Matheus Fernandes May Be Short, But He Will Stand Up to the Competition on ‘The Glee Project’

There's nothing wrong with 'The Glee Project' contestant Matheus Fernandes, he's "just short." At 20-years-old and only 4'9", he's shorter than the all of his competition -- even the girls -- but he will straighten up and try his best to be the last man standing tall.

"When I was younger I would just always look down on myself, because everyone looks down on me -- literally," Fernandes says in his Oxygen character spot. Even Though didn't know any English when he moved from Brazil to Atlanta, Ga. at the age of 12, he learned it in just a few weeks. But his strongest ability is his musical talent.

"My favorite part of what I do is feeling it," the young competitor says. "You know, feeling the music. And I try to bring that to my body, be it singing, be it dancing, or jumping around like a crazy person. I never thought that I'd get the chance or opportunity to do something like this. You know, me of all people … I can't believe this is happening."

But the reality is that Matheus Fernandes is competing against 11 others for a spot on 'Glee' -- he or she who shines the brightest in singing, dancing, acting and overall personality will ultimately steal the show, no pun intended.

Fernandes lights up when he talks about 'Glee,' but really, he's already lived it. "Performing is definitely my passion. 'Glee' is definitely me, that's how my life was in high school," he revels. "The first time that I performed on my own, I was a freshman in high school, you know, scared of what people were going to think of me. You know, 'Oh, this little dude, like what is he going to do?' But as soon as I started singing and I started getting that pump and that energy from the crowd, I knew from that moment on, I was like, 'I don't care how different I am, this is what I want to do.'"

Does Matheus Fernandes have what it takes to appear alongside the 'Glee' superstars? We'll see. 'The Glee Project' kicks off on June 12 on Oxygen.

Watch Matheus Fernandes Open Up About Being Different