While Grant Gustin was first noticed in the popular musical series Glee, it was his famous stint as DC’s superhero, The Flash, that made people sit up and take notice of him. Since 2014 for 9 seasons, Gustin portrayed the Scarlet Speedster in CW’s original series and became synonymous with the role among ardent fans.
While it is hard to imagine anyone other than Gustin fitting into this part, viewers would be surprised to know that the talented celebrity almost did not want to audition for this marquee role. Gustin in a candid interview, elaborated on the reasons behind wanting to stay away from this character and why he believed that he would not be a good choice.
Grant Gustin Had Doubts About Doing Justice To The Scarlet Speedster
For over 9 years between 2014 and 2023, Grant Gustin entered fans’ living rooms and regaled them as the Barry Allen aka The Flash in CW’s original series. With his easy charm and endearing personality, the celebrity succeeded in gaining a loyal fan base who accepted him wholeheartedly as one of DC’s celebrated superheroes.
While it was Glee that put Gustin on the map, The Flash cemented his place as a rising talent in Hollywood to watch out for in the future. But the actor surprisingly was unsure of his abilities to do justice to the role by his own confession.
In a candid chat with Smallville star Michael Rosenbaum on his podcast Inside of You, the celebrity revealed his mindset at the time of The Flash auditions and explained why he did not have the confidence to believe that he could be the right fit for the part.
I get a lot of audition anxiety and you know … I don’t want to waste my time or their time. The casting call asked for mid-20s to early 30s or mid-20s, to early to mid-30s and, again, I was like 23 and looked like I was 19 maybe, and I didn’t want to go to the audition at all because I thought it was so irrational to think that I could book it.
But in keeping with William Shakespeare’s famous play title ‘All’s Well That Ends Well’, the stars aligned ideally for Gustin who went on to become the perfect candidate to play The Flash in the series.
Tap Dancing Helped Grant Gustin Ace His DC Role
How does dancing and running faster than the speed of light find common ground? Actor Grant Gustin who is famous for his portrayal of DC’s Scarlet Speedster, elaborated on these seemingly incongruous physical disciplines in his preparation for the CW series.
In an appearance on the Today Show, Gustin spoke about the importance of movement and how dance worked wonders for him.
I have a dance background which I think helps me a lot on the show. I started as a tap dancer and I kind of did it all as a kid.
The star further explained how this art form helped him specifically during the running sequences in The Flash which is essential to the character and was appreciated by fans for how gracefully they were executed. He spoke to Michael Rosenbaum in the Inside of You podcast and said,
That’s the thing I’m complimented most on, it’s just like ‘Man, you really know how to move your body.’ I really think it’s my dance background … it’s one thing I have a pretty good grasp on, like how I’m supposed to look.
Funnily enough, Gustin confessed that running was his least favorite thing to do as a child and even quit playing soccer because of this aversion. As fate would have it, this discipline went on to become an integral part of his profession.
All 9 seasons of The Flash can be streamed on Netflix.
