'Glee' actor says he realized he wasn't going to be on the show anymore when production let him cut his signature hairstyle
- Samuel Larson joined the cast of "Glee" as Joe Hart after winning season 1 of "The Glee Project."
- The actor knew he wasn't coming back for season 5 when producers let him cut his signature locs.
Samuel Larsen, who played Joe Hart on "Glee" after cowinning season one of "The Glee Project," was known for his long locs — so when producers let him cut them, he knew it was over.
While speaking to Insider for the 10th anniversary of the conclusion of "The Glee Project," Larsen said he realized he wouldn't be asked back for season five of "Glee" after getting permission to cut his hair when season four wrapped.
"I thought, 'Oh, maybe that means I'm not coming back if they're totally fine with me cutting it, 'cause I kept making suggestions to put it in the show and they just were not about it,'" he said. "And then, yeah, I got the phone call that I wasn't coming back."
Throughout his time on "The Glee Project" and "Glee," Larsen's locs were a big part of his persona. But after wearing the hairstyle for seven years, he told Insider he "didn't feel like myself with them anymore."
Other characters commented on Joe's hair on multiple episodes, so Larsen said he suggested to writer Brad Falchuk that the haircut be a part of his character's arc. But that never happened.
Before leaving 'Glee,' Larsen felt that his character was turning into a 'glorified extra'
Not getting asked back for season five of "Glee" wasn't a huge surprise to Larsen, who said he felt like a "glorified extra" on his later episodes.
On season three, Joe was involved in a budding relationship with main character Quinn Fabray (Dianna Agron). But by season four, after Quinn graduated, the character was mainly shown in larger group musical numbers
"I wasn't really doing much. There was no storyline," Larsen told Insider.
Despite having less to do on season four, Larsen said he was still thankful for his time on the show. He even returned for guest appearances on two episodes of the sixth and final season.