Glen Powell auditioned to play Sam Evans on Glee - but the role went to his pal Chord Overstreet instead
Actor Glen explained that he met Chord, both 36, in "acting class" and were both "in the waiting room at the same time" during auditions - with the pair "down to the wire" to bag the role on the Fox jukebox musical comedy-drama television series
7 October 2025
Glen recalled on a recent episode of the Therapuss with Jake Shane podcast: "One of my best buddies in the world is Chord Overstreet, and Chord was on the show Glee.
"We both auditioned for Glee. We both auditioned for the same role - Sam Evans ...
"We were both in the waiting room at the same time because we were buddies. We met in acting class.
"We were pals for a really long time, so we were close, and then we were down to the wire on Sam Evans, and he got it."
Glen insisted there was no awkwardness when he found out he had lost out on the role to Chord.
He said: "Not really.
"I feel like I've always had a long-term perspective about these things. I think my dad is incredibly zen about just the kind of ups and downs of life.
"And I grew up with like a very - I don't know, well-adjusted family. And I've never been competitive with other people. I've been competitive with myself.
"If I don't get something, I don't ever curse the other person's name."
Chord made his debut in Glee in 2010, when Sam first appeared in season two of the series - created by 59 year old Ryan Murphy.
And Glen remembered that Chord became a massive star during his casting for the series - which started in 2009 and ended in 2015.
Glen recalled: "He's still one of my best friends, and we were about to be roommates.
"So we moved in together as he went on this crazy Glee ride, which was kind of wild ... for one of your best friends in the world, to watch him go through that thing ... it was pretty crazy to be around because it was also like the biggest show in the world ...
"It's so funny when you look back on the things that you auditioned for. Glee was one of those [shows] that every once in a while, you have an audition, and you're like, 'Wow.' Your life changes, and to watch Chord go on that ride - he couldn't go anywhere."
Influencer-and-comedian Jake, 25, asked Glen: "Was it literally after the first episode he was in, everything shifted?"
Glen replied: "It was even before, during his casting, like everybody in town was auditioning for this. So like all of a sudden he got it, and it was like all of Los Angeles changed around him.
"It's nuts."
Chord previously said that playing Sam in Glee - which ran for six seasons - was like "boot camp" for him, "in the best way".
In 2017, he told People: "I learned more than I could have ever learned from acting or singing classes.
"I couldn't get that experience anywhere else. I definitely became a better singer, from singing in the studio every day and watching people that are great performers that were coming onto our show."
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