Blake Jenner was named the winner of The Glee Project Season 2 after beating fellow competitors Aylin Bayramoglu and Ali Stroker to earn a role on Glee.
Although Blake faced stiff competition in Aylin and Ali, Jenner gave it his all with Edwin McCain’s “I’ll Be” before deciding to read a heartfelt poem to The Glee Project mentors about why he’s different. As a result, Blake moved some of the mentors to tears before being named the second season winner of The Glee Project.
Despite a lack of musical training, Blake raised his Glee game to new heights throughout the season and proved that he has what it takes to be in the big show.
Following his victory on The Glee Project, The Deadbolt spent as few minutes with Blake Jenner to learn more about his win, his biggest breakthrough moment, and why he chose to read a poem at the end.
THE DEADBOLT: From the start of competition, did you feel like you were ready for Glee, or did that evolve?
BLAKE JENNER: It definitely evolved. From the beginning, I think we all felt like amateurs. I definitely did. I learned a lot through singing as the competition went on, so I definitely feel like it evolved.
THE DEADBOLT: And then you hit your stride?
JENNER: Once it hit the middle of the second half of competition, we all felt like we were getting to that point where we were ready for Glee.
THE DEADBOLT: How much of a risk did you feel you were taking by reading the poem at the end?
JENNER: I think it was a risk because it was either hit or miss. 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 in general. That poem was just the start of the levels within me that he’d get to see eventually.
It was either hit or miss. It was either the poem was going to work or the poem was going to flop. So, I definitely thought it was a risk going in. But it was the last chance I had and I was definitely going to take it.
THE DEADBOLT: Now that it’s over, what do you view as your biggest breakthrough moment on the show?
JENNER: I think my biggest breakthrough moment on the show was “actibility.” That’s my favorite episode. I think we all did a great job as a unit, getting the right emotion displayed.
“Actibility” was definitely a stand-out moment for me because I got to show my roots. Everyone else had studied music their whole lives and I had studied acting. So I got to show what I had been studying. It was definitely “actibility.”