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Look up Darren in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

Darren a masculine given name of uncertain etymological origins. Some theories state that it originated from a Gaelic surname meaning "great", or from an anglicization of the Irish firstname Darragh or Dáire meaing "oak tree". According to other theories, it is a variant of Darrell, which originated from the French surname D'Airelle meaning "of Airelle". Darren has several spelling variations including: Daren, Darin, Daryn, Darrin, and Darryn.

In the United Kingdom, its popularity peaked during the 1970s but declined sharply afterwards.^[1]

People with the given name Darren[link]

Sports[link]

• Darren Bennett, played both Australian Rules football and American football professionally
• Darren Bent English football (soccer) player currently playing for Aston Villa
• Darren Braithwaite, British sprinter
• Darren Byfield, English football (soccer) player currently playing for Solihull Moors
• Darren Campbell, retired English sprint athlete
• Darren Collins, English football (soccer) player currently playing for Brackley Town
• Darren Clarke, Irish professional golfer.
• Darren Currie, English football (soccer) player currently playing for Hendon
• Darren Drozdov, retired professional wrestler who competed in the WWF from 1998 until 1999.
• Darren Ferguson, Scottish former football (soccer) player and currently manager
• Darren Fletcher, Scottish football (soccer) player currently playing for Manchester United
• Darren Gilford, Maltese athlete specializing in both the 100 metres and the 4x100 metre relay races
• Darren Gough, English cricketer
• Darren Huckerby, English former football (soccer) player
• Darren Lockyer, Australian rugby league player
• Darren Lange, freestyle swimmer from Australia
• Darren Mackie Scottish football (soccer) player currently playing for Aberdeen
• Darren O'Dea, Irish football (soccer) player currently playing for Leeds United
• Darren Pang, Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender who played for the Chicago Blackhawks
• Darren Purse, English football (soccer) player currently playing for Plymouth Argyle
• Darren Ritchie, Scottish long jumper
• Darren Rumble, Canadian ice hockey defenseman
• Darren Sharper, American football free safety who plays for the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League
• Darren Smith, Australian rugby league player
• Darren Turcotte, retired professional ice hockey player

Television, Film, Art[link]

• Darren Aronofsky, American filmmaker
• Darren Bennett (dancer), professional dancer
• Darren Bett, weatherman for the BBC
• Darren Boyd, British actor
• Darren Day, English actor, singer, and television presenter
• Darren Grant, American Film and Music Video Director
• Darren Jordon, main newsreader on BBC 1
• Darren McGavin, American actor
• James Darren, American television and film actor, television director, and singer
• Darren Osborne, character in British soap Hollyoaks
• Darren Star, American television/film producer and screenwriter
• Darren Leadfoot, also known as Shiny Wax, a character in Cars
• Darren Criss, American actor and singer, "Blaine Anderson" in "Glee"

Music[link]

• DARREN, singer-songwriter
• Darren Hayes, singer-songwriter, formerly of the group Savage Garden
• Darren Jessee, drummer for the rock group Ben Folds Five
• Darren Miller, former singer for the electronic group backandtotheleft
• Darren Robinson (musician), guitarist and background singer in the Californian band Phantom Planet
• Darren Robinson (rapper), member of the 80s rap group The Fat Boys
• Darren Wilson, drummer of the Chicago-based indie-rock group The Hush Sound

Science[link]

• Darren Naish, vertebrate palaeontologist and science writer

Writing[link]

• Darren Shan, author of the Demonata series

See also[link]

• Darron
• Derren

References[link]

1. ^ [1]

External links[link]

• Babynamesworld - Origin and Meaning of the Name Darren
• BehindtheName - Origin and History of the Name Darren

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Darren Hayes
Darren Hayes, 2006
Background information
Birth name	Darren Stanley Hayes
Born	(1972-05-08) 8 May 1972 (age 40) Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
Genres	Pop, pop rock, electronica
Occupations	Singer-songwriter
Instruments	Vocals
Years active	1993–present
Labels	Roadshow Columbia (1996–2005) Powdered Sugar (2006–2011) Universal Music Australia (2011–present) EMI Records UK/Europe (2011–present)
Associated acts	Savage Garden
Website	www.darrenhayes.com

Darren Stanley Hayes (born 8 May 1972) is a UK-based Australian singer-songwriter. Hayes was the frontman and singer of the pop duo Savage Garden, whose 1997 album Savage Garden peaked at No. 1 in Australia, No. 2 in United Kingdom and No. 3 in United States. It spawned the singles "I Want You", "To the Moon and Back", and Australian and US No. 1 "Truly Madly Deeply". The duo followed the success of their debut album with Affirmation (1999), which provided additional hits such as US No. 1 "I Knew I Loved You", and Australian No. 3 "The Animal Song". Savage Garden sold more than 23 million albums worldwide before parting ways in 2001.^[1]

