While his character on Glee is known as a man of few words, Brad Ellis (known as “Brad the piano player” to fans) is speaking out about the recent death of his former cast mate, Mark Salling.

The late actor died in an apparent suicide at the age of 35 on Tuesday, just one month before he was to be sentenced to prison for possession of child pornography. Ellis, who also worked behind the scenes on Glee‘s musical production, tells People exclusively that he knew Salling before his downfall as “personable and affable” with a “very light quality to him sometimes.