Amongst the dream scenarios of every theatre student, being taught for (half) a semester by Billy Porter has to be top of the list for most. For Leslie Odom, Jr., this was was his reality during his junior year at Carnegie Mellon University, with alumni Porter stepping in to teach theatre for half a semester. "He just came and changed our lives," shared Odom on The Kelly Clarkson Show. See the full interview in the video above.

The current Purlie Victorious star and recording artist stopped by The Kelly Clarkson show to catch up on all things Broadway, plus his new album, When a Crooner Dies. Odom shared stories about everything from growing up singing along to Whitney Houston, to his Broadway debut in Rent at the age of 17, which had been his ultimate dream...and his only dream thus far.

"Honestly...I didn't dream of a career in entertainment or the arts—I wanted to be in Rent. That's all I wanted!" he shared. "I thought I was going to get it when I was 30, retire from the show when I was like 40."

Thankfully, Odom was only just getting started, and now, the Tony Award winner has released his 5th album. See Odom perform "Loved" on The Kelly Clarkson show in the video below.