Gumball unmasked: What award-winning actor was secretly rockin’ out on ‘The Masked Singer’?
The Season 11 finale took place on “The Masked Singer” Wednesday, May 22. After singing their hearts out for panelists Robin Thicke, Jenny McCarthy Wahlberg, Ken Jeong and Rita Ora, Goldfish and Gumball stood by side as host Nick Cannon announced Goldfish was the winner. Before Goldfish revealed herself, the Gumball had to take it off and turned out to be award-winning actor Scott Porter (“Friday Night Lights,” “Ginny & Georgia”).
When Nick asked Scott, “Who knew you could do what you do?” the actor replied, “Not even me until maybe tonight. I don’t have any legitimate training. I started singing on street corners in Orlando, Florida when I was going to high school. I auditioned for two straight years for Disney and couldn’t book a role. I didn’t know I could do this until tonight, but I’m so glad I did.”
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Nick also confessed that Scott is his son’s baseball coach! “I play first base coach,” Scott explained. “On a Saturday I was sitting during the game and I see Nick sitting there and I was like, ‘That’s crazy!’ And I’ve stood next to him this whole time. He does the chat that we say for our team at the end of every game. We’ve got three rules. Work hard, have fun and be kind. I gotta say, I put everything I had into this because my family, my wife and my kids are home. I had the most fun I could ever possibly have. Thank you so much, and you’ve been so kind to me.”
Prior to his performance of “Latch” by Disclosure featuring Sam Smith, Gumball revealed, “I’m in the finale? What?! This experience has been unreal, and it’s been wonderful to show what I am capable of musically. But I’ve fought for it, surviving two smackdowns and two battle royales? In my life, I’ve had to fight to be seen. Imagine trying to do something thousands of times and only being successful a handful of them. And yet, in Hollywood, that’s considered a victory. I’ve been on TV for almost two decades nonstop, and yet being here I feel like I’ve finally gotten to show who I really am. Tonight I’m up for the biggest fight of my life against Goldfish. So, I’m gonna pour my heart and my soul into these last two performances. Win or lose, this journey has changed everything. And I don’t want to stop doing this on the other side of this show because it brings me so much joy, so thank you “Masked Singer” for this experience. I have truly felt like a kid in a candy store.”
For his second number, Gumball sang “Renegade” by Styx. Gumball was the 15th celebrity act unmasked this season following Kevin Hart as Book, Savannah Chrisley as Afghan Hound, Joe Bastianich as Spaghetti & Meatballs, Billy Bush as Sir Lion, Sisqo as Lizard, Colton Underwood as Lovebird, DeMarcus Ware as Koala, Charlie Wilson as Ugly Sweater, Kate Flannery as Starfish, Jenifer Lewis as Miss Cleocatra, Corey Feldman as Seal and Ruben Studdard & Clay Aiken as Beets, Chrissy Metz as Poodle Moth and Thelma Houston as Clock.