Max Adler Spills On Emotional 'Glee' Reunion During 'Weakest Link' Premiere

Fifteen years after "Glee" first took the world by storm, Max Adler, best known to fans as Dave Karofsky, is reuniting with his former castmates for the season premiere of "The Weakest Link." But this isn't just about reliving old memories. Max Adler is competing on behalf of the Muscular Dystrophy Association, a cause that holds deep personal meaning after losing both his mother and grandmother to a form of the disease.

For Adler, stepping back into the spotlight with his "Glee" family felt like slipping into a time capsule. "It was awesome," he told The Blast exclusively. "We went through a lot together. The highs, the lows, the wins, the losses. In a way, there's a trauma bond. No one else will ever understand what we experienced, and when we see each other again, there's this instant connection."

He compared the reunion to summer camp. "As soon as we got there, we each had trailers and we were going in and out of each other's trailers, telling stories, hugging, and catching up," the actor shared. "A lot of us are parents now, living totally different lives than when 'Glee' was airing, but the bond is still there. It takes you right back to feeling like you're at base camp at Paramount about to shoot a scene."

Even though the cast was gathering for a game show rather than a musical number, the nerves were real. "We were still nervous about how we were going to perform on a game show, who was going to win, who was going to lose," Adler admitted. "But there was a lot of excitement too, especially getting to share the charities we were all playing for."

When it came time to choose a cause, Adler knew instantly who he was playing for: the Muscular Dystrophy Association.

"My mom and my grandma both had muscular dystrophy, the form was FSHD, which affects the face, shoulders, and arms," he explained.

Adler then recalled the painful realities his loved ones endured. "My grandma, for as long as I can remember, was in a motorized scooter. Just watching her struggle to get out of a car in the Arizona heat was heartbreaking," he told The Blast. "And my mom, I watched her slowly deteriorate to the point where she couldn't lift her arms to grab a plate from the kitchen. By the end of her life, she couldn't walk without a roller scooter around the house. It was so tough to see."

That personal experience has shaped everything about how Adler views life and advocacy. "Every moment of my life now is defined by my mom's death," he admitted. "We have to say what we want to say and do what we want to do while we still can, because tomorrow is promised to nobody. I don't take health for granted, and I don't take time for granted."

For Adler, playing on behalf of the Muscular Dystrophy Association, now celebrating its 75th anniversary, is a full-circle moment. "During 'Glee,' I had reached out to them, saying I wanted to raise awareness now that I had some attention. So to have them come back and ask me to represent them on 'The Weakest Link' was awesome. I was like, 'Hell yeah.'"

Adler hopes his participation on the show does more than raise money, but he wants it to inspire action. "I hope audiences take away that action can lead to results. Things can change. We all have the power to do something," he told The Blast.

He also hopes to shine a light on people living with muscular dystrophy. "I want them to feel seen and heard. A lot of people have already messaged me, thanking me for bringing attention to it. That's what matters," the actor went on. "Just like 'Glee' gave representation to people who didn't often see themselves on TV, I hope this does the same."

For Adler, his time on "Glee" remains one of the most meaningful chapters of his career. He still gets emotional recalling fan interactions, particularly after his character's powerful suicide attempt storyline in Season 3. "A guy from Germany messaged me and said his parents had kicked him out when they found out he was gay. He hadn't spoken to them in ten years. But his mom saw the episode, and it made her understand him in a way she never had. He told me he was reuniting with his family for Christmas. I still get chills thinking about it."

Adler credits the show's lasting impact to its representation and timing. "It gave people hope, especially those who felt like they didn't belong," he told The Blast. "It celebrated differences and made people feel like they were part of something. And the music was awesome too."

He added that the global connection fans feel now wasn't the same back then. "When 'Glee' came out in 2009, we didn't have the same social media reach. People in small towns didn't know what was happening across the world," he recalled. "The show gave them a lifeline, a sense that they belonged somewhere, even if it wasn't within their 10-mile radius."

While "The Weakest Link" is all in good fun, Adler admits he went in with strategy. "Cord Overstreet is smarter than you'd think," he laughed. "The guy knows everything. I thought, 'I should probably try to take him down before he beats all of us.' And Amber [Riley], she's won 'Dancing With the Stars' and she's brilliant. Everyone's smart, but those two were the ones I was most worried about."

Ultimately, Adler says the game show experience mirrored the spirit of "Glee" itself. "It's fun and there's competition, but at the end of the day, we all win because we're playing for people who need it. That's the bigger picture."

Looking back on both his career and his personal journey, Adler feels grateful. "To be here 15 years later, talking about both 'Glee' and the Muscular Dystrophy Association, is pretty cool. It shows that good things can last. If you do it right and make an impact, people remember it for decades."

For Adler, the reunion isn't just nostalgia, but it's about purpose. "If a group of 'Glee' cast members with all our drama can come together to help people, then maybe we all can."

"Celebrity Weakest Link" airs at 9 p.m. ET/PT on Mondays on Fox, with the "Glee" reunion episode kicking off the season tonight, September 15.