Interviews with the Glee project winner, Damian McGinty and Samuel Larsen are beginning to surface, so I thought I would put them altogether in a separate post! Damian and Sam have not begun work on Glee yet and still have no idea how they will fit into the storyline. They’ve both been taking acting classes to get ready for their roles.
Samuel talks about narrowly missing getting cast as Sam last season (the part went to Chord Overstreet, who is no longer on the show) and his uncomfortable time competing on American Idol Season 9.
Also, the final episode was filmed in April. It’s amazing that more spoilers didn’t make their way on to the internet. According to Samuel, in an interview with Access Hollywood, the contract was very clear on the consequences of spilling the outcome…
From People Magazine: “I feel great!” Larsen says. “I was so happy Damian got to win as well. At this point we were just brothers. I knew when he won, too, it felt like I won twice. I love the guy, so it’s nice to know I don’t have to go into this crazy world alone.”
Also learning he won a role during the April taping of the finale, “It was like I had just drunk 15 Red Bulls and 10 coffees, ” says McGinty. “I was bouncing off the walls. I don’t think it’s going to be a thing that will ever sink in. I feel really honored, I feel flattered. It’s an incredible moment.”
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From The Hollywood Reporter: THR: What was going through your mind when you each heard Ryan announce the winner and then seconds later that you’d both won?
McGinty: We looked at each other as if to say, ‘Wow, what is happening? This is insane.’ Ryan had said a lot of great things about both of us but I didn’t hear a word; I was lost in shock. My mind was in Mars or somewhere ridiculous. Then all the sudden he says, ‘Samuel, you’ve won the Glee Project.’ My heart sunk; I had worked so hard to get here and prove so much; it was such a journey. To come so close, it was soul destroying but at the same time I was still happy for Samuel. The guy worked so hard and was so consistent and is so talented and so worthy of winning the crown, basically. Then Ryan came back to me and said, ‘How do you feel?’ I said, ‘Well, Samuel deserves it.’ Then he said, ‘You don’t need to worry because you’ve also won The Glee Project.’ I just hit the roof; I can’t explain what I was feeling. I nearly hit my head on the piano when I was celebrating! The most important moment of my life and I nearly killed myself. It was such an amazing moment.
Samuel, you tried out for American Idol a few years ago. How was this experience different?
Larsen: For one, I’m not 17 and terrified out of my mind anymore. It’s different because I was literally at American Idol thinking I don’t even like this show, I don’t really want to be here. But, you know, when you put yourself in the competition setting, you instinctively think you gotta do your best. But at the end of the day, I knew American Idol wasn’t for me and I was OK with it … I’m not a very typical singer.
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Interview with Alex Newell and Lindsay Pearce, The Hollywood Reporter: THR: What was going through your mind when you heard Ryan eliminate you, then moments later brought you both back out after naming Samuel and Damian winners?
Pearce: At first I was disappointed at not winning, but I was OK. You can see it on my face; I knew I didn’t win. When you know, you know. I was just pleased that I had finally got it all done, that I did my job and all I needed from Ryan was a thumbs up and he gave me one. I felt like I had redeemed myself in his eyes and that was all I needed. Him telling me that I didn’t win, I didn’t need to win at that point anymore; that wasn’t what it was about. He told Alex he didn’t win and that was a big shock for me. Then Damian and Samuel won, which was incredible. When he pulled Alex and I up to the front and said, ‘You guys really are special; here’s a little something – two episodes.’ At first, it was like, I feel like this might be a consolation prize, but it really wasn’t; he wasn’t consoling us, he was giving us a chance.
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Interview with Damian McGinty from TV Line: You’ve talked about a positive attitude and professionalism being important to your success. Did you learn a lot of that from your experiences as part of Celtic Thunder? It was interesting because we all know Glee is about the underdog, and I feel like they may have looked at the 12 contestants on a piece of paper and thought, “Can we focus on two or three of these and try to make them the underdogs? Which ones can cope with [that role] the best, the pressure?” And I feel like there was an element where they looked at me and thought, “This guy has a lot of experience. Maybe he can cope with the pressure.” And you know, that was proven: I was in the bottom three on four or five occasions, and had to sing for Ryan like six times. Mentally, it’s so tough. It took a lot of character, it took a lot of courage. I’m honred, and I’m flattered, and it was a phenomenal, phenomenal experience.
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From Access Hollywood Live: Samuel Larsen and Damian McGinty are still stunned about having won “The Glee Project, ” so are they ready for their seven-episode stint on “Glee”? Plus, they found out they won the show back in April, so how hard was it to keep that a secret all this time? Oh, I told my mom and dad, ” said Larsen. “No, I mean, when they slap that kind of a contract in your face and tell you the consequences, you keep your mouth shut.”
