Chris Colfer

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...most importantly, to all the kids who watch our show and the kids who our show celebrates who are constantly told 'no' by the people in the environment or bullies at school that they can't be who they are, or have what they want because of who they are - well, screw that, kids!
—Chris Colfer, 2011 Golden Globe Awards

Chris Colfer (born 1990) grew up outside of Fresno, CA, doing oral interpretation for the speech team in high school as well as participating in the drama club and doing community theatre, including the role of Kurt von Trapp in The Sound of Music.

Then, one day, he auditioned for a little show called Glee.

Colfer actually auditioned for the role of wheelchair-bound nerd Artie, but show creator Ryan Murphy was impressed by Colfer's talent and charm. He scrapped a preplanned character and replaced him with the character of Kurt Hummel (named after Colfer's prior role as Kurt from Sound of Music, and the cherubic Hummel figurines), a Camp Gay countertenor. Much of Kurt's character is inspired by Colfer and Murphy's own struggles growing up gay. Since the show's premiere, Kurt has become one of Glee's most beloved characters due to Colfer's heartfelt portrayal. Even Television Without Pity adores him. He won a Golden Globe Award for his work on the series in 2011, and scored Emmy nominations in both 2010 and 2011.

Colfer is currently in the process of expanding his work beyond Glee (of the original cast, he and Amber Riley have the least professional experience), writing, executive producing and starring in the coming-of-age comedy Struck By Lightning (which had its world premiere at the 2012 Tribeca Film Festival), writing the pilot script for a potential television series based on the book The Little Lost Witch and penning a couple of children's novels.

He has a thing for Alpacas.

Exhibits

  • Alliterative Name
  • Attention Deficit Creator Disorder: Averted, and how. In addition to Glee and all the insane amouts of work that go into it, he has written and will star in a film titled Struck By Lightning, and adapted the children's book The Little Leftover Witch into a series pilot which was bought by Disney - the adaptation took him all of a weekend, apparently. He is in talks to be attached to the series as a producer of some description. And he makes no secret of the fact that he has other projects in development too...
    • He now has a novel coming out summer 2012. As part of a two-book contract.
    • He has also written a second screenplay, which, as of spring 2012, already has a director and producer attached.
  • Badass Adorable: He's kind of a ninja.

Observe Middle America's greatest fear: A gay man with swords.

  • Bishonen: May have replaced Jensen Ackles as the poster boy of this trope in the Western world.
  • Brutal Honesty: There's no doubt he's extraordinarily grateful to Glee for propelling him to stardom, but nevertheless Colfer can sometimes be pretty harsh on the show compared to his colleagues. He's come down on it for perceived flaws such as its Narm, the second season's preference for popular songs over ones that fit the scenes better, and talked the writers into changing a scene that potentially Wimpified for Kurt. Also isn't afraid to say things that might upset the show's huge shipping fanbase; he has a decidedly cynical take on Kurt and Blaine's relationship and seems to think of Klainers as having a bit of a Fan Dumb, although how of it is legit annoyance at some of the... weirder things they've said to him and how much of it is just the usual good-natured ribbing is arguable:

"Be scared. Be very scared." - his advice to Grant Gustin on Klaine fans

  • Camp Gay: While he's hardly as campy as his character Kurt, he certainly qualifies as your average musical-theater-loving gay guy.
  • Deadpan Snarker: So deadpan that sometimes people actually take him seriously when he's snarking, and then raise a fuss over something he was obviously being sarcastic about. He's barely twenty-one years old; what do you expect?
    • Although his fans are completely in the know, and usually find the deadpan jokes to be the most hilarious. Quite a few people laughed out loud when he described everyone waiting for Blaine and Kurt to kiss as perverts.
  • Emmy Bait: While not precisely "bait" in the usual sense, Colfer deserves a Best Supporting Actor award for the last ten minutes of "Laryngitis" alone, and that doesn't even begin to cover his work in earlier episodes, like "Acafellas," "Preggers," "Wheels" and "Home." There is a reason he's generally agreed to be hands-down the best actor on the show. He already has an Emmy nom under his belt - and a win at the Golden Globes.
    • He's already been pegged to get another by several different critics based on the country-wide weepfest he caused with his rendition of "I Wanna Hold Your Hand" and the rest of the episode "Grilled Cheesus".
    • Not to mention his - entirely non-musical - work in "Never Been Kissed" and "Furt".
    • And now there's "Born This Way" - the whole episode, but particularly his stunning performance of 'As If We Never Said Goodbye' from Sunset Boulevard.
    • As of now, we have Prom Queen, where he deserves another Golden Globe and an Emmy.
    • Lampshaded on the Dublin stop in the Glee Live! tour.

