While the word’s still out on his return to Lima, Ohio, Glee‘s Grant Gustin‘s about to make his mark in theaters. Known for his days as the villainous Sebastian Symthe on television’s musical sensation, Gustin has just landed the lead in the indie Affluenza, set to start production next week in Manhattan and Great Neck, N.Y. But aside from that confirmed role, there’s also the possibility of a major break-out coming his way.
The actor has also revealed to The Insider that he’s auditioned for the hotly-contested role of Finnick in The Hunger Games: Catching Fire. Considering Lionsgate seems to be looking at all young male talent – including Armie Hammer, Garrett Hedlund, and Taylor Kitsch – there’s no reason why Gustin may have a leg up, but there’s another hat to throw into the ring.
As for his indie project, one can check out the synopsis below, courtesy of THR:
Described as a modern-day take on The Great Gatsby, the film centers on Todd Goodman (Gustin), a preppy alpha male jock who hails from a wealthy family. A turn of events during the financial crisis of 2008 forces him to face life in the real world. Kevin Asch is directing from a screenplay Antonio Macia.
Gustin’s still a bit of an unknown to non-Glee fans. He signed up this week to mentor contestants on the Oxygen reality show The Glee Project and has just wrapped a lead role in the original Lifetime television film A Mother’s Nightmare. Before Glee, he was roaming the country with the national tour of West Side Story. His work on Fox was both hilarious and charming but it’ll be interesting to see what he can do outside of the realm of glee clubs. The role in this indie project sounds very similar to his Glee character, so it doesn’t seem like too much of a stretch or even a challenge for him, but I’ll hold out judgment until more info is available.
Would you like to see Gustin in Catching Fire? Looking forward to more roles from the actor?