'The Glee Project' Interview: Blake On Winning The Competition

08/19/2012

Much like his role in the final music video, you could say that Blake has been the prom king of The Glee Project this season. He sailed through the weekly challenges with ease, winning over both the judges and the viewers along the way. But when it came down to the final moments of the show, he didn’t think he was going to take the crown. I spoke with Blake about what it felt like to win it all, his love of acting, and of course, that poem.

Ology: Hi Blake! Congratulations! Can you describe for me that moment when Ryan said you were the winner? What was going through your mind?

Blake: Oh, man. I couldn’t even think. I couldn’t breathe. My mind was racing. I honestly did not think I was going to win. I thought that I had fought until the end but I honestly thought that the two girls next to me - they had stories that you could see right when you look at them. Like, you know, just by looking at them you’ll see their stories and you’ll see how their storylines could play out. Mine, you’d really, like, have to get in depth, but I honestly thought they were going to win.

I was getting ready to turn to them and hug them because I thought for sure they were going to win and when he said my name, I couldn’t even, like, think because it was just like a dream come true. Like, this is something that I’ve been working towards since my first acting class when I was really, really young. I mean, I just can’t explain it. It was the best feeling that I’ve ever had. I mean, when I jumped I think I almost flew out of happiness because I got really, really high. But, it was just amazing and the best moment of my life, honestly.

How much of a risk did you feel you were taking by reading the poem at the end?

I think it was a risk because it was either a hit or miss. Like, that was the last chance I had to show Ryan who I was and that there were different levels of me. Not just through the poem but just in general. Like, that poem is just the start of the levels of me that he could see eventually. And it was either hit or miss, I think. It was either the poem was going to work or the poem was going to flop so, I mean, I definitely thought it was a risk going in, but it was the last chance that I had and I was totally going to take it.

Did you think that reading that poem put you over the top and gave you the win?

I didn’t think anything in that moment. I mean, watching it, I’m just glad that I did it because win or lose, I feel like it showed me, you know. It finally gave me a chance, not just to perform but it also gave me a chance to just be me in front of them. You know, because most of the time, you’re getting questions when you just finished a song. You’re getting some questions before they say “Okay, thank you.”

But this time I actually got a chance to speak my mind and, you know, they asked me if I had any last minute words and I was like, yes and I wrote something. So, I’m really glad that I did it because I do feel like it helped, but I think win or lose, it just showed me for the world to see and to just know exactly who I am and what I’ve been through.

You mentioned that we didn’t see a lot of your personal story as easily as Ali and Aylin. What is one of the things that we should know about your personal story that we didn’t get to see on the show?

I’ve definitely gone through a lot. I mean, by looking at Ali, you know what she’s gone through and by looking at Aylin, you know what she’s gone through. But, with me, I mean, I’ve gone through a lot of hard times. You know, some times that were tough on the family, some times there were tough in school. I was bullied a lot in junior high and you wouldn’t know that by just looking at me and I’ve shed a lot of tears in my life. And I don’t think you get to see my vulnerable side. So I’ve had a lot of vulnerability - I’ve had a lot of vulnerable moments in my life.

From the start of the competition, did you feel like you were ready for Glee or did that evolve?

It definitely evolved. I mean, I think from the beginning we all felt like amateurs, you know, I definitely did, and I learned a lot through singing as the competition went on. So I definitely feel like it evolved. Like, once I hit, I think, the middle of the second half of competition, I think then, like, we all felt like we were getting to that point where we all felt ready for Glee.

Now that it’s over, what do you feel is your biggest breakthrough moment on the show?

I think my biggest breakthrough moment on the show was - I think “Actability.” I think, you know, for myself, because that’s my favorite episode of everything, “Actability” because we all did - I think we all did a great job as, like, a unit, you know, getting the right emotions displayed and all that stuff. But, I think that “Actability” is definitely a standout moment for me because I got to show, you know, my roots. Because everybody else had studied music throughout their whole lives but I’d studied acting. So, yes, I definitely think “Actability.”

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Do you know anything about the character you’re playing? Is there anything you can tell us?

I have no idea at all and I think that it’s going to be a surprise to everyone, including myself, because I have no idea at all. The only thing that I know is that Ryan tweeted the night of the finale and said, “Oh, who will The Glee Project 2 winner be? Writing such a great role for the winner and just wait until you see who they are dating.” And when I saw it, I was like whoa, who am I going to be dating? So the only thing that I know is that I’m possibly dating someone, so that’s really, really exciting, but I know nothing else.

Do you have a dream character that you’d like to play?

I mean, I’d love to be, like, you know, a leader for the choir room and just to - I’d love to be on the football team, that’d be amazing. But, I’d love to be in the choir room and I’d love to be that go-to guy for everyone. But I’d also love to be that guy that, you know, he’s there for everyone but he’s also got some stuff - some skeletons in his closet, you know. He’s also got some stuff in his life going on that he just doesn’t want to open up because he’s so used to being there for everyone but he’s not used to having to vent to someone. So I’d love to be that guy who’s there for everyone but he’s got something going on in his life that secretly, you know, you don’t know what’s going on but eventually they boil up and then people just have to accept - like, to help him - to finally help him after he’s helped everyone.

What song would you like to song on the show?

I’d love to sing “The Way You Make Me Feel” by Michael Jackson. I’d love to, like, dance out that song because that’s the type of dancing that I grew up with, is watching Michael Jackson and loving his music. And also, like a Gavin DeGraw song, I’d love to do “Not Over You” or a song by my favorite band, The Cab. So those three choices for sure.

Which challenge was the hardest for you?

I would say slushies because - I’m going to say two things. Two things were the hardest. Slushies because it felt like you were getting slapped by a snowman in the face and it was crazy. I mean, it was so cold. When we’re getting slushied, I couldn’t feel the left side of my body. It was like the more I got slushied, the more I went numb and it was crazy and it hurt.

But also, what was a little bit harder, that I would take slushies over, is the obstacle course. And I think to some people it didn’t look like much, but the more we did it and with the sweat suits we were wearing and all that stuff, like, you know, it was intense. And I lost so much energy and by the time it was over I really felt like I was going to, like, faint because I had to, like, chug waters and just, like relax. I couldn’t even move. So, definitely those two.

You guys all seemed to get really close during the show. Do you still keep in touch with the other contestants?

Oh, yes, yes, yes. I talk to Michael a lot. I talk to Abraham a lot. I talk to Nellie a lot. Everybody, I think is - for the most part, everyone’s living in Los Angeles, so we’re right by each other now. So, Lily just moved out, like yesterday she officially got here. And, yes, we’re all keeping in touch, for sure.

What’s the most important thing that you took away from the whole experience?

I think the most important thing that I took away from the whole experience, and this is something that I always told myself to keep in mind, but throughout this experience I actually used it was, definitely never to get negative and always stay - like, just go with the positive because every week, I mean, I just had faith. And no matter how bad things were getting or no matter how, like, bad I was at certain points or something if I was going through a hard time, I just had to stay focused and just stay positive, you know. And, trust yourself as you’re doing, like, each activity, like the homework assignment or the music video or even the last chance performance. Like, just trust yourself, trust your moves and just allow yourself to break through. Definitely, that’s what I took from this experience.

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