Kurt: For your Emmy consideration 2011.

  • Epic Fail: Oh God, the poor kid has a collection of them. Just listen to some of his interviews.
    • He does this purposefully, since claiming to be a llama is, in his opinion, funny.
  • Mr. Fanservice: For proof, just read the rest of this article.
  • He Is All Grown Up: General fan reaction to this seems to indicate that the "eleven-year-old milk-maid" days are a thing of the past.
  • Hotter and Sexier: Sometime between summer 2009 and summer 2011, Chris learned to move his hips in a way that is the next thing to pornographic. This is demonstrated repeatedly on the 2011 Glee LIVE tour. Combine that with the fact that he was visibly and forcefully run over by the puberty truck in that same span of time, and it's not a shock why he leaves fangirls panting for more.
    • This comes back with a vengeance during "Not the Boy Next Door", in which Colfer does similarly indecent things with his hips while wearing skin-tight gold lamé pants.
  • I Am Not Kurt: Although this is pretty much because he has yet to do anything else.
    • He'll still have to bulk up, dye his hair, grow a beard, and play a lumberjack to avoid everyone going "Oh! Hey! Kurt!"
    • According to early reviews of his new movie he succeed in shedding his Kurt image completely.
  • Lying Actor: When it comes to information about Kurt and Blaine's relationship, Colfer is a lying little tease who is not to be trusted. Actually, when it comes to information about the show period Colfer is a lying little tease who is not to be trusted.
  • Masculine Girl, Feminine Boy / Sibling Yin-Yang: He has affectionately referred to his little sister as a 'jock'.
  • Must Have Caffeine: He has a Diet Coke addiction. A bad one.
  • Older Than They Look: Got pulled over by cops because they didn't believe he was old enough to drive, despite being 20 years old at the time.
  • One of Us: Yup, he admits to being a huge nerd, and makes his love of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, X-Men, Mario, and Star Trek, among lots of other things, pretty clear. According to co-star Darren Criss, Colfer is also a big fan of A Very Potter Musical (from before Darren began on Glee, believe it or not) and quotes the show often. Furthermore, he's joined Pottermore. Diagnosis: very much One Of Us.
  • Into Musical Theatre: Yeps. He's been doing musical theater all his life.
  • Reality Subtext: Kurt ended up singing "Defying Gravity" on the show, challenging Rachel for the lead. Colfer had begged his drama teacher to let him sing the song in their Broadway revue every year, but was denied. Kurt throws the audition for his dad (long story), but Colfer really can hit that high F - and did so repeatedly on the Glee Live! Tour, dueting with Lea Michele.
    • Kurt and Rachel's growing closeness is quite obviously a reflection of the mutual adoration Lea and Colfer have repeatedly professed for each other; Lea in particular is not shy about declaring to the world how much she adores Colfer.
  • Rule 34: Was once sent a drawn picture of him and Glee costar Ashley Fink cuddling naked in bed, to his amusement. And let's not go mention how he's the biggest Launcher of a Thousand Ships for the Glee RPF fandom. Monfer (him and Cory Monteith) stands out in particular.
  • Self-Deprecation: He is quite a fan of this type of humor, particularly when discussing his voice and his appearance; in a Crowning Moment of Funny in an interview with Conan O'Brien, he compared himself to the child from The Omen.
  • Separated At Birth Casting: The actor cast to portray young Kurt in "Grilled Cheesus", Adam Kolkin, bears such a scary resemblance to Colfer, they are the trope's page image.
    • In a move that has delighted many fans, Adam Kolkin was also cast to play a younger version of Chris's character (Carson Phillips) in Struck By Lightning.
  • Smoking Hot Sex: Referenced. Sort of.
  • Throw It In: We see Kurt crying after April Rhodes (Kristin Chenoweth) sings "Maybe This Time" because Colfer started crying while seeing Kristin Chenoweth sing "Maybe This Time." (Yup, his celebrity crush).
  • Vocal Dissonance: He sounds like a girl. This throws some people. And by "like a girl," we mean "could possibly rival Kristin Chenoweth for most beautiful soprano singing voice in showbusiness." And yet, he also has an incredible range, from soprano to a baritone; one radio show flat-out refused to believe that his deep notes in 'Give Up The Funk' weren't computer-manipulated until he gave them a live example on air.
  • What Beautiful Eyes!: He's got gorgeous ones. Like, seriously gorgeous.
  • Wise Beyond Their Years: Jane Lynch called him this almost verbatim and often talks about his "inner grandma". Has also been called an "old soul" by David Permut, Kevin McHale, and (according to Colfer) random psychics in airports.
  • Written By Cast Member: He is slated to star in the self-penned Struck By Lightning, which filmed during summer 2011.
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