Cheer Factor: The real first Filipino on ‘Glee’

Turns out there was a Filipino on “Glee” as early as the first season.

Long before Charice Pempengco and Darren Criss, Filipino-American Kent Avenido was cast in the popular TV musical as Howard Bamboo, member of the Acafellas and subordinate of Will Schuester’s scheming wife, Terri, in Sheets-N-Things.

And he’s a graduate of Yale University School of Drama. In an online chat, Kent recalled that he originally auditioned for the role of coach Ken Tanaka, but was deemed too young for the part. However, he impressed the producers enough for them to rewrite for him a role that was originally for a girl.

Thus, underdog Howard Bamboo was born.

A Facebook account was created for him and called: “Kent Avenido (aka Howard Bamboo in Glee) is Filipino.”

Kent also appeared in Adam Sandler movies like “50 First Dates” and “Just Go with It.”

In the same Net interview, Kent said he dreams of singing “Mel Ol’ Bamboo” from “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang,” “Part of Your World” from “The Little Mermaid” or “Somewhere that’s Green” from “Little Shop of Horrors” in “Glee.”

He also revealed that he wishes to work with Broadway stars Hugh Jackman and Sutton Foster in “Glee.” Plus, “with our mutual Filipino ancestry, perhaps Lea Salonga could play one of Howard’s relatives.”