HOLLYWOOD, Calif. — Darren Criss wasn't worried about taking on the role of gay character Blaine on Fox's musical hit Glee.
"After having gotten to know the show a little bit, I was really excited to see that a character like this—such a strong gay character, especially a young, male, out-and-proud teen—was going to make its way onto network television, much less Fox," the 23-year-old newcomer tells Interview magazine.
"This is the first time I'd really seen an out student that was so young and innocent and really struggling with the big ordeal that it is to be an out student at such an early age," he continues. "When other shows present the gay character thing, it's typically been in much more adult situations, like gay men living in New York or closeted men who are married and struggling with that ordeal, but never really the core of the journey of defining your sexuality. Blaine offers a beautiful counter to that and makes such a great addition to the many-colored palette that is Glee.
In fact, Criss relishes the opportunity to play a character who can be a positive influence to others.
"Being gay really is an important part of who he is. But Blaine doesn't really think so—at least in this utopian society that he lives in at Dalton Academy, where it's almost a little too perfect to be anybody or anything," the actor explains. "It's just kind of matter of fact."
He adds, "It's a really positive thing, and I feel very privileged to be the vessel for that, and I hope it speaks to a lot of people who struggle to find a model for who they are and where they fit in."
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