Hayes released his first solo album Spin in 2002. The album sold two million copies worldwide, debuted at No. 2 in the UK and No. 3 in Australia. It delivered the hit single "Insatiable". Hayes' second solo album The Tension and the Spark marked a change of direction for the singer-songwriter, showing experimentation with electronica and darker lyrics. NME wrote about its first single, "Pop!ular" saying it was "A twistered masterclass in career reintervention...This guy is a genius." While The Observer said "This album is no folly and succeeds, often to the point of all out triumph, on its own terms." Hayes parted way with his record label Columbia Records in 2006 and started his own independent record label Powdered Sugar, from which he would release his third solo album This Delicate Thing We've Made (2007).

In mid-2010, Hayes announced the completion of recording his fourth solo album, Secret Codes and Battleships, features 3 songs co-written and produced by Brian West and was mixed by Robert Orton, who is best known for working with Lady Gaga. On 17 April 2011, Hayes signed with Mercury Records' Australian division and in August 2011 with EMI Records in the UK. The album was released in Australia on 21 October 2011, 24 October in the UK and 25 October in the US, with singles "Talk Talk Talk", "Bloodstained Heart" and "Black Out the Sun" released before the album.

Including his work with Savage Garden, Hayes has sold more than 39 million albums worldwide.^{[citation needed]}

Early life[link]

Hayes was born on 8 May 1972 in Brisbane, Australia. He is the youngest of three children. He started performing for his mother in his lounge room from an early age. At Mabel Park High School, Hayes appeared in the school musicals Man of Steel (playing Jimmy Olsen) in 1988 and Bye, Bye, Birdie (playing Albert) in 1989. He also sang at school concerts before graduating in 1989.^{[citation needed]}

Hayes declined an opportunity to attend a performance academy in favour of studying teaching/education at the University of Queensland. He ended up deferring a degree to pursue a musical career.

Music career[link]

1993–2001: Savage Garden[link]

In 1993, Hayes answered an advertisement in a magazine placed by Daniel Jones for a lead singer for a band called Red Edge. Hayes was successful despite his voice breaking in the audition. The covers band broke up in 1994 and Hayes formed a partnership with Jones, which was initially going to be called Crush. However, there was another band in the UK which had the rights to the name so the pair called themselves Savage Garden, after a phrase used by Anne Rice to describe the world through the eyes of the main character in her novel The Vampire Lestat. The Savage Garden is a vision of earth in which the natural laws of the world govern over anything aesthetic or civil.

Savage Garden started recording their debut album in 1995 with producer Charles Fisher. Their first single "I Want You" released in 1996 was the best selling single by an Australian artist that year. The second single "To the Moon and Back" topped the Australian charts at the end of 1996. The third single "Truly Madly Deeply" was their second number one and was the best-selling Australian single of 1997. Their debut album, Savage Garden, was the best-selling album in Australia during 1997 and the duo won ten ARIA awards.

Hayes moved to New York City to promote Savage Garden internationally while Daniel Jones stayed in Brisbane. The move proved to be successful with "Truly Madly Deeply" going to the top of the American charts in 1998. The Savage Garden album sold seven million copies in the US on the back of this success.

In New York City, Hayes wrote Affirmation. He had recently divorced his wife of several years. Parts of the album reflected the pain from the end of the relationship. Affirmation was released in 1999 and proved to be another hit with lead single "I Knew I Loved You" going to number one in the United States and the album selling six million copies by the end of 2000. The pair played the title track of the album at the closing ceremony of the 2000 Sydney Olympics.

Hayes moved to Sausalito, California in 2000. He became the public face of the duo doing most of the media. Hayes announced that Savage Garden had broken up in October 2001 during a chat with an Australian journalist. Hayes thought the information would be saved for a later article; it was not. When confronted with this information during the early morning hours, before an unrelated interview, Jones denied the break-up of the band. However, it appears that Jones did not believe the reporter was accurately quoting Hayes and denied what he thought was yet another breakup rumour. Still, the fact that Jones took a back seat in all promotional activities for Affirmation seems indicative that Jones was not content to remain within Savage Garden as it had operated in the past. Savage Garden had sold over 23 million albums by that stage.

