Life and career

Childhood and education

Criss was born in San Francisco, California, the youngest child of Cerina and Charles William Criss, an investment banker and a patron of the arts. He has an older brother, Charles Criss, who is a member of the band Freelance Whales.

Criss is Eurasian - his mother is a native of Cebu, Philippines, while his father, a native of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, is of English, German, and Irish descent. Criss was raised primarily in San Francisco, apart from 1988-92, when the family resided in Honolulu, Hawaii, where Charles Criss started the EastWest Bank, serving as Chairman/CEO.

Criss attended Roman Catholic schools. He completed his elementary education at Stuart Hall for Boys, and later graduated from Saint Ignatius College Preparatory in 2005. In 2009, Criss obtained his Bachelor of Fine Arts from the University of Michigan, majoring in Theater Performance and minoring in Musicology and Italian.

Musical and theatrical training

Criss' interest in music started in his early childhood; at the age of five he began taking violin lessons and was classically trained for the next fifteen years. Criss taught himself how to play other instruments, including the guitar, piano, mandolin, harmonica, and drums. In high school, Criss immersed himself in the music scene - he held the position of concertmaster in the school orchestra, he fronted his own band, and was voted "most likely to win a Grammy" by his peers. By age fifteen, he began delving into music composition and wrote his first song, which he later used as the title track of his first EP Human, released in 2009.

Criss also demonstrated an affinity for the performing arts. At the age of ten, he was accepted into the American Conservatory Theater (Young Conservatory program) where he studied theater performance throughout his formative years. At St Ignatius he was a member of the performing arts program and acted in theater classics such as The Music Man, The Diary of Anne Frank, and Fiddler on the Roof. He was active as both an actor and director in the University of Michigan's student-run theater organization Basement Arts. In 2008, he spent a semester abroad studying Italian theater at the Accademia dell'Arte in Arezzo, Italy.

Theater

Debut

Criss made his professional stage debut at the age of ten as Cesario in 42nd Street Moon's production of Fanny (1997), then played Mauro in the Richard Rodgers and Stephen Sondheim musical Do I Hear a Waltz? (1998), and Beauregard Calhoun in Babes in Arms (1999).

Throughout his adolescence, Criss appeared in a number of the American Conservatory Theater's plays, notably A Christmas Carol, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and The Voysey Inheritance. At the University of Michigan, he performed in stage productions such as Pride and Prejudice, A Few Good Men, and The Cripple of Inishmaan.

StarKid Productions

Upon receiving his Bachelor of Fine Arts in 2009, Criss, along with some friends and classmates from the University of Michigan, co-founded StarKid Productions, a musical theater company. His most prominent acting role with StarKid has been that of Harry Potter in the musical comedies A Very Potter Musical, A Very Potter Sequel, and A Very Potter Senior Year (based on the Harry Potter series of novels by J.K. Rowling).

Broadway

In January 2012, Criss made his Broadway debut, replacing Daniel Radcliffe in the role of J. Pierrepont Finch in the revival of How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying for a three-week engagement at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre. His stint there proved to be a success: apart from Daniel Radcliffe's final week, the musical had the three most lucrative weeks of its 11-month run with Criss in the lead role, grossing more than four million dollars.

Criss took on the role of Hedwig in Hedwig and the Angry Inch from April 29, 2015 to July 19, 2015, at the Belasco Theater.

Television

Debut

Criss started his television career with a five-episode arc playing the character of Josh Burton on Eastwick in 2009. The following year, he appeared in an episode of the series Cold Case.

Glee (2010-2015)

Criss portrayed Blaine Anderson, on the Fox television series Glee. He made his first appearance in season two in the episode "Never Been Kissed", which aired on November 9, 2010.

Blaine attended Dalton Academy and was lead singer of its glee club, The Dalton Academy Warblers. Blaine initially served as a friend and mentor for Kurt, the bullied gay member of the Warblers' rival glee club, New Directions. Chemistry between the two characters, combined with fan support for the potential couple, led series co-creator Ryan Murphy to pair them romantically onscreen. At the beginning of the third season, Blaine transfers to McKinley High and joins New Directions; concurrently, Criss was promoted from recurring guest star to the show's main cast.

