by Gina Scarpa

Say what you want about Alex Newell on The Glee Project but you can't deny his talent or his determination to be himself, whether people liked it not. It's that confidence that caught the attention of Ryan Murphy and after naming Samuel Larsen and Damian McGinty the winners of the competition, he gave Alex and fellow contestant Lindsay Pearce a two episode arc on Glee. Today, we caught up with Alex in an exclusive interview to get to know him a little better and find out more about his time on The Glee Project.

Q. Gina, RealityWanted: What made you decide to try out for The Glee Project and had you ever auditioned professionally before?
A. Alex: I wanted to be on Glee! I wanted people to hear my story that isn't portrayed on the show. I've auditioned for professional theater but nothing on the scale of television.

Q. Gina, RealityWanted: There were times that your focus/desire to be there as well as your ego came into question. Did you feel like the mentors or contestants misunderstood you at all?
A. Alex: I'm kind of a complex person. There are so many things to me that don't always come off the way that I intend them to. But I always wanted to be there and, as for an ego, I try to be confident and not self absorbed because I know there's always someone out there that's better than me. I just think people take everything I say verbatim.

Q. Gina, RealityWanted: Your sexuality came up quite a bit on the show and Ryan said, in the finale, that your story was the most interesting to him. What did that mean to you?
A. Alex: It meant the world to me. I guess he saw what I wanted the world to see - the story that light isn't always shed on.

Q. Gina, RealityWanted: Your openness surely made you a role model to young people who may be struggling with the sexuality. Is that something you wanted to be or did that come about more naturally?
A. Alex: I never thought about being someone role model but I'm glad that I can be for someone. The first time someone said that they looked up to me and I was their role model, I was flabbergasted because I have never thought of me as someone's role model.

Q. Gina, RealityWanted: When Ryan announced Samuel and then Damian had both won, what was your immediate reaction?
A. Alex: To be honest, I was happy for them. Samuel wanted this more than his life. It's scary how bad he wanted it. And Damian is so charming and worked so hard for it. So I was elated for both of them!

Q. Gina, RealityWanted: Can you tell us anything about your two episodes on Glee?
A. Alex: I don't know anything yet. I just really want to work with Amber [Riley].

Q. Gina, RealityWanted: What's next for you?
A. Alex: I'm gonna try and focus on theater and get myself in a Broadway show!

(Image courtesy of Oxygen)

Follow Gina @ginascarpa and "Like" her on Facebook!