Best Damn Thing'' (2007), which was released on April 17, 2007. Lavigne has described the rest ...
to her hoping that this would win her heart, but she turns him down stating that she loves Biff. Later, Quinn and Biff are having dinner at Breadsticks when Santana, Puck, Mike, and Artie show up. They sit with Quinn at her table and Biff reveals that he doesn't know any thing about Quinn's past. Her friends tell her about her behavior in the episode
The Purple Piano Project
"The Purple Piano Project" is the premiere episode of the third season of the American musical television series ''Glee'', and the forty-fifth overall. The episode was written by series co-creator Brad Falchuk, directed by Eric Stoltz, and first ...
. Quinn asks Biff to get something out of the car for her and after he leaves, she asks her friends not to mention anything to Biff since she is ashamed of her past. Puck asks her if she is ever going to tell him about their relationship and their daughter, Beth, and she says that she will eventually. This somewhat angers Puck as he tells her that she can't hide from the past and should embrace it. A few days later, Puck is hanging by the school buses when he hears Quinn and Biff fighting. Biff becomes angry with her at the fact that she kept so much from him, including having a baby with Puck. He calls her a slut, causing Puck to snap and punch him. Biff punches Puck back, causing Puck to punch him once more and then throws him into the dumpster. He then tells Quinn that she can help Biff out of the dumpster or join her real friends in the choir room. Later, Puck and Quinn are in the locker room looking at Finn's plaque. Quinn tells Puck that Biff went back to Yale by himself, and the relationship is over. Puck reveals that he still has feelings for her and wants to get back together. Quinn tells Puck that she isn't going to look back to her past, as she wants to look into her future. Puck leaves the locker room heartbroken and storms down the hallway when Quinn runs after him and kisses him, agreeing to give their relationship another chance.
Season 6
Puck returns in "
Homecoming
Homecoming is the tradition of welcoming back alumni or other former members of an organization to celebrate the organization's existence. It is a tradition in many high schools, colleges, and churches in the United States, Canada and Liberia.
...
" along with fellow New Directions alumni to help Rachel and Kurt rebuild the club. He is still dating Quinn. Later in the season he attends Santana and Brittany's (and eventually also
Blaine Anderson
Blaine Devon Anderson is a fictional character from the American musical comedy-drama television series '' Glee''. Played by Darren Criss, Blaine was introduced in the sixth episode of the second season as the openly gay lead singer of the Dal ...
(
Darren Criss
Darren Everett Criss (born February 5, 1987) is an American actor, singer, and songwriter. He rose to fame starring on the television series ''Glee'' (2010–2015) and received Emmy and Golden Globe acting awards for his leading role as spree ...
) and Kurt's) wedding in "
A Wedding". He appears in the "
Pilot
An aircraft pilot or aviator is a person who controls the flight of an aircraft by operating its directional flight controls. Some other aircrew members, such as navigators or flight engineers, are also considered aviators, because they a ...
" parallel episode "
2009
File:2009 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: The vertical stabilizer of Air France Flight 447 is pulled out from the Atlantic Ocean; Barack Obama becomes the first African American to become President of the United States; 2009 Iran ...
", taunting
Tina Cohen-Chang
Tina Cohen-Chang is a fictional character from the Fox musical comedy-drama series ''Glee''. The character is portrayed by actress Jenna Ushkowitz and has appeared in ''Glee'' from its pilot episode, first broadcast on May 19, 2009. Tina was deve ...
's (then fake) stutter alongside Karofsky. He last appears in the series during the rededication of McKinley's auditorium to Finn Hudson and take a bow with the rest of the Glee Cast in the
series finale
A series finale is the final installment of an episodic entertainment series, most often a television series. It may also refer to a final theatrical sequel, the last part of a television miniseries, the last installment of a literary series, or ...
.
Musical performances
As Puck, Salling features in many songs that have been released as
singles
Singles are people not in a committed relationship.
Singles may also refer to:
Film and television
* ''Singles'' (miniseries), a 1984 Australian television series
* ''Singles'' (1992 film), written and directed by Cameron Crowe
* ''Singles'' ...
available for
digital download and are also featured in the show's
soundtrack album
A soundtrack album is any album that incorporates music directly recorded from the soundtrack of a particular feature film or television show. The first such album to be commercially released was Walt Disney's ''Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs'' ...
s. He usually accompanies himself on the guitar for solo songs, including "Sweet Caroline", "Only the Good Die Young", "Fat Bottomed Girls", and the song ostensibly composed by Puck, "Big Ass Heart".
Neil Diamond
Neil Leslie Diamond (born January 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter. He has sold more than 130 million records worldwide, making him one of the best-selling musicians of all time. He has had ten No. 1 singles on the Hot 100 and Adul ...
's "Sweet Caroline" was his first solo number, in the episode "Mash-Up", and received favorable reviews from critics, and also from Diamond himself, who had initially been reluctant to license the number to the show. Following the episode's broadcast, Diamond posted his approval on the
social networking
A social network is a social structure made up of a set of social actors (such as individuals or organizations), sets of dyadic ties, and other social interactions between actors. The social network perspective provides a set of methods for an ...
website
Twitter
Twitter is an online social media and social networking service owned and operated by American company Twitter, Inc., on which users post and interact with 280-character-long messages known as "tweets". Registered users can post, like, and ...
, writing: "Hey, so who's this guy Puck singing 'Sweet Caroline' so good, so good, so good on #Glee? Loved it!!" Raymund Flandez of ''
The Wall Street Journal
''The Wall Street Journal'' is an American business-focused, international daily newspaper based in New York City, with international editions also available in Chinese and Japanese. The ''Journal'', along with its Asian editions, is published ...
