"Glee" fans are about to get up close and personal with Darren Criss' uvula. As Blaine -- a tall drink of awesome that's the perfect combination of Rachel Berry, Kurt Hummel and Tender Heart Care Bear -- Darren enters New Directions' gravitational pull since he's lead vocalist at Dalton Academy, an all-boys school Kurt's drawn to. And not just because of its gender exclusivity.
The bully-free halls of Dalton prove quite tempting to Kurt's oft-swirlied heart -- particularly once he finds a kindred spirit (and maybe more) in Blaine. I chatted about the boys' relationship potential with Darren -- A.K.A. the nicest man alive -- when he rang me up two minutes late with a very valid apology.
PopWrap: [picks up phone] Hello?
Darren Criss: Hi, it's Darren Criss ... sorry I'm two minutes late, I was watching a YouTube video.
Darren: I was watching Brett Domino, who is this awesome British musician that does a lot of great covers and he has this song I love called “What Would You Do (If A Shark Started Eating You)?”
PW: Oh, well, what would you do?
Darren: Oh gosh, I’d probably scream, freak out and bleed to death.
PW: [laughs] Yea, I very much consider myself the guy who doesn't survive a "127 Hours" kind of situation.
Darren: Exactly! It freaks me out to even think about it. I’ll tell you what I would like to do, I’d like to find a magical carpet to take me to somewhere nice, have a drink and then die. But I guess there’s a lot of wiggle room in hypotheticals.
PW: Well, YouTube aside, congratulations on the "Glee" debut -- one which creator Ryan Murphy describes as "a major, major arc.
Darren: Ooh, if Ryan says so then it must be true! [laughs] But I'm really excited. I'd gone out for “Glee” a few times in other capacities – I auditioned for the pilot two and a half years ago, which really means nothing since that was for a pre-Sue, pre-Kurt version. I actually still have that script lying around, I should find it to see how different it’s become.
PW: What was your first thought upon reading the role of Blaine?
Darren: As a fan of the show, I thought, "hell yea!” I love this guy, he’s so much cooler than me -- I need to take some pages out of his book. Blaine brings in such a wonderful energy, so regardless of me actually getting the role, I knew it was a great character to add into the show for Kurt.
PW: Right, because Blaine has kind of dealt with the same gay teen bullying?
Darren: More or less. Blaine is a year ahead of Kurt, both literally and figuratively – so when they meet, Blaine immediately connects with him and feels the need to impart his knowledge. He has gone through the same trials and tribulations Kurt has been feeling at McKinley. He wants to help Kurt. It’s a beautiful message that gives hope to Kurt, and hopefully everyone watching. Gay or straight, I think it’s superfluous – teens in general struggle with discrimination and this is a great coloring on the show.
PW: Did you?
Darren: I’m almost embarrassed to admit that I was so lucky – as I get older, I realize what a minority I was in the grand scheme of experiences because I was in such a loving wonderful community for everything I did. I know that’s rare and isn’t to be taken for granted. But I grew up in San Francisco doing theater, it doesn’t get much more accepting than that [laughs].
PW: Given the current rash of gay teen suicides, do you feel more pressure in bringing Blaine into the mix?
Darren: Like any tragedy, it’s all about bringing attention to it and addressing the issue. It’s not new. This has been happening for years and I think the gay teen component is at the forefront, but it’s so much bigger than that. So yes, it’s heightened the stakes, but in a weird way, it’s inspiring us to be a lot stronger about what we’re saying. I’m no longer just acting opposite Chris Colfer, I’m also talking to the bullied teens and the parents who’ve lost kids to this. There’s people listening now, it’s kind of empowering.
PW: How has it been working with Chris?
Darren: He’s a lovely guy. I enjoy Chris a lot – very generous as an actor, big heart, huge talent. I think both him and I are curious to see where these two go. Everyone assumes we’re going to date – and as a fan, I get that. I also want to see Kurt get somebody. It doesn’t even have to be romantic, we just want to see him happy because the good guys should always get what they deserve. I can’t confirm or deny any deeper relationship ... but at this point, it doesn’t matter – I’m excited about he fact Kurt has someone he can relate to deeply. Kurt has never has another teen gay male to relate to, and right now, that’s what matters to me. It's neither here nor there if it develops into more for me -- I'm most concerned that Kurt have a support system.
PW: It's clear from their performance of "Teenage Dream" that Dalton Academy has a very capable glee club of their own -- will Dalton also be trying to make it to Regionals?
Darren: Oh, we’ll have to find out, won’t we? OK, now I’m being coy with you [laughs]
PW: The reason I ask is because last season we saw Jesse and Rachel go through something similar so I'm wondering if we should be wary of Blaine's intentions.
Darren: Who knows what the writers have in store, but at this point, Blaine is a good guy who cares about Kurt because he sees so much of himself in him. I don’t think Blaine's out to get anybody or has ulterior motives. To my knowledge, the Warblers at Dalton Academy are very respectful, tried and true – they’re like Jedi’s. Just super cool, nice guys. I would be shocked if there’s any kind of turn in Blaine’s otherwise very good nature.
PW: Tonight you sing "Teenage Dream" and in the Christmas episode you'll sing "Baby, It's Cold Outside" -- any pipe dream song hopes?
Darren: I’ve been so lucky at this point – I feel like I should carry some wood in my pocket just to knock on all the time. It’s incredibly overwhelming at how much gratitude I have. I’ll sing Happy Birthday as long as they want.
PW: What song did you audition with?
Darren: For the pilot, when I was auditioning for Finn, I sang “Part of Your World” from “The Little Mermaid." I thought it would be funny and give me a shot in the dark at amusing the casting people. I did some Marvin Gaye for another one. But because Blaine is such a preppy, Tom Ford guy I went in preppy. It was night and day for anyone who knows me, that’s for sure. I cut my hair and sang “Where Or When” by Rogers & Hart and then I sang an A capella version of “Baby One More Time.”
PW: Ooh, so who would win in a Britney-off -- you or Lea Michele?
Darren: Oh, she would kick my ass. Gross. I would be so offended if I had to sing that song [laughs]. Even I’d be saying, “get me hot girl.”
PW: Yea, but fans might soon be saying that about you -- has that entered your mind at all?
Darren: Hey, if that’s what people want, I will be more than happy to give it to them.
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