Jessica Sanchez: 'Glee' to open spot for American Idol runner-up

Jessica Sanchez: 'Glee' will give the season 11 'American Idol' runner-up a recurring role. Jessica Sanchez may play a love interest to Finn on Glee. Sanchez is not the first 'Idol' contestant to leap to TV or Broadway.

“American Idol” 2012 runner-up Jessica Sanchez has booked a recurring spot on Fox’s high school musical “Glee,” according to TVLine.

Sanchez, who came in second behind “Idol” winner Phillip Phillips in season 11 of the show this past May, will appear on multiple episodes of the show later in the season, and some fans are wondering if the singer will play a love interest for high school graduate Finn (Cory Monteith).

“Glee” creator Ryan Murphy tweeted about a possible upcoming music theme for the show now that Sanchez is on board.

“With voices like Jessica, Lea, Naya, Melissa, Amber, and Jenna… Streisand episode?” Murphy wrote on Twitter.

Sanchez isn’t the first “Idol” runner-up to parlay her appearances on the hit Fox singing contest into success in other areas of entertainment.

Former season 3 contestant Jennifer Hudson went on to star in the 2006 film version of “Dreamgirls” and won an Oscar for her role, while season 2 runner-up Clay Aiken appeared on Broadway in “Monty Python’s Spamalot.”

Another Season 3 runner-up, Diana DeGarmo, made her Broadway debut in “Hairspray” and later starred in “Hair,” while Constantine Maroulis of season 4 starred in “The Wedding Singer” and “Rock of Ages” on the Great White Way. And Season 5’s Katharine McPhee is currently starring on the NBC behind-the-scenes Broadway drama “Smash.”