In 2005, manager of Savage Garden, John Woodruff confirmed that Jones had announced his intention of leaving Savage Garden prior to the promotion for Affirmation. Woodruff criticised the media for their treatment of Hayes. The duo have never issued a united statement regarding the situation, yet Hayes has guaranteed that the group will "never by any chance" reunite.^[2]

2002–present: Solo career[link]

[edit] 2002: Spin

Hayes recorded his first solo album, Spin, which was released in 2002. The album was produced by Walter Afanasieff, the producer of Affirmation. Spin carried on in the same musical vein as Savage Garden, with a less soft rock sound and more edgy R&B vibe, although the first single "Insatiable" was a ballad, reaching Number 3 in Australia. Other singles "Strange Relationship", "Crush (1980 Me)" and "I Miss You" also performed well in charts. The album reached the Top 5 in Australia at Number 3, and in the UK at Number 2. It also reached the top ten in Denmark, Sweden and Finland. In the United States, the album failed to make the same impact as Savage Garden's previous releases, reaching Number 35 on Billboard. It was later re-issued with a bonus disc consisting of some live and studio tracks.

[edit] 2003–2004: The Tension and the Spark

Hayes spent two years working on his second solo album, The Tension and the Spark. Other than the track "I Forgive You", which was produced with Madonna collaborator Marius De Vries, the entire album was produced by Hayes and Robert Conley (with whom he had previously toured and recorded "Crush (1980 Me)" for Spin and "Do You Believe" for Specificus). The album marked a bold change of direction from Hayes. Conley's production was almost entirely electronic, with acoustic instruments buried under walls of sequenced sounds. Although artistically this was a huge step forward and earned Hayes the strongest praise of his career, it seemed to alienate a large portion of his audience who were expecting another album of radio friendly pop songs. The first single "Pop!ular" was released on 12 July 2004. This single reached Number One on the US Dance Charts, and fared well in the UK. Hayes' follow-up single, "Darkness", charted in the lower regions of the ARIA top 50 charts.

One of his out-takes from the Spin sessions, "When You Say You Love Me", was recorded by Clay Aiken in 2003 for his Measure of a Man album. It was later covered by Human Nature resulting in an Australian top 20 single in April 2004 off their Walk The Tightrope album, and was then re-recorded in 2008 featuring Hayes himself.

[edit] 2005–2006: Truly Madly Completely and parting ways with Columbia

In 2005, Hayes recorded a track he wrote with Robert Conley called "So Beautiful", which is included on the Savage Garden greatest hits compilation Truly Madly Completely: The Best of Savage Garden. The compilation also includes a second track by Hayes called "California". Both of these tracks harken back to Hayes' early sound, although still retaining some of the electronic flourishes from The Tension and the Spark.

On 9 July 2006, Hayes announced that he had parted ways with Columbia Records after ten years and 24 million album sales together.

The tour following this release saw Hayes play the iconic Sydney Opera House, certainly a highlight of his career to date. The performance was recorded and released on a DVD entitled "A Big Night in with Darren Hayes".

[edit] 2007–2008: This Delicate Thing We've Made

Hayes finished recording his third solo album This Delicate Thing We've Made in 2007. The album is a double-disc, with 25 tracks. Many of the tracks were co-written with Robert Conley, and a great deal of the album was written with and produced by Justin Shave, who played keyboards for part of Hayes' Time Machine tour. The album was released on 20 August 2007 on Hayes' own independent record label, Powdered Sugar, while the first single "On the Verge of Something Wonderful" was released in Australia on 28 July 2007 and in the UK and online on 6 August 2007.

On 9 April 2007, Hayes released the album track "Who Would Have Thought?" from This Delicate Thing We've Made as a teaser track on his official website, as well as his MySpace profile. This was accompanied by an animation for the song created by his partner, animator and director, Richard Cullen. Around April 2007, remixes of the album track "Step into the Light" were being played in clubs around the world. The album version of "Step into the Light" was released as a teaser on Hayes' official website and MySpace on 30 April 2007.

During the first half of 2007, Hayes performed selected songs from the album in small exclusive gigs around the world. Tickets for several of these much sought after shows sold out in under ten minutes. In June 2007, Hayes embarked on a small tour of USA and Canada, stopping in New York, Toronto, Chicago, San Francisco and Los Angeles, along with the band Temposhark. The shows were well received with very positive reviews.

On 30 June 2007, Hayes headlined the London Gay Pride at Trafalgar Square.^[3] He performed "I Want You" and "On the Verge of Something Wonderful" as well as a medley that included "Pop!ular".

In July 2007, Hayes announced The Time Machine Tour that would start out in the UK, and then move on to Hayes' home country Australia.

On 29 July 2007, "On the Verge of Something Wonderful" was the most selected music video on The Box in the UK.

On 20 August 2007, This Delicate Thing We've Made was released in the UK, America and Australia.

