Garrett Clayton on Playing a Heartthrob in Hairspray Live! and Having the Courage to Be Himself

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Playing Link Larkin on NBCsHairspray Live!isa full-circle moment for Garrett Clayton.

The 25-year-old actor known for roles on TVsThe Fosters, the indie filmKing Cobraand in theDisney ChannelsTeen Beach movie franchise first chose Larkins signature tune, It Takes Two, as his audition song while studying to get his B.F.A. in musical theater at Oakland University in Rochester, Michigan.

Since then, Claytons kept16- and 32-bar cuts of the 1950s-style doo-wop ballad in his audition cycle. (Its one of the songs that helped him book the firstTeen Beach film in 2013). And after seven years of crooning for casting agents, h**l finally get the chance to sing the tune live on Wednesday to an audience of thousands.

Its really exciting, he told PEOPLE, when reflecting on the experience in a phone conversation. I even went and bought [the soundtrack] as soon as it came out. I went online and said, I have to buy this because now I get to buy the cast album that Im on. I geeked out a little bit!

It makes sense,because Clayton is a theater kid at heart.

After years of playing sports like karate, boxing, football and soccer, the Michigan native did his first play at a summer camp when he was 13. He was hooked, and joined the drama club full time soon thereafter. There was one summer where I did three shows all at the same time includingYoure A Good Man, Charlie Brown, Clayton said. I really fell in love with it.

But at the beginning of high school, Clayton wasnt as confident in who he was.I was tryingto be someone for the first part of high school, he said.I was kind of this nerdy kid who didnt want to be a nerd anymore. Even talking about it, Im embarrassed. Im like, Ugh, why didyou care what people thought?

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Things changed when his friends circle turned on him. Partway through school, I had dated someonemyother friend liked andall the people who I thought were my friends ended up hating me. They wanted her to date my other friends. And because she dated me, they hated both of us.

When they split, Clayton realized the people in his life werent friends with the real him.

They were friends with this idea of the person I was tryingto be, he said. And when all of those things were happening, I realizedI dont care about what people think of me I just want to be happy. Ever since then, everything Ive done in life, Ive just been chasing happiness and trying to keep honest, good people in my life.

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Its not just a lesson Clayton learned in life its one Link Larkin learns inHairspray.

Its why I relate to Link, Clayton said. Theres all these idealistic things that TV and moviestell you that you should want to be. And when youre growing up, you find out what you really care about and what really matters.

Link learns that sometimes, the things you want in life arent in line with your heart but that your dreams can come true if you stand up for what you believe in, he added.

Maddie Baillio/NBC

What matters to Link isTracy Turnblad (newcomer MaddieBaillio) the energetic optimist as the center ofHairspray. Their love story is a pure one in many ways, with Link singing to her, Tracy Im in love with you no matter what you weigh!

Its a huge message, clayton said. we live in such a society where there are all these unrealistic expectations placed on women. Its a really good message to say Love yourselves and love the people around you for who they are not necessarily for what they look like.

We all fall in love with someone for the person they are not because of their race, their hair or any of the frivolous things that go away in time, he continued.

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As for love, Claytonsfound iton the set ofHairspray Live! among the cast made up ofAriana Grande, Dove Cameron, Ephraim Sykes, Harvey Fierstein, Kristin Chenowethand Baillio(to name a few). Clayton said hes hopeful hisHairspray stays in touch after their final bows.

We are all so obsessed with each other, Clayton gushes. From day one of rehearsals,everybody came in with really good intentions and wanting to give 110 percent.It doesnt feel like a Hollywood horror story its a really open, loving environment were people want to have fun and tell a good story.

I mean it when I say all of us are going to be sobbing when this show ends, he concluded. Weve created such a good family here and its goingtobe so sad to say goodbye.

Hairspray Live! airsWednesday at 8 p.m. ET on NBC.

Source: http://people.com/tv/hairspray-live-garrett-clayton-exclusive/