Fans of Chord Overstreet and his luscious-lipped character Sam on "Glee" have had a whirlwind of bad news lately. First, the news broke that the Bieber-haired blonde wouldn't be returning as a series regular, despite the fact that Harry Shum Jr. (Mike) and Darren Criss (Blaine) had been elevated to that status. Now word comes that Sam won't be returning at all, a choice currently attributed to Overstreet wanting to pursue other projects. What's the real story?
Something Fishy
The constantly changing story about Sam sure seems fishy, and we're not just talking about his lovable "trouty-mouth." The original news about Overstreet's downgrade in Season 3 seemed to imply that the actor would have a minimal role as a "recurring guest star." Then, when fans cried out in protest, suddenly the party line from the "Glee" camp was that they had story ideas for Sam, and were just waiting for Overstreet to confirm he wanted to show up for filming. This sounded a bit unbelievable for a big Fox production, and E! Online noted how strange it was that Overstreet's publicist and all of the "Glee" cast had nothing to say on the subject.
The speculation and virtual hair-pulling continued online, including a Twitter petition that has gathered more than 13,000 signatures. With this and the recent turmoil over the Big Three (Rachel, Finn and Kurt) graduating next year, the "Glee" producers decided to come out and clarify creator Ryan Murphy's statements on the issue. The show's co-creator, Brad Falchuk, told Comic-Con attendees that Overstreet was offered a "10-episode story arc" that could possibly lead to series regular status. That's a far cry from the occasional guest spots that had been indicated in early reports.
Cryptic Statements
Back in early July, Overstreet tweeted to his fans: "well its been a good yr too bad its over, time for summer and starting fresh." Nowhere did he say "Hey, I turned down a big story arc on 'Glee.'" As of this writing, he has yet to mention anything on Twitter aside from surfing and giving shout-outs to his equally talented brother.
Falchuk's Comic-Con comments also included some cryptic statements, as he explained that: "For reasons Chord is aware of, we decided not to make him a regular." If they were good reasons, why wouldn't they be made public? Falchuk added that they were "disappointed" in the young actor's decision to opt out of the show, and that "we can't force him to work."
The Real Story?
Anyone who's ever worked in a corporate environment knows that "seeking interests outside the company" usually means someone was fired. It's tough to tell at this point if Falchuk's comments about Overstreet's departure are a form of PR for the fans, putting the blame on the actor rather than their own plans for the dismissal.
However, Falchuk's explanations also have a bit of a sour grapes tone to them, so there's always the possibility that the actor was looking for more and decided to bail when he didn't get it. Overstreet could have been annoyed that he'd been pushed down to guest star status, or that he wasn't getting more money, or he really does think he's famous enough now to start out on a big-time Hollywood career path. It wouldn't be the first time an up-and-coming actor ditched a hit show in pursuit of something greater -- or something he perceived to be greater.
In his favor, Overstreet does have the upcoming film "A Warrior's Heart" with "Twilight" stars Ashley Greene and Kellan Lutz. The film recently premiered at Cannes. The new free agent actor also tweeted that he was working on a new album. While none of this necessarily means he's got a big career ahead of him, it could be enough for him to feel he's ready to move on from "Glee."
More From This Contributor:
Why the 'Glee' Cast Graduation is a Good Thing
The 'Glee' Kids Obsession with Sam's Humongous Mouth
Boys of 'Glee' Trivia Questions
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