In the subsequent seasons, Blaine goes off to college and later returns to Dalton to become the vocal director of the Warblers. In the final season, he marries his long-time love, Kurt. Discussing public response to his character, Criss stated that he particularly enjoyed comments from "people from parts of the world who are maybe not as exposed to certain ideologies", but had reconsidered their stance on relationships and human rights as a result of the Blaine and Kurt storyline. He called this response "phenomenal" and said, "I was a straight kid growing up in a very gay community and it's something that I've had to watch so many friends have to struggle with and have no place to go to identify in kind of a grander media culture. To be a small piece of that machine is incredibly wonderful."

Film debut

On September 7, 2012, Criss made his feature film debut in the comedy Girl Most Likely. It premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) and was released nationwide on July 19, 2013. Previously titled Imogene, the film starred Kristen Wiig, Annette Bening, and Matt Dillon.

Music

Solo artist (2005-present)

Criss began his solo music career while attending the University of Michigan. Playing in small venues, he developed his own musical repertoire which today consists of standards from the Great American Songbook, contemporary songs, Disney classics, and his own compositions.

On July 20, 2010, Criss released an independently-produced EP called Human. Describing his album as "soul-folk" to Entertainment Weekly, it peaked at No. 17 on the Billboard Top Heatseekers Albums chart. On December 10, 2010, Criss became the 400,000th member of the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP). In April 2011, he signed with Sony Music Entertainment. He is in the process of recording a full-length studio album, with a release date yet to be determined.

In January 2013, Criss performed for U.S. President Barack Obama, First Lady Michelle Obama, and Vice President Joe Biden at the inaugural balls of the 57th Presidential Inauguration.

During a benefit concert for public school arts on April 14, 2013, Criss was made an honorary member of Yale University's a cappella singing group The Whiffenpoofs.

Criss' first solo music tour visited 17 cities in the United States, Canada, and France from May 29-June 30, 2013, and included songs from Glee, StarKid, his Human EP, and new material from his upcoming solo album.

StarKid Productions (2009-present)

Criss is credited as one of the primary songwriters and composers for StarKid Productions. He has contributed songs to A Very Potter Musical, Me and My Dick (which became the first-ever student-produced college musical to reach Billboard, debuting at No. 11 on the Top Cast Albums chart), Little White Lie, and A Very Potter Senior Year. Subsequently, Criss solely composed all the songs and music for A Very Potter Sequel, its companion album A Very StarKid Album, and Starship, which landed at No. 1 on the Billboard Top Cast Albums chart, and at No. 134 on the Billboard 200 chart.

In November 2011, Criss participated in StarKid's first national concert tour, The SPACE Tour, for the New York and Boston shows, and, in the summer of 2012, he joined them again for their second national tour, Apocalyptour, for the Los Angeles and New York shows.

Glee (2010-2015)

As Blaine, Criss features in many musical performances on Glee, which have been released as singles, available for download. His first performance, "Teenage Dream" by Katy Perry, was featured on the soundtrack album Glee: The Music, Volume 4. It reached number eight on the Billboard Hot 100 in the week ending November 27, 2010, and number one on the Billboard Digital Songs chart.

It was the best-selling song in the U.S. that week, selling 214,000 copies, the largest figure for a Glee title. It was only the second U.S.-certified gold single in the show's history. Both Billboard's Jillian Mapes and Erica Futterman of Rolling Stone deemed "Teenage Dream" the best song of "Never Been Kissed", the episode in which it featured.

The New York Daily News's Anthony Benigno gave the song an "A", and noted that it was "flawless" and improved on Perry's original. The performance was nominated for the Best Gay Moment of the Year and Favorite Music Video awards at the 2010 AfterElton.com Visibility Awards. A Billboard cover-feature on Criss noted that the performance "arguably ushered in the trend of more current pop hits being reworked by the cast."

Later songs performed by Blaine and the Warblers became popular enough to warrant a Warbler soundtrack album, Glee: The Music Presents the Warblers. It debuted at No. 2 on the US Billboard 200 and No. 1 on Billboard's Soundtracks chart, selling 86,000 copies in its first week. The Warbler tracks had sold over 1.3 million copies as singles by the time the album was released.

From May 21-July 3, 2011, Criss and the cast of Glee performed in Glee Live! In Concert!, touring the U.S.A., Canada, England, and Ireland. According to Billboard Magazine, it was the 16th most successful concert tour of 2011, grossing more than $40 million, with total attendance topping 485,000. All 40 dates sold out, including shows at Staples Center, Nassau Coliseum, and The O2 Arenas in London and Dublin.

