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==Personal life==
==Personal life==
Colfer is openly [[Homosexuality|gay]]<ref name="handler-gay-advocate">{{cite news|url=http://advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2009/12/04/Handler_to_Colfer_We_Know_Youre_Gay/|title=Handler to Colfer: "We Know You're Gay"|coauthors=Advocate.com Editors|date=December 4, 2009|work=[[The Advocate]]|accessdate=4 December 2009}}</ref> and shared on ''Access Hollywood'' that his parents were accepting of him but he was frequently [[bullying|bullied]] at school.<ref name="advoc">[http://advocate.com/Arts_and_Entertainment/Television/Glees_Chris_Colfer__Just_one_of_the_guys/ Advocate.com: Just One of the Guys]</ref><ref name="access-hollywood-loser">{{cite news|url=http://www.accesshollywood.com/dish-of-salt-whos-the-biggest-loser-on-glee_video_1152506|title=Dish Of Salt: Who’s The Biggest Loser On ‘Glee’?|last=Saltman|first=Laura|work=[[Access Hollywood]]|accessdate=6 December 2009}}</ref><ref>[http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2009/11/11/Glee_Chris_Colfer_Not_Out_After_All/ Glee's Chris Colfer Not Out After All?] ''The Advocate'', 1 November 2009.</ref> He originally auditioned for the role of [[Artie Abrams|Artie]] with the song "[[Mr. Cellophane]]"<ref name="bs">{{cite web|url= http://www.backstage.com/bso/news-and-features-features/life-stages-1004009175.story |title=Life Stages |last=Kuhn|first=Sarah|date=September 3, 2009|work=[[Back Stage]]|accessdate=2009-09-05}}</ref> but [[Kevin McHale (actor)|Kevin McHale]] was selected for the role. However, the casting directors were so impressed by Colfer that they wrote the [[Kurt Hummel]] character into the show as a [[Star vehicle|vehicle]] for him.<ref name="advoc"/><ref name="bs"/> Colfer commented on his casting, "It's good to have something positive, especially for kids in small towns, like myself, who need a little pick-me-up." Kurt Hummel has gone on to become an audience favorite.<ref name="LAT">{{cite news|url= http://articles.latimes.com/2009/apr/26/entertainment/ca-glee26|title=Will TV audiences watch with 'Glee'?|last=Fernandez|first=Maria Elena|date=April 26, 2009|work=[[LA Times]]|accessdate=June 1, 2009}}</ref> Colfer's sister, Hannah, suffers from severe [[epilepsy]], and often experiences over fifty [[epileptic seizure|seizures]] in an hour.<ref name="Hannah-Colfer-Story">{{cite news|url=http://www.gleefan.com/hannah-colfers-story/|title=Hannah Colfer's Story|last=Black|first=Rob|work=GleeFan.com|accessdate=30 March 2010}}</ref> Colfer has commented that when he was younger he used acting as a method of escaping the stress involved with having a family member with disabilities.<ref>[http://trojanvision.com/?p=2618 Chris Colfer (from Glee) | Trojan Vision Television<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> In April of 2011, [[Time Magazine]] selected Colfer as one of the "100 Most Influential People," citing his breakthrough character on ''Glee''.<ref name="Time magazine 100 Most Influential People">{{cite news|url=http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,2066367_2066369_2066418,00.html/|title=The 2011 TIME 100|date=21 April 2001|accessdate=21 April 2011}}</ref>
Colfer is openly [[Homosexuality|gay]]<ref name="handler-gay-advocate">{{cite news|url=http://advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2009/12/04/Handler_to_Colfer_We_Know_Youre_Gay/|title=Handler to Colfer: "We Know You're Gay"|coauthors=Advocate.com Editors|date=December 4, 2009|work=[[The Advocate]]|accessdate=4 December 2009}}</ref> and shared on ''Access Hollywood'' that his parents were accepting of him but he was frequently [[bullying|bullied]] at school.<ref name="advoc">[http://advocate.com/Arts_and_Entertainment/Television/Glees_Chris_Colfer__Just_one_of_the_guys/ Advocate.com: Just One of the Guys]</ref><ref name="access-hollywood-loser">{{cite news|url=http://www.accesshollywood.com/dish-of-salt-whos-the-biggest-loser-on-glee_video_1152506|title=Dish Of Salt: Who’s The Biggest Loser On ‘Glee’?|last=Saltman|first=Laura|work=[[Access Hollywood]]|accessdate=6 December 2009}}</ref><ref>[http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2009/11/11/Glee_Chris_Colfer_Not_Out_After_All/ Glee's Chris Colfer Not Out After All?] ''The Advocate'', 1 November 2009.</ref> Colfer's sister, Hannah, suffers from severe [[epilepsy]], and often experiences over fifty [[epileptic seizure|seizures]] in an hour.<ref name="Hannah-Colfer-Story">{{cite news|url=http://www.gleefan.com/hannah-colfers-story/|title=Hannah Colfer's Story|last=Black|first=Rob|work=GleeFan.com|accessdate=30 March 2010}}</ref> Colfer has commented that when he was younger he used acting as a method of escaping the stress involved with having a family member with disabilities.<ref>[http://trojanvision.com/?p=2618 Chris Colfer (from Glee) | Trojan Vision Television<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> In April of 2011, [[Time Magazine]] selected Colfer as one of the "100 Most Influential People," citing his breakthrough character on ''Glee''.<ref name="Time magazine 100 Most Influential People">{{cite news|url=http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,2066367_2066369_2066418,00.html/|title=The 2011 TIME 100|date=21 April 2001|accessdate=21 April 2011}}</ref>


