Glee newcomer Darren Criss covers OUT's Hollywood issue
Mon. February 14, 2011 11:40 AM by GoPride.com News Staff
darren criss on the cover of out magazine
photo credit // out magazine
OUT Magazine issue goes on-sale February 22, 2011
New York, NY -
The first time Darren Criss appeared on the Fox sensation Glee, he shared a flirtatious moment, and instantly became a rumored love interest, for Chris Colfer's tortured Kurt Hummel. By the end of that on-screen meeting, Criss belted out his own version of Katy Perry's "Teenage Dream." The next day, Glee's version of the song shot up the iTunes charts, becoming the most downloaded song yet from a show that had recently surpassed the Beatles' record for most singles to chart on Billboard's Hot 100.
Criss knew playing gay would raise immediate questions about his own sexuality. Initially thinking he would play it coy, he soon came out as straight. "It's more empowering to everybody if I'm articulate about identifying myself as a straight male playing a gay character," Criss says. "Ultimately that's more powerful for both communities."
Still, as a kid, Criss had plenty of exposure to the gay community having performed in local musicals in his hometown, San Francisco. As a performer, Criss quickly befriended cast mates in their 20s and 30s. "I was staying out much later than most kids after shows, going to restaurants," he remembers. "It's not like I was doing body shots off beautiful Castro boys. I was friends with older guys–they were who I looked up to. It wasn't until later that I put together that they were gay."
The OUT Magazine article describes Criss: "He grew up in San Francisco (translation: he's gay-friendly), where he was a big musical theater geek (see previous); his mom is Filipino and his dad is Irish (so he's appealingly multicultural); he graduated from the University of Michigan in 2009 (in other words, he's a smartie); his self-produced EP and the Harry Potter musical parody he and his UM friends made became worldwide viral video hits (he's creative, resourceful, and of-the-moment); he auditioned three times for Glee (that's persistence); and he's still deeply involved in Team StarKid, the theater company he started with his friends in college (he's grounded)."
Will Criss' Blaine and Colfer's Hummel ever wind up together? Glee creator and showrunner Ryan Murphy remains coy on the subject. "When that moment comes–if it comes," notes Murphy, "I want to treat that relationship like we treat all the other relationships on the show. I want it to be flawed and as exposed as everyone else's."
Murphy also addressed recent rumors that one-half of that potential Glee coupling will experiment with bisexuality. "It's my job as showrunner to keep them apart as long as possible," Murphy says. "Blaine will openly question whether bisexuality is real. I think that some people will love that discussion and some will not love it."
Romance or not, Glee continues to show that out gay teens can have a support network in honest and platonic relationships. "The most important thing to convey to those watching is for Kurt to have someone he can relate to," Criss says. "This is the first time he has a young out male friend, a support system, to show that that's possible."
The March issue of OUT Magazine goes on-sale February 22, 2011.
Criss knew playing gay would raise immediate questions about his own sexuality. Initially thinking he would play it coy, he soon came out as straight. "It's more empowering to everybody if I'm articulate about identifying myself as a straight male playing a gay character," Criss says. "Ultimately that's more powerful for both communities."
Still, as a kid, Criss had plenty of exposure to the gay community having performed in local musicals in his hometown, San Francisco. As a performer, Criss quickly befriended cast mates in their 20s and 30s. "I was staying out much later than most kids after shows, going to restaurants," he remembers. "It's not like I was doing body shots off beautiful Castro boys. I was friends with older guys–they were who I looked up to. It wasn't until later that I put together that they were gay."
The OUT Magazine article describes Criss: "He grew up in San Francisco (translation: he's gay-friendly), where he was a big musical theater geek (see previous); his mom is Filipino and his dad is Irish (so he's appealingly multicultural); he graduated from the University of Michigan in 2009 (in other words, he's a smartie); his self-produced EP and the Harry Potter musical parody he and his UM friends made became worldwide viral video hits (he's creative, resourceful, and of-the-moment); he auditioned three times for Glee (that's persistence); and he's still deeply involved in Team StarKid, the theater company he started with his friends in college (he's grounded)."
Will Criss' Blaine and Colfer's Hummel ever wind up together? Glee creator and showrunner Ryan Murphy remains coy on the subject. "When that moment comes–if it comes," notes Murphy, "I want to treat that relationship like we treat all the other relationships on the show. I want it to be flawed and as exposed as everyone else's."
Murphy also addressed recent rumors that one-half of that potential Glee coupling will experiment with bisexuality. "It's my job as showrunner to keep them apart as long as possible," Murphy says. "Blaine will openly question whether bisexuality is real. I think that some people will love that discussion and some will not love it."
Romance or not, Glee continues to show that out gay teens can have a support network in honest and platonic relationships. "The most important thing to convey to those watching is for Kurt to have someone he can relate to," Criss says. "This is the first time he has a young out male friend, a support system, to show that that's possible."
The March issue of OUT Magazine goes on-sale February 22, 2011.