Landing the role of Kurt Hummel on Glee made Chris Colfer an immediate celebrity.
Even though he was only 18 at the time, he handled the transition with grace, and quickly became a fan favorite.
The New York Times put it best when they said, “Armed with a golden voice and an uncanny ability to cry on cue (his secret: think of eye injuries), Mr. Colfer became a poster boy for bullying issues and the show’s breakout star.”
On May 6, he makes his writing debut on the show. He penned the episode, “Old Dog New Tricks,” which has everything from flying, gossip, and ’80s music.
Here’s what you need to know about the talented 23-year-old behind the episode.
1. He Never Wanted to Write a ‘Glee’ Episode
Tyler Golden/FOX
In the episode, Kurt is in an assisted living’s production of Peter Pan.
The actor actually never dreamed of writing an episode, worried that he would be tampering with the characters who weren’t his own.
He spoke to TV Line about how the opportunity came about:
I never wanted to do this, or gave any indication that I wanted to do it. It’s not my world, these aren’t my characters and I thought I’d hate tampering with it or ruining it. But then they came to me and said, “Would you be interested in writing an episode? We want you to.” It was an opportunity that I could not turn down.
He dished that there were only two strict guidelines he had to follow when writing.
One was that he could not make himself break up with Blaine and the other was that no one could be killed off.
When asked about his incorporation of mostly 80s songs, he said:
…that definitely was not a conscious thought! I chose the songs for the Kurt storyline, and the other writers had a handful of songs they had been wanting to incorporate into the show for a while, and the storylines for different characters. I’m just responsible for the Kurt songs.
2. He Has a Boyfriend, But Girls Still Want to Convert Him
In October of 2013, Colfer posted this first-ever picture of his boyfriend, Will Sherrod, on Instagram.
Although he is quiet about his private life, he has taken Sherrod as his date to events like the 2013 Screen Actor’s Guild Awards and Elton’s John AIDS Foundation Academy Awards Viewing Party.
Sherrod also works in the movie industry, as a post production coordinator, and has a blog called Chill With Will.
When asked about his partner’s identity, he told the Daily Beast:
Well, I mean, it’s not a secret, but I don’t want to list his name or anything. Or their names. I’ve always been that way. I’ve always been protective of my personal life.
The fact that he is taken does not stop girls nationwide from wanting to make Colfer their boyfriend.
There are so many girls that write me letters about how they want to convert me and marry me, which is very flattering.
3. On TV He’s One Half of Klaine
Blaine looks like a small child getting fussy bc hes hungry and Kurt wont stop reading I am so emotional pic.twitter.com/54GCEG0i96
— ❁ jamie ❁ (@warblercupcake) May 5, 2014
Kurt gets engaged to his boyfriend Blaine, played by Darren Criss, in Season 5’s premiere.
In an interview with the Daily Beast, he talked about the loyal fan base the couple has amassed:
As soon as Blaine came into the picture, the whole fandom behind Kurt almost shifted. It turned into a version of Twilight. There are so many people that are obsessed with the couple.
In Season 3, Kurt lost his virginity to Blaine. He was interviewed before the episode and asked what he hoped gay teens would take away from it.
He answered that he wanted to serve as an example of a committed gay relationship:
I really hope that if Kurt and Blaine do anything for society or the world or anything like that, I really just hope it kind of sets the standard for gay kids. I don’t mean to upset anyone by saying this, but it is just kind of a known fact that a lot of gay kids are very promiscuous and non-exclusive with each other when they have relationships, which is really sad. But I think with Kurt and Blaine, I would hope would set an example of what something should be and could be. You know, two people finding each other and really loving each other and wanting to give the world to each other.
4. When He Became Famous He Felt Like He Died
(Getty)
The California native said that when he stared on Glee, his high school enemies were suddenly bragging on social media that they knew him.
“People that I went to school with almost acted as if I had died,” he told the Times.
He continued, “I thought, Wow, this must be what someone feels like at their eulogy.”
That premise is what he based his screenplay, Struck By Lighting, on. He starred in the 2013 film, where he is struck by lighting and dies.
The film deals with the feelings he had in high school:
And I remember feeling so incredibly unappreciated and overachieving – in my own right, maybe not a right that was valued by the school or the students in school. I just remember feeling so disheartened and remember thinking, ‘Wow, if I got struck my lightning right now, they would pretty much find my body.’
5. He Never Took Professional Singing Lessons
He told the Advocate, “I’ve never had any professional training anywhere, just high school and community theater shows.”
Colfer originally auditioned for the role of Artie. When he went in to audition for Kurt, the show’s creator, Ryan Murphy said, “Why do I have a feeling you’ve been in The Sound of Music?” He replied, “Oh, I was Kurt in The Sound of Music.”
In an interview with Vulture, he actually admitted the singer is his “biggest fear.” He went on to explain:
Oh, no! I don’t sing unless I have to. Or in the shower.