“I may never get to play a superhero”: ‘Glee’ Star Played the Biggest Gamble on his Career By Coming Clean About his Sexuality During Show’s Peak Years
Many actors dream of playing famous roles, but for Chris Colfer, something more important came up while he was on the hit show Glee. It is a musical comedy-drama TV show about a high school show choir named the New Directions at William McKinley High School in Ohio.
Colfer, who played Kurt Hummel on the show from 2009 to 2015, recently shared how he struggled with his sexuality during the height of the show’s peak years. His character was the first openly gay character on the series. Still, the Clovis native shared that he felt pressured to stay closeted despite playing the one.
Chris Colfer Took a Bold Step by Coming Out During Glee‘s Successful Years
In a candid interview on The View (via Deadline), Chris Colfer, who grew up in a conservative town, admitted he was nervous about playing an openly gay character. He said:
I grew up in a very conservative town where being openly gay was dangerous. I remember when I got on [Glee] the role was written for me, and I did not know what the role was gonna be, and so I opened the script and when I read the script for the first time was when I saw that it was an openly gay character and I was terrified.
Colfer explained that when he started working on the show, many people advised him not to come out as gay because they thought it would damage his career. He tried to hide his sexuality for a while, but he felt it was difficult because his voice and mannerisms were more “effeminate than most people.”
Despite this, those advisors reassured him that as long as he didn’t “never address it,” he would still be successful in the end. This shows that LGBTQ+ actors still face challenges in Hollywood. However, in December 2009 (just seven months after the first episode of Glee aired) the then 19-year-old publicly announced that he was gay on a late-night TV show.
A Fan’s Note was a Turning Point for Chris Colfer
Despite feeling pressure, Chris Colfer couldn’t overlook the positive influence he had. He told a touching story about a young fan who quietly handed him a note, thanking him for representing Kurt.
While signing posters before the show aired, a boy gave him an envelope secretly while his parents weren’t looking. Inside, there was a note saying “Thank you” and a chain of paperclips in rainbow colors. The 34-year-old said (as per Deadline):
At the time, I was thinking, ‘OK, yeah, if I’m an openly gay actor, yeah, I may never win a major award. I may never get to play a superhero. But I think being a beacon of positivity and providing that comfort for people is way more important than attention.
Colfer’s connection with a young fan made him realize how important it was to be a good example. He decided it was better to be himself, even if it meant facing some career challenges. The star knew his honesty could help young people who were figuring out who they were.
Watch Glee on Disney+.