Colfer appeared on the British chat show ''[[Friday Night with Jonathan Ross]]'' on June 18, 2010, along with his fellow ''Glee'' co-stars [[Amber Riley]] and [[Matthew Morrison]]. He demonstrated his skill with a pair of [[sai (weapon)|sai]], revealing that he bought a pair of them on [[eBay]] and regularly practices in his trailer when not shooting.<ref name="sai-skills">{{cite video|url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DZl1QBOW5X0|title=Chris Colfer show his sai swords skills – Friday Night With Jonathan Ross"|coauthors=BBC|work=[[Friday Night With Jonathan Ross]]|accessdate=19 June 2010}}</ref>
Colfer appeared on the British chat show ''[[Friday Night with Jonathan Ross]]'' on June 18, 2010, along with his fellow ''Glee'' co-stars [[Amber Riley]] and [[Matthew Morrison]]. He demonstrated his skill with a pair of [[sai (weapon)|sai]], revealing that he bought a pair of them on [[eBay]] and regularly practices in his trailer when not shooting.<ref name="sai-skills">{{cite video|url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DZl1QBOW5X0|title=Chris Colfer show his sai swords skills – Friday Night With Jonathan Ross"|coauthors=BBC|work=[[Friday Night With Jonathan Ross]]|accessdate=19 June 2010}}</ref>

Revision as of 13:07, 11 May 2011

Chris Colfer
Born
Christopher Paul Colfer

(1990-05-27) May 27, 1990 (age 34)
Clovis, California, U.S.
Occupation(s)Actor, singer
Years active2009–present

Christopher Paul "Chris" Colfer[1][2] (born May 27, 1990)[3] is an American actor and singer, known for his portrayal of Kurt Hummel on Glee, for which he has received several nominations and awards, including the Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor in 2011. He came 7th in the Time 100 List of Most Influential People 2011.

Early life and education

Colfer was born in Clovis, California. While a student at Clovis East High School, Colfer was involved with the Speech & Debate program where he won "many speech and debate Champion titles," including placing 9th in the State Competition for Dramatic Interpretation, the drama club, the FFA, "was president of the Writer’s Club, editor of the school's literary magazine, and captain of Destination ImagiNation."[4] As a high school senior, he wrote, starred in, and directed a spoof of Sweeney Todd entitled "Shirley Todd", in which all of the roles were gender-reversed.[5] One of his real in-school experiences was later turned into a sub-plot for his character on Glee, when the high school teachers denied him the chance to sing "Defying Gravity" from the musical Wicked because it is traditionally sung by a woman.[6] His grandmother, a minister, let him sing the song in her church.[6]

Career

Colfer at the San Diego Comic-Con International, July 2010

When he was younger, he also starred in a version of The Sound of Music as the character 'Kurt'. At the age of eighteen, Colfer starred as Russel Fish in Russel Fish: The Sausage and Eggs Incident, a short film where an awkward teenager must pass a Presidential Physical Fitness test or fail gym class and lose his admission to Harvard University.

Colfer's first TV role came in 2009 when he was cast as Kurt Hummel on Fox's Glee as a gay singer who is bullied by the school football team. Colfer auditioned for the part of wheelchair-bound Artie Abrams, which eventually went to Kevin McHale. The show's creator, Ryan Murphy, was so impressed with Colfer that he created the role of Kurt specifically for him,[7] and in the process, scrapped a planned character called Rajish so they could add Hummel. Colfer has explained that Hummel "puts on a very confident, 'I'm better than you' persona, but underneath it all he's the same anxious and scared teen everyone is/was at some point. In later episodes, he goes through an identity crisis, accepting and finding acceptance for who he is. [...] He's a tough guy in designer clothes."[8] The character is also gay, which is at the crux of many of his conflicts on the show. Colfer has a high vocal range, as displayed in the episode "Wheels", in which his character demonstrates the unusual ability (for a man) of singing a "high F" (an F5). However, his character deliberately pretends to be unable to sing the note in order to spare his father the harassment he would receive for having a gay son.[9]

Chris Colfer appeared at the 2010 MTV VMAs on September 12, 2010.[10]

Colfer won a Golden Globe for Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Series, Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television for his role in Glee in 2011.

