Darren Criss Says He Won’t Play Any More Gay Characters

Darren Criss is opening up about how he’ll select his future roles. The actor reveals that although he’s become known for playing gay characters, he will no longer take those types of roles.

According to a Friday, December 21 report by Entertainment Tonight, Darren Criss recently dished on how much certain roles shaped his life. As many fans know, Criss made a name for himself by portraying gay teenager Blaine Anderson on the hit Fox series, Glee.

On the show, Darren and his on-screen love interest, Kurt, played by Chris Colfer, shared many ups and downs in their romance. The actor then went on to portray Hedwig in the Broadway play Hedwig and the Angry Inch and most recently he played the real-life murderer Andrew Cunanan in American Crime Story: The Assassination of Gianni Versace.

While all of these roles have garnered Criss fame and accolades, he says he no longer wants to portray gay men on stage and screen, and he has a very good reason for it.

The actor recently told Bustle that while it has been a “real joy” playing the gay characters that have earned him notability, he does not want to be a straight man who steals a gay man’s role.

“There are certain [gay] roles that I’ll see that are just wonderful, but I want to make sure I won’t be another straight boy taking a gay man’s role. The reason I say that is because getting to play those characters is inherently a wonderful dramatic experience. It has made for very, very compelling and interesting people.”

This year, Darren won an Emmy for his portrayal of Andrew Cunanan and has been nominated for a Golden Globe award for the role. He’s also busy planning a wedding to his longtime girlfriend Mia Swier and revealed that wedding planning amid the chaos of awards season has been a bit of a challenge.

Darren Criss will next be seen in the war film Midway which co-stars big names such as Woody Harrelson, Mandy Moore, Dennis Quaid, Nick Jonas, Aaron Eckhart, and more.

Criss is also set to appear in the romantic comedy, All You Ever Wished For, which revolves around the abduction of a young American man who is the son of a wealthy businessman. However, when the kidnappers get lost in the mountains they meet a gypsy who puts a spell on them, which causes them to fall in love with the first soul they lay eyes on.

Fans can keep up with Darren Criss and his latest projects via his social media accounts.