Darren Criss

Darren Criss has forged a multifaceted career as an actor, vocalist, and instrumentalist whose work spans television, theater, cinema, and independent pop releases. Widespread recognition arrived through his portrayal of Blaine Anderson on Ryan Murphy’s musical series Glee, which ran from 2010 to 2015. Broadway credits include a run in Hedwig and the Angry Inch, while his embodiment of Andrew Cunanan in Murphy’s 2018 series The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story earned him an Emmy and a Golden Globe. As a recording artist he issued the EPs Human in 2010 and Homework in 2017; the latter reached number seven on Billboard’s Independent Albums chart. With his brother Chuck Criss he also releases material under the name Computer Games, including the paired 2021 singles “Running Around” and “F*KN Around.”

Born in 1987, Criss spent his childhood in San Francisco, where he trained on classical violin and first performed onstage at age ten. Early musical activity included playing with his brother Chuck Criss, who would later join Freelance Whales. Participation in the American Conservatory Theater’s Young Conservatory program kept him active in both school and professional productions throughout high school. In 2004 he entered the University of Michigan to study acting and co-founded the student troupe Team StarKid. The ensemble’s A Very Potter Musical, a comedic parody of the Harry Potter franchise starring Criss in the title role, accumulated more than 25 million YouTube views and brought him—composer of most of the score—into the spotlight. After graduating in 2009 he appeared in five episodes of ABC’s Eastwick, guested on Cold Case, and reprised the role of Harry for the YouTube sequel A Very Potter Sequel, again supplying music and lyrics.

Criss joined the cast of Glee in 2010. Hired initially as a guest star, he became a series regular once the Glee cover of Katy Perry’s “Teenage Dream,” with Criss on lead vocals and the Beelzebubs providing harmonies, became the first single from the show to top the digital sales chart. During this period his self-produced EP Human climbed to number 17 on the Billboard Heatseekers chart. He remained with Glee until the series finale in March 2015. In the intervening years he contributed voice work to Archer, The Cleveland Show, and Web Therapy, and moved into film with roles in 2012’s Girl Most Likely opposite Kristen Wiig, 2013’s A Very Potter Senior Year, and the 2014 animated television movie Stan Lee’s Mighty 7. His Broadway debut came in January 2012 when he stepped into the lead of the revival of How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying for a three-week engagement, succeeding Daniel Radcliffe.

Following Glee’s conclusion, Criss returned to Broadway for a four-month run as Hedwig in Hedwig and the Angry Inch and repeated the part on California dates of the 2016 national tour. Additional television appearances included episodes of American Horror Story, Supergirl, and The Flash. In December 2017 he released the introspective EP Homework, written and recorded largely at home, which entered the top ten of Billboard’s Independent Albums chart. That year he also collaborated with his brother on Lost Boys Life, the debut EP from their project Computer Games. Subsequent television work featured his portrayal of Andrew Cunanan in Murphy’s 2018 series The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story, for which he received Emmy and Golden Globe awards, as well as a starring role in the 2020 Netflix series Hollywood. In April 2021 he issued the companion singles “Running Around” and “F*KN Around.”