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From ‘Glee’ guest to show heartthrob
Photo
FOX
Darren Criss on the red carpet at the FOX 2011 All Star Party during the 2011 FOX WINTER TCA at the Villa Sorriso, Tuesday Jan. 11 in Pasadena, CA.
By ALICIA RANCILIO
Associated Press
NEW YORK
Darren Criss isn’t even officially a full-time cast member on “Glee,” yet he’s one of the most popular stars on the Fox TV show.
The actor made his debut last fall as Blaine Anderson, a gay student at Dalton Academy where Chris Colfer’s character Kurt transfers after being bullied.
Criss performed a version of Katy Perry’s “Teenage Dream” that quickly became one of the show’s most popular performances to date.
Viewers were smitten, and the 24-year-old was quickly written into most of the season’s episodes.
Now, fans can get an extra dose of Criss on the new album “Glee: The Music Presents The Warblers.”
The Associated Press: Your performances are so popular on “Glee.” What’s it like to be on an album?
Criss: They’re all incredible songs, so I really enjoyed them all. If people are enjoying them I’m glad because it’s not something that I took lightly.
AP: When did you realize your first appearance on the show was a big deal?
Criss: I don’t watch a lot of TV. I’m really busy so I wasn’t really feeling it. I was living in my little crappy apartment. I still had laundry to do, bills to pay. ... Any successes it may have garnered it didn’t hit me (laughs) at all so it was this very intangible thing. People were like, “It’s doing really well” and I was like, “OK, great.”