- Samuel Larsen said "Glee" actress Jane Lynch gave him tips for being around Ryan Murphy on set.
- Larsen was intimidated by the "Glee" creator but said Lynch told him to pretend he wasn't there.
When Samuel Larsen joined the cast of "Glee," one of its stars gave him advice on not being intimidated by the show's creator, Ryan Murphy.
Speaking with Insider ahead of the 10-year anniversary of "The Glee Project" ending, Larsen said "Glee" lead Jane Lynch gave him tips for navigating the set when the producer was around, since Murphy made him nervous.
He said Lynch, who had played Sue Sylvester since season one, told him to stay confident and pretend Murphy wasn't there.
"It was Jane who told me, 'Just pretend he's not here. Don't worry about it. You're here for a reason. Don't let it trip up your performance. Like, he's not even here. Just do your thing.'" the actor recalled.
Larsen told Insider he needed to hear this because of how intimidating he felt Murphy could be, adding "everyone's energy shifted" during a rehearsal when Murphy arrived on set.
"He's the big man, he's the boss. You wanna make sure he's happy — even more than the director," Larsen added.
Eventually, he said, he became a little more comfortable around Murphy, who he described as "a genius."
"He was someone I felt like I could talk to and I could go to, but as far as the intimidation, that never went away. I was just closer to the intimidating figure now."
Larsen won his role on 'Glee' through the competition show 'The Glee Project'
Larsen became a recurring character on "Glee" during season three after cowinning the first season of "The Glee Project" in 2011.
He played Christian glee-club member Joe Hart, and told Insider he felt like a "glorified extra" by the end of his run. Joe was part of a major plot with leading character Quinn Fabray (Dianna Agron) on season three — by season four, he had few lines.
"I wasn't really doing much," he said, speaking about his character. "There was no storyline. I was just kind of in the classroom."
Larsen added, "I was upset at the time. I was like, 'Where's all my lines? Where's all my storyline?'"
He originally won a seven-episode contract but appeared in 25 episodes overall. Still, the actor said, he's still "incredibly thankful" for having been a part of "The Glee Project" and "Glee."
Representatives for Jane Lynch did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.