Colfer will star in the coming-of-age comedy Struck by Lightning that has been set up with David Permut (Youth in Revolt). Colfer also wrote the script for Lightning, which is to be shot during the Glee hiatus in the summer of 2011.[11]

Personal life

Colfer is openly gay[12] and shared on Access Hollywood that his parents were accepting of him but he was frequently bullied at school.[5][13][14] Colfer's sister, Hannah, suffers from severe epilepsy, and often experiences over fifty seizures in an hour.[15] Colfer has commented that when he was younger he used acting as a method of escaping the stress involved with having a family member with disabilities.[16] In April of 2011, Time Magazine selected Colfer as one of the "100 Most Influential People," citing his breakthrough character on Glee.[17]

Colfer appeared on the British chat show Friday Night with Jonathan Ross on June 18, 2010, along with his fellow Glee co-stars Amber Riley and Matthew Morrison. He demonstrated his skill with a pair of sai, revealing that he bought a pair of them on eBay and regularly practices in his trailer when not shooting.[18]

Filmography

Year Title Role Notes
2009 Russel Fish: The Sausage and Eggs Incident Russel Fish Short Film
2009–present Glee Kurt Hummel Main Cast
2010 Marmaduke Drama Dog #2, Shrooms Dog #1, Beach Dog #4 (voice only) Feature Film
2011 The Cleveland Show Kurt Hummel (Voice Role) Season 2, Episode 11, "How Do You Solve a Problem Like Roberta?"
2011 Struck by Lightning Lead role
2011 The Little Leftover Witch Writer

Discography

Main article: Glee Cast discography

Awards and nominations

Year Group Award Result Show
2009 Satellite Award Best Supporting Actor – Series, Miniseries or Television Film Nominated Glee
2010 Screen Actors Guild Award Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series Won
Teen Choice Award Choice TV: Male Scene Stealer Won
Choice Music: Group (with Glee Cast) Nominated
Emmy Award Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series Nominated
Satellite Award Best Supporting Actor – Series, Miniseries or Television Film Nominated
2011 Golden Globe Award Best Supporting Actor – Series, Miniseries or Television Film Won
Screen Actors Guild Awards Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Comedy Series Nominated
Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series Nominated

References

  1. ^ "Show Tracker". Los Angeles Times.
  2. ^ According to the State of California. California Birth Index, 1905-1995. Center for Health Statistics, California Department of Health Services, Sacramento, California. Searchable at http://www.familytreelegends.com/records/39461
  3. ^ Ayers, Dennis (2010-05-27). "Chris Colfer, Birthday Boy". AfterElton.com. Retrieved 2011-05-01.
  4. ^ Chris Colfer on Glee wiki[dead link] Gleewiki on Fox.com. Retrieved 14 November 2009.
  5. ^ a b Advocate.com: Just One of the Guys
  6. ^ a b Glee’s Chris Colfer Reveals Real-Life Story Behind Kurt’s Diva Moment People, November 12, 2009.
  7. ^ Malcolm, Shawna (2010). "Let It Glee". Emmy. XXXII (3). North Hollywood, California: Academy of Arts and Sciences: 102–109. ISSN 0164-3495. OCLC 4629234. {{cite journal}}: Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
  8. ^ Steinberg, Jamie (May 2009). "Chris Colfer – Pure Glee". Starry Constellation Magazine. Retrieved June 2, 2009.
  9. ^ Ryan Murphy (director, writer), Brad Falchuk (writer), Ian Brennan (writer) (2009-11-11). "Wheels". Glee. Season 1. Episode 9. Fox. {{cite episode}}: Unknown parameter |episodelink= ignored (|episode-link= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |serieslink= ignored (|series-link= suggested) (help)
  10. ^ "Chris Colfer". TVGuide.com. 2010-09-09.
  11. ^ "Glee's Chris Colfer Makes Leap to Big Screen for Lightning". TVGuide.com. Retrieved December 8, 2010.
  12. ^ "Handler to Colfer: "We Know You're Gay"". The Advocate. December 4, 2009. Retrieved 4 December 2009. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  13. ^ Saltman, Laura. "Dish Of Salt: Who's The Biggest Loser On 'Glee'?". Access Hollywood. Retrieved 6 December 2009.
  14. ^ Glee's Chris Colfer Not Out After All? The Advocate, 1 November 2009.
  15. ^ Black, Rob. "Hannah Colfer's Story". GleeFan.com. Retrieved 30 March 2010.
  16. ^ Chris Colfer (from Glee) | Trojan Vision Television
  17. ^ "The 2011 TIME 100". 21 April 2001. Retrieved 21 April 2011.
  18. ^ Chris Colfer show his sai swords skills – Friday Night With Jonathan Ross". Friday Night With Jonathan Ross. Retrieved 19 June 2010. {{cite AV media}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
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