For Season 6 of Glee, Criss composed "Rise" for the episode "The Rise and Fall of Sue Sylvester" and "This Time" for the series finale. Criss was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Original Music and Lyrics for writing "This Time".

Advocacy and charity work

Criss is an advocate for LGBT rights, and is an active supporter of The Trevor Project, the leading national organization focused on suicide prevention efforts among lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning (LGBTQ) youth. Criss is the recipient of Variety's Power of Youth Philanthropy award for his contributions to The Trevor Project.

Criss has been a spokesperson for various organizations, including Rock the Vote, UNICEF, We Day and Festival of New American Musicals.

Criss recorded the Bob Dylan song "New Morning", featuring his brother, Chuck Criss, for Amnesty International. It was part of the compilation album Chimes of Freedom: Songs of Bob Dylan Honoring 50 Years of Amnesty International, released on January 24, 2012.

Criss has performed at various charity benefits including American Conservatory Theater, AIDS Project Los Angeles, New Conservatory Theatre Center, Toys for Tots, City of Hope National Medical Center, Motion Picture & Television Fund, Public School Arts, MusiCares Foundation, The Old Vic, UCLA's Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, Big Brothers Big Sisters of America, Young Storytellers Foundation, and the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation.

Media appearances

Criss has appeared on the magazine covers of Billboard, Entertainment Weekly, Out, Playbill, TV Guide, Da Man, GT, Prestige, and Essential Homme. Criss is featured in the fall ad campaign (2011) for Uniqlo, a Japanese clothing line. Criss was named one of People's Sexiest Men Alive (2011), and was ranked No. 1 on AfterElton's "Hot 100" list (2011 & 2012), and No. 1 on GQ Magazine's "30 Under 30: The Most Stylish Young Men In Hollywood" list (2012).

Other projects

Criss is an investor and partner of The Motley, a California-based men’s grooming e-tailer.

Criss is a co-founder and co-producer of Elsie Fest, a music festival which features Broadway and pop music acts. The first annual show was held on September 27, 2015, in New York City.

Filmography

Film

Year	Title	Role	Notes
2005	I Adora You	Josh	Short film, minor role
2009	Walker Phillips	Elliott	Short film
2010	The Chicago 8	Yippee Man	Minor role
2011	Glee: The 3D Concert Movie	Blaine Anderson	Concert documentary
2012	Girl Most Likely	Lee	Feature film debut
2013	The Wind Rises	Katayama	Voice-over role
2013	The Tale of Princess Kaguya	Sutemaru	Voice-over role
2014	Stan Lee's Mighty 7	Micro	Voice-over role

Television

Year	Title	Role	Notes
2009	Eastwick	Josh Burton	Recurring role, 5 episodes
2010	Cold Case	Ruben Harris	Episode: "Free Love"
2010-2015	Glee	Blaine Anderson	Recurring role (Season 2) 14 episodes Main Role (Seasons 3, 4 & 5)
2011	Archer	Mikey and Tommy	Episode: "Placebo Effect" (voice role)
2011, 2012	The Glee Project	Himself	Episodes: "Individuality", "Pairability", and "Glee-ality" (Season 1), "Romanticality" (Season 2)
2012	Glee: Don't Stop Believing	Himself	Documentary on Glee
2012	The Cleveland Show	Hunter	Episode: "Jesus Walks" (voice role)
2013	Web Therapy	Augie Sayles	Episodes: "Long Distance Lovers", "Losing Followers", "Closer When We're Apart" (Season 3)
2013	Teen Choice Awards	Co-host	Co-hosted with Lucy Hale
2013	Six by Sondheim	Franklin Shepard	HBO documentary about the life of legendary composer Stephen Sondheim, interwoven with 6 of his most iconic songs.
2014	Whose Line Is It Anyway?	Himself	Various roles of improvisational comedy
2015	Transformers: Robots in Disguise	Sideswipe	Voice-over role for animated TV series.
2015	American Horror Story: Hotel	Justin	Recurring role, 2 episodes

