
If you’ve ever wondered what it’s like to be in charge of casting for a major network TV show, The Glee Project will give you a pretty accurate idea, says head mentor/judge Robert Ulrich. “The mechanics of casting are exactly the same, just extended over an entire season,” says the man who also serves as casting director for the Glee mothership.
The one main difference, though, is that the Glee Project kids are enrolled in “a wonderful master class combined with the most excruciating torture chamber,” and the inevitable lack of privacy and 24/7 pressure means not everyone is always on his or her best behavior. “That’s an advantage to us,” he says with a laugh, “and a disadvantage to the contestants.”
You poor things! You all look so tired!!
Aylin Bayramoglu may have gotten tantalizing close to scoring a seven-episode arc on Glee, only to fall just shy of her goal, but you won’t hear her complaining. The co-runner-up on Season 2 of The Glee Project says that the competition “literally was a life-changing experience” that’s refocused her goals on landing a TV role and becoming a role model for young Muslim women who don’t often see themselves represented positively on the small screen.
TVLine caught up with Bayramoglu to talk about whether or not her Glee Project showmance was legit, how her family reacted to some of her racier moments on the show, and what it feels like to have Amber Riley praise your vocal ability.