Chord Overstreet Explains Glee 's Lasting Impact

Chord Overstreet knows the New Directions will never go out of style.

The Glee alum, whose character Sam Evans became the New Directions director in the series finale, has only expanded his horizons since the beloved show ended in 2015—but as younger generations continue to discover the show, the legacy of Sam lives on.

"When you do anything that's that impactful, it's a compliment to the people that are creating," the 33-year-old actor exclusively told E! News. "The role you have on the show can impact people's lives. I think it's really cool that it still goes on."

With the entire series available to stream on Disney+, its themes and groundbreaking representation are being seen and appreciated by a crop of viewers that are as young now as the students at William McKinley High were when the show first premiered.

"It helped a lot of kids and it dealt with a lot of issues that it was the leader on," Chord said. "It was the first time a lot of these things got discussed. It's cool that it's sticking around."

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These days, Chord has traded in his McKinley letterman jacket for popped collars and hairspray on Apple TV+'s Acapulco. On the series, which is currently in the midst of its second season, Overstreet plays Chad, the general manager at Acapulco hot spot Las Colinas Resort.

Set in the 1980s, Acapulco allows Chord to take a glitzy step back in time.

"It's so fun, honestly," he said, "when you have 10 pounds of hairspray and everything's pink and you're in the '80s taking pictures with Deloreans. I get to speak a little Spanglish. There's such a rhythm to the show. You check out of reality."

Consider our bags packed.

In addition to Acapulco, Chord recently released his new single "Sleepwalking in the Rain." And the mystical song is rooted in real-life experiences.

"I've been known to do a little sleepwalking," he revealed. "One night I had this dream. I woke up and I was in my kitchen. I wrote down this title 'Sleepwalking in the Rain' and I was like, 'I don't really know what this means yet.' I stored it in old notes in my phone. I went into a session and I was scrolling through notes and I was like, 'Oh I remember this and the emotion behind it.' The chorus just came out. It was one of those moments."

"Sleepwalking in the Rain" is available now and new episodes of Acapulco premiere Fridays on Apple TV+.

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