'' described Puck's voice on the song as "earthly, sensual and full", and ''
Entertainment Weekly
''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, and popular cul ...
'' Michael Slezak said that Salling did "more than a serviceable job".
"Sweet Caroline" was released as a
single
Single may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media
* Single (music), a song release
Songs
* "Single" (Natasha Bedingfield song), 2004
* "Single" (New Kids on the Block and Ne-Yo song), 2008
* "Single" (William Wei song), 2016
* "Single", by ...
, available for
digital download, and charted at number 34 in the US, 22 in Canada and 37 in Australia.
Reception
Critical response
Salling's performance as Puck received some positive reviews. Flandez said of Puck in the first-season episode "
Mash-Up" that we finally saw him "emerging from his bonehead-punk exterior", and that he "wows us with his sensitive, cool guy turn as a solo singer" performing “Sweet Caroline”.
In her review of the following episode, "
Wheels
A wheel is a circular component that is intended to rotate on an axle bearing. The wheel is one of the key components of the wheel and axle which is one of the six simple machines. Wheels, in conjunction with axles, allow heavy objects to be ...
", Emily VanDerWerff of ''
The A.V. Club
''The A.V. Club'' is an American online newspaper and entertainment website featuring reviews, interviews, and other articles that examine films, music, television, books, games, and other elements of pop-culture media. ''The A.V. Club'' was cre ...
'' wrote, "Mark Salling just seems to have a ridiculous amount of chemistry with all of the female cast members in the show, and it's fun to see him and Dianna Agron get in that food fight. Again, fun stuff, but a serious emotional core that keeps the show grounded."
Television critics responded positively to the pairing of Puck and Lauren Zizes. Robert Canning of
IGN
''IGN'' (formerly ''Imagine Games Network'') is an American video game and entertainment media website operated by IGN Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Ziff Davis, Inc. The company's headquarters is located in San Francisco's SoMa distri ...
said the "absolute best part" of the "Silly Love Songs" episode was Puck's "unexpected longing for Lauren Zizes."
Emily VanDerWerff of ''
The A.V. Club
''The A.V. Club'' is an American online newspaper and entertainment website featuring reviews, interviews, and other articles that examine films, music, television, books, games, and other elements of pop-culture media. ''The A.V. Club'' was cre ...
'' commented: "For me, the episode's highlight was the very sweet, funny courtship between Puck and Lauren. This may be because the writers have trouble writing for a self-professed bad boy, even though his escapades are straight out of Archie comics and not actually all that “bad” at all. But it's always fun to watch Salling sing, and it's always fun to watch him be smitten. Fink ends up being a good match for him, chemistry-wise, as she projects a confidence and certainty that makes it immediately obvious just what Puck sees in Lauren. The storyline also played out like both characters had something approaching real feelings."
In the following episode, VanDerWerff found her relationship with Puck "a lot less assured" than before,
but ''
Entertainment Weekly
''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, and popular cul ...
'' Sandra Gonzalez deemed their scenes "as endearing as they are unrealistic",
and
E! Online
E! (an initialism for Entertainment Television) is an American basic cable channel which primarily focuses on pop culture, celebrity focused reality shows, and movies, owned by the NBCUniversal Television and Streaming division of NBCUniversa ...
's Jenna Mullins wrote that "the ice around
erheart melted just a bit when Puck mouthed Lauren that little bit of encouragement at the start of her solo."
Puck and Shelby's kiss in the "
Pot o' Gold" episode was characterized as "creepy" and "super awkward" by ''
AOLTV
AOL TV was the name of both a thin client which uses a television for display (rather than a monitor), and the online service that supports it, both of which were launched in June 2000 to compete with WebTV.
The product and service were develop ...
'' Crystal Bell, as either "super creepy" or "romantic" by BuddyTV's John Kubicek, and as "groan-inducing" in the "You're actually going to go there?" vein by Canning.
Critics were polarized by Puck and Shelby's sexual encounter in the "I Kissed a Girl" episode. Kubicek declared that "the dumbest storyline Glee has ever done gets even dumber,"
MTV
MTV (Originally an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable channel that launched on August 1, 1981. Based in New York City, it serves as the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group, part of Paramount Media Networks, a di ...
contributor Kevin Sullivan called it "the most divisive plot line of the season", and Bell asked, "Instead of these super creepy scenes between Puck and Shelby, can we please get more screen time for Shelby and Rachel?"
Accolades
In 2010, Salling was nominated for the
Teen Choice Award for Choice TV: Breakout Star Male for his performance as Puck. His ''Glee'' castmate, Kevin McHale (Artie), was also nominated in that category, but neither actor won the award.
In 2011, he was nominated for the
Teen Choice Award for Choice TV: Scene Stealer Male along with ''Glee'' castmate Chris Colfer (Kurt); again, neither actor won.
References
External links
Puckat
Fox.com
The Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly known simply as Fox and stylized in all caps as FOX, is an American commercial broadcast television network owned by Fox Corporation and headquartered in New York City, with master control operations and ...
{{DEFAULTSORT:Puckerman, Noah
Glee (TV series) characters
Fictional American Jews
Fictional basketball players
Fictional characters from Ohio
Television characters introduced in 2009
Fictional criminals
American male characters in television
Fictional players of American football
Fictional rock musicians
Fictional singers
Fictional aviators
Fictional teenage parents
Fictional guitarists
Fictional bullies
Teenage characters in television
Fictional United States Air Force personnel