Darren Criss (Glee, American Crime Story: The Assassination of Gianni Versace) is best known for his work in television and theatre where he often portrays queer characters. From his character Blaine in Glee to the title role in Hedwig and the Angry Itch, the actor has provided representation for LGBTQ+ characters on screen throughout his whole career. According to Deadline, when asked about the impact that Glee had on viewers, he praised the role, and added that he believes that he is “culturally queer”.
In an appearance at the Chicago Comic & Entertainment Expo, Criss was asked about how he felt about the impact that Blaine’s sexuality and relationship with the character Kurt had on Glee viewers. He said that he feels “F*cking awesome,” about portraying Blaine. “It was a narrative that I cared deeply about.”
Criss has identified as a straight, cisgender male. He then explained that his understanding of the LGBTQ+ community stems from his growing up in San Francisco, California. He explains this and adds that because of his surroundings, he has always been “culturally queer”. With that, he adds that the aspects of his life that he believes he has to grow on, are based in queerness.
“I have been so culturally queer my whole life,” Criss said. “Not because I’m trying, you know, actually, I was gonna say, not because I’m trying to be cool, but I’m gonna erase that, because I am trying to be cool. The things in my life that I have tried to emulate, learn from, and be inspired by are 100 percent queer as f*ck.”
He then continued to explain what exactly in his upbringing influenced him, “It was in queer communities that I’ve found people that I idolize, that I want to learn something from. And I’d say that’s a gross generalization, that’s a lot of things and a lot of people. But I grew up in San Francisco in the ’90s. I watched men die. There was an awareness of the gay experience that was not a foreign concept to me. So, it was a narrative that I cared deeply about.”
Along with his role as Blaine in Glee, other LGBTQ+ characters that Criss portrayed were Andew Cunanan in American Crime Story: The Assassination of Gianni Versace, and the leading drag queen in the hit musical Hedwig and the Angry Itch on Broadway.