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	'''Darren Everett Criss''' (born February 5, 1987)<ref>{{cite web\|author=Feb 10, 2011 02:14AM \|url=http://www.suntimes.com/entertainment/3703284-421/darren-criss-from-glee-starkid-launch-chicago-home-with-starship.html \|title=Darren Criss from 'Glee,' Starkid launch Chicago home with 'Starship' - Chicago Sun-Times \|publisher=Suntimes.com \|date=2011-02-10 \|accessdate=2011-03-01}}</ref> is an American television actor, ], musician, composer ~~and~~ ]. He is best known for his portrayals of ] in the ] '']'' and '']'', as well as playing the role of ], an openly gay student, in the ] of '']''. <ref>{{cite web		'''Darren Everett Criss''' (born February 5, 1987)<ref>{{cite web\|author=Feb 10, 2011 02:14AM \|url=http://www.suntimes.com/entertainment/3703284-421/darren-criss-from-glee-starkid-launch-chicago-home-with-starship.html \|title=Darren Criss from 'Glee,' Starkid launch Chicago home with 'Starship' - Chicago Sun-Times \|publisher=Suntimes.com \|date=2011-02-10 \|accessdate=2011-03-01}}</ref> is an American television actor, ], musician, composer, ], and one of the founding members of ], a theater production company. He is best known for his portrayals of ] in the ] '']'' and '']'', as well as playing the role of ], an openly gay student, in the ] of '']''. <ref>{{cite web
	\|url= http://www.advocate.com/Arts_and_Entertainment/Entertainment_News/Is_Darren_Criss_Kurts_BF_on_Glee/		\|url= http://www.advocate.com/Arts_and_Entertainment/Entertainment_News/Is_Darren_Criss_Kurts_BF_on_Glee/
	\|title= Is Darren Criss Kurt’s New BF on Glee?		\|title= Is Darren Criss Kurt’s New BF on Glee?

Revision as of 16:43, 2 April 2011

Darren Criss
Criss performing in November 2010
Born	Darren Everett Criss (1987-02-05) February 5, 1987 (age 37) San Francisco, California
Occupation(s)	Actor, Singer-songwriter
Known for	Team StarKid Glee

Darren Everett Criss (born February 5, 1987) is an American television actor, singer-songwriter, musician, composer, internet personality, and one of the founding members of Team StarKid, a theater production company. He is best known for his portrayals of Harry Potter in the musicals A Very Potter Musical and A Very Potter Sequel, as well as playing the role of Blaine Anderson, an openly gay student, in the second season of Glee.

Early life and education

Criss was born in San Francisco, California. His mother, a native of Cebu, Philippines is a Filipina and his father has Irish ancestry. He attended Stuart Hall for Boys and then later graduated from Saint Ignatius College Preparatory. Criss is a classically trained violinist, and throughout his childhood he taught himself guitar, piano, cello, mandolin, and drums. During this time, he played drums in a band with his brother, Chuck, until Chuck moved to New York City to develop his music career (and subsequently joined the indie rock group Freelance Whales).

Criss made his professional stage debut at the age of ten, in 42nd Street Moon's 1997 production of Fanny in the role of Cesario. The next year, Criss played Mauro in the same company's production of the Richard Rodgers and Stephen Sondheim musical Do I Hear a Waltz?, followed by Babes in Arms in 1999, in which he played Beauregard Calhoun.

Criss went on to attend the University of Michigan, graduating in 2009 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Performance, Acting.

Career

Criss started out as the host of That Media Show, a San Francisco production which discussed Hollywood, filmmaking and visual effects.

Acting

Criss is part of the theater company Team StarKid, formed by theater students at the University of Michigan. His most popular role with Team StarKid was as Harry Potter in the YouTube viral musicals A Very Potter Musical and A Very Potter Sequel. Both productions are musical-comedies based on the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling.

On November 9, 2010, Criss joined the cast of Glee in the episode "Never Been Kissed" as Blaine Anderson, a gay student at a rival school. He is now a recurring character in season 2. Criss had auditioned before for the show; he had auditioned to play Finn when the show was initially created. Glee creator Ryan Murphy stated, "Darren has a major, major arc... He sort of becomes Kurt's mentor and then maybe love - Kurt had to leave his own school because of bullying and goes to an all-boys academy and finds acceptance because that school has a zero-tolerance no-bullying policy. So Kurt really admires him and respects him. He plays someone who's one year older than Chris' character, so he's the old pro."

His work outside of Team StarKid and Glee includes his stint as Josh in the television series Eastwick and a guest-starring role in Cold Case.

Music

Criss is credited as one of the primary songwriters, along with A.J. Holmes, of the Team StarKid production A Very Potter Musical (2009). Criss also wrote three songs for another StarKid production: Me and My Dick (2009), and wrote all the music for A Very Potter Sequel (2010) and its companion album A Very StarKid Album, the upcoming show Starship (2011), and the web-series Little White Lie (2007).

Criss released a self-produced EP Human on iTunes in the summer of 2010. It debuted at No. 30 on Billboard's Top Heatseekers Albums and has reached the iTunes Top 20 Alternative charts.

He also frequently collaborates and performs with fellow Michigan alum, New York-based singer/songwriter Charlene Kaye. He sings on her song "Skin and Bones" and is featured in her music videos for "Skin and Bones" and "Magnolia Wine."

Criss also sings in Charlene's song "Dress and Tie," released February 23 2011.

Filmography

Film
Year	Title	Role	Notes
2005	I Adora You	Josh	Short film
2009	Walker Phillips	Elliott	Short film
2011	The Chicago 8	Yippie Man	Completed

Television
Year	Title	Role	Notes
2009	Eastwick	Josh Burton	Episode 1.3: "Madams and Madames" Episode 1.5: "Mooning and Crooning" Episode 1.6: "Bonfire and Betrayal" Episode 1.7: "Red Ants and Black Widows" Episode 1.9: "Tasers and Mind Erasers"
2010	Cold Case	Ruben Harris '69	Episode 7.20: "Free Love"
2010–present	Glee	Blaine Anderson	Recurring Role: 9 episodes
2011	Archer	Mikey and Tommy (Voices)	Episode 2.9: "Placebo Effect"

Theater

Fanny (1997) as Cesario
Do I Hear a Waltz (1998) as Mauro
Babes in Arms (1999) as Beauregard Calhoun
A Very Potter Musical (2009) as Harry Potter; also songwriter
Me and My Dick (2009) as Italian restaurant owner (voice); also songwriter and guitarist
A Very Potter Sequel (2010) as Harry Potter; also songwriter
Starship (2011) - Songwriter