Theater

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1997	Fanny	Cesario	42nd Street Moon production - Stage debut
1998	Do I Hear a Waltz?	Mauro	42nd Street Moon production
1999	Babes in Arms	Beauregard Calhoun	42nd Street Moon production
2005	Shed a Little Light: The Music of James Taylor	Singer and Musician	American Conservatory Theater
2006	Paper Canoes	Salmon	Zeitgeist Artworks production
2009	A Very Potter Musical	Harry Potter	StarKid Productions - Lead role, Co-songwriter and composer
2009	Me and My Dick	Italian restaurant owner	StarKid Productions - Cameo (voice only), Co-songwriter and composer, guitarist
2010	A Very Potter Sequel	Harry Potter	StarKid Productions - Lead role, Sole songwriter and composer, Co-producer
2012	How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying	J. Pierrepont Finch	Broadway debut - Lead role
2012	A Very Potter Senior Year	Harry Potter	StarKid Productions - Lead role, Co-songwriter and composer
2015	Hedwig and the Angry Inch	Hedwig Robinson	Broadway - Lead role

Social media

Year	Title	Role	Notes
2008	That Media Show	Presenter	3 episodes (No. 1, No. 2, No. 5) Series about Hollywood, filmmaking, and visual effects.
2009	Little White Lie	Toby Phillips	StarKid Productions - Web series, Main role, Co-songwriter and musical producer
2011	Life of Leopold	Leopold Bonar	Funny or Die - Web series, Lead, Voice role
2012	Broadway.com Audience Choice Awards	Host	13th annual award.
2015	Tony Awards Red Carpet	Co-host	Co-hosted with Laura Osnes and Sierra Boggess.

Musical performances

Year	Event	Location	Notes
2010-2013	Trevor Live	Los Angeles	Benefit for The Trevor Project. In 2010, Criss sang "Not Alone" and "Teenage Dream" with Glee's Dalton Academy Warblers and Katy Perry, in 2011, he sang Tom Jones' hit, "It's Not Unusual", in 2012 he sang an acoustic version of Katy Perry's "Part of Me", and in 2013, he co-sang lead, with the cast of Glee, the Charlie Chaplin song '"Smile".
2011	MusiCares Person of the Year	Los Angeles	Criss and Glee's Dalton Academy Warblers performed for Barbra Streisand, in honor of her being named MusiCares Person of the Year by the MusiCares Foundation.
2011	Glee Live! In Concert!	U.S.A., Canada, England, Ireland	The 16th most successful concert tour of 2011, grossing more than $40 million, with total attendance topping 485,000. All 40 dates sold out, including shows at Staples Center, Nassau Coliseum, and The O2 Arenas in London and Dublin.
2011	ASCAP Pop Music Awards	Los Angeles	Criss paid tribute to Rod Stewart by singing a ballad version of Stewart's classic song "Da Ya Think I'm Sexy?", while accompanying himself on piano.
2011	Billboard / Hollywood Reporter Film & TV Music Conference	Los Angeles	Criss honored composer Alan Menken with a medley of his own Disney songs, singing alongside Broadway star Lea Salonga.
2011	The SPACE Tour	New York & Boston	StarKid Productions' first national concert tour. Majority of songs performed were written and composed by Criss.
2011	Sing Out, Raise Hope, Benefit Concert	New York	Criss performed at Lincoln Center with the a capella singing groups of Harvard University's Krokodiloes, Princeton University's Nassoons, and Yale University's The Whiffenpoofs, at a benefit concert for the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation and The Trevor Project.
2012	E! Entertainment pre-Oscar Show	Los Angeles	Criss sang "The Rainbow Connection" with Kermit the Frog for the pre-show of the 84th Academy Awards.
2012	Apocalyptour	New York & Los Angeles	StarKid Productions' second national concert tour.
2012	Fundraiser for Barack Obama	Los Angeles	Criss performed for the President of the United States at an LGBT-sponsored campaign fundraising gala.
2013	57th Presidential Inauguration	Washington, D.C.	Kids' Inaugural Concert, hosted by First Lady Michelle Obama and Second Lady Dr. Jill Biden - Criss sang his own song "Not Alone", joined by the Soul Children of Chicago choir. He also accompanied Naya Rivera on guitar as she sang the hit "Valerie". Vice President Joe Biden Inaugural event - Criss sang "Teenage Dream" and Carole King's "One Fine Day". The Presidential Inaugural Ball - Criss performed the Disney classic "When You Wish Upon A Star".
2013	Listen Up Tour	U.S.A., Canada & France	Criss headlined his first solo music tour, which visited 18 cities from May 29-June 30. The set included songs from Glee, StarKid, his Human EP, and new material from his upcoming solo album.
2013	A Capitol Fourth	Washington, D.C.	Criss co-headlined the 4th of July celebration concert on the National Mall.
2014	Michael Feinstein's New Year's Eve at the Raibow Room	New York	Criss co-sang with Michael Feinstein a medley of Frank Sinatra songs.
2016	Broadway Today with Darren Criss and Betsy Wolfe	Washington D.C., N.Y.C, Toronto	Criss co-headlined with Betsy Wolfe a Broadway-themed concert tour, accompanied by the National Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Steven Reineke. Performances were held at The Kennedy Center, Carnegie Hall, and Roy Thomson Hall.
* Note: This is a selection of Criss' musical performances, not a complete list.

