Samuel Larsen of ‘The Glee Project’ Went to Hollywood With $5 and a Love for Michael Jackson

If anyone is dedicated to becoming the next star of 'Glee,' it's Samuel Larsen. Before earning a spot on 'The Glee Project,' the 19-year-old musician packed his bags and moved to Los Angeles -- with only $5 in his pocket.

Just by looking at him, with his chest-length dreads and nose ring, you can tell that Samuel has an edge. He's not afraid to share his passion and his art with the world, because he's been doing it since he was just a toddler. The California kid started playing the drums with pint-size sticks at 3 years old, and at 8 years old, Samuel shook his groove thing to the King of Pop -- Michael Jackson -- for patrons of San Francisco's Pier 39, before joining his dad's band at 9.

Ten years later, he's hopefully destined for 'Glee' fame. "I moved to Hollywood 10 months ago with $5 in my back pocket," Samuel spills. "I had to start playing songs in the streets to pay for dinner. It was really crazy, but at the same time, it totally felt like I was doing it. Technically, in that moment I was playing music as a living."

Samuel will battle 11 other contenders in 'The Glee Project' competition for a recurring role on Season 3 of 'Glee' -- something he says he'll stop at nothing to get. "I'm so passionate about it and so in this competition and in this 'Glee' moment that there's nothing I won't do. If that means I've got to jump into the crowd, then I'll do that. I have nothing holding me back in my head at all. This is it. This is the rest of my life."

Watch Samuel Larsen Perform Jason Mraz's 'I'm Yours'