Discography

Solo EP

• 2010: Human

Glee albums

Main article: Glee discography

• 2010: Glee: The Music, The Christmas Album
• 2010: Glee: The Music, Volume 4
• 2011: Glee: The Music, Volume 5
• 2011: Glee: The Music Presents the Warblers
• 2011: Glee: The Music, Volume 6
• 2011: Glee: The 3D Concert Movie
• 2011: Glee: The Music, The Christmas Album Volume 2
• 2011: Glee: The Music, Volume 7
• 2012: Glee: The Music, The Graduation Album
• 2012: Glee: The Music, Season 4, Volume 1
• 2012: Glee: The Music, The Christmas Album Volume 3'
• 2013: Glee Sings the Beatles
• 2013: Glee: The Music - Celebrating 100 Episodes

StarKid Productions albums

• 2009: Little White Lie
• 2009: A Very Potter Musical
• 2010: Me and My Dick (A New Musical)
• 2010: A Very StarKid Album
• 2010: A Very Potter Sequel
• 2011: Starship
• 2012: The SPACE Tour
• 2012: Apocalyptour
• 2012: A Very StarKid Senior Year

Independent songs

• 2008: "Skin and Bones" - Duet with Charlene Kaye - Things I Will Need in the Past (album)
• 2011: "Dress and Tie" - Duet with Charlene Kaye
• 2012: '"New Morning" - Chimes of Freedom: Songs of Bob Dylan Honoring 50 Years of Amnesty International (album)

Music videos

• 2009: "Skin and Bones" - Charlene Kaye
• 2009: "Magnolia Wine" - Charlene Kaye
• 2009: "Roll with Me" - Montgomery Gentry
• 2011: '"Dress and Tie" - Charlene Kaye
• 2011: "Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.)" - Katy Perry
• 2012: '"New Morning" - Amnesty International
• 2012: "Dress You Up" - Vogue's "Fashion Night Out"
• 2013: "Kangaroo Court" - Capital Cities
• 2013: "Songify the News 3" — The Gregory Brothers
• 2014: "I Sold My Bed, But Not My Stereo" - Capital Cities
• 2014: "Already Home" — A Great Big World

Awards and Nominations

Year	Award	Category	Work	Result
2011	Variety Magazine	Power of Youth Philanthropy	The Trevor Project	Won
	Dorian Award	We're Wilde About You Rising Star Award	Glee	Won
	Teen Choice Award	Choice TV: Breakout Star		Won
	NewNowNext Award	Brink of Fame: Actor		Won
	Broadway World - Chicago Awards	Best New Work/New Adaptation	Starship	Won
2012	Broadway World - Chicago Awards	Best Special Theatrical Event	A Very Potter Senior Year	Won
	Broadway.com Award	Favorite Replacement	How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying	Won
	Grammy Award	Best Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media	Glee: The Music, Volume 4	Nominated
	Screen Actors Guild Award	Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series	Glee	Nominated
2013	Dorian Award	TV Musical Performance of the Year		Nominated
	Screen Actors Guild Award	Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series		Nominated
	Shorty Award	Best Producers of Short Content on Social Media		Nominated
	People's Choice Award	Favorite Comedic TV Actor	Glee	Nominated
		Favorite TV Bromance (with Chord Overstreet)		Nominated
		Favorite On-Screen Chemistry (with Chris Colfer)		Nominated
2015	Broadway.com Award	Favorite Replacement	Hedwig and the Angry Inch	Won
	Emmy Award	Outstanding Original Music and Lyrics	"This Time" - Glee	Nominated
	Hollywood Music in Media Award	Song - TV Show / Digital Series		Won
	Giffoni Film Festival	Experience Award	Overall work	Won

Charities

Darren Criss supports the following charitable causes: Gay Youth, Gay Rights, Environment, Teens.

[ Source: Wikipedia ]