Hayes finished touring this release with 'The Time Machine Tour' in the UK and Australia, where he played venues such as The Royal Albert Hall and the State Theatre in Sydney. His stage was again designed by Willie Williams and included a large bridge that could extend over the first few rows of seats. On the final night at the Queensland Performing Arts Centre in Hayes' hometown of Brisbane the performance was recorded in HD for a DVD release. The Time Machine Tour DVD came out in two editions; the special edition which was limited to 2000 copies and contained a four panel, fold out, gleaming white box, a 32 page color booklet with 300 photos and notes from the artist, and the regular edition. The special edition DVD, which was only available from Hayes' website, was shipped to purchasers on 1 July, and the regular edition which was available in shops was released on 22 July.

Hayes did a mini tour in the US in November and December 2007, making appearances at Borders stores and performing two shows in New York City and Philadelphia.

On 18 December 2007, Hayes announced "The Side Two Tour". The show toured the UK in February 2008 and featured Hayes performing songs from This Delicate Thing We've Made that were not featured on "The Time Machine Tour", in a more intimate setting.

[edit] 2009–2010: We Are Smug

On 19 April 2009, Hayes teased via Twitter that he was preparing another album.^[4] On 8 May, Hayes announced, via his MySpace page, that he and Robert Conley had produced an album together titled We Are Smug. The ten-track album, with a fair amount of experimentation with both lyrics and music, was made available via a link from his MySpace page, and was made free to download to gauge acceptability of Hayes' shifting musical styles.^[5] The album is heavily electronic with some heavy beats. It also contains some explicit content. Both Hayes and Conley share vocal duties on this album.

Hayes signed to Sony ATV Music Publishing for a worldwide deal in August 2009. Emma Banks from CAA UK came on board October 2009 to represent Hayes for his touring plans around the new album.

Although the album was completed before the holidays in 2009, Hayes announced in early 2010 that he had more song ideas and he was going back into the studio, which delayed the album another year. Hayes completely finished his fourth solo album in mid-2010, working with top writer/producers from around the world and having the record mixed by Robert Orton.

Darren also recorded a song for the Finn tribute album He Will Have His Way, a cover of "Not Even Close". It was released on Halloween 2010.

[edit] 2011–present: Signing to Mercury Records and Secret Codes and Battleships

On 17 April 2011, Darren announced that he had signed a record deal with Mercury Records/Universal Music Australia and signed to EMI Services UK /Europe. Darren released his fourth studio album on the label on 24 October in the UK and a release date of 21 October for Australia and most of the world and 25 October for USA.^[6][7] The first single titled "Talk Talk Talk" was announced in May and was released on 24 June. The single contains a cover version of Madonna's "Angel" as the B-side.^[8]

It was announced on 20 June via Hayes' Facebook page that his new album would be titled Secret Codes and Battleships.^[9]

Darren announced on Twitter on 22 July that he was shooting a second music video. On 14 August, Hayes revealed in a radio interview that "Black Out the Sun" will be the second single from Secret Codes and Battleships. Since its release in the UK, BBC Radio 2 has selected the track to feature on their A list the week commencing 1 October 2011.^[10] He later confirmed on Twitter that this song will be the single for the UK and other international markets, while "Blood-Stained Heart" would be the second single in Australia.

On 1 September, Celebrity blogger Perez Hilton recommended "Bloodstained Heart" to his followers, saying "Darren Hayes is back with a song closer to his Savage Garden days than anything he's done of late. A beautiful, powerful, emotional, big, sweeping, pop song with meaning!"^[11] He will play key dates on his "The Secret" Tour in the UK and Australia beginning on 15 October in Liverpool.^[12]

Hayes tweeted on 2 March 2012 that he would be shooting another music video the week after.^[13] He later confirmed the music video was being shot for "Stupid Mistake", which was released as the album's fourth single in May 2012.

Personal life[link]

Hayes married a childhood sweetheart, makeup artist Colby Taylor, in 1994.^[14] They were still married when Savage Garden "skyrocketed to fame around the globe in the late 1990s."^[14] They separated in 1998 and were divorced in 2000. Much of the lyrics for the band's second album, Affirmation, dealt with his divorce.^[14] He recorded Affirmation in San Francisco mid-1999 and eventually bought a house there.^[14] He also maintains a base in London since 2004.

Hayes was upset when Simon Amstell, an openly gay UK comedian, asked Hayes about his sexuality before he had actually been out. He was outraged by Amstell's lack of respect for his privacy, but later said that event made him realize that he needed to be honest. Hayes started coming out as gay to friends and the head of his label, Sony in the early 2000s.^[14] He married (via a civil partnership) his boyfriend of two years, Richard Cullen, on 19 June 2006 in London.^[15][16] Though public speculation about his sexual orientation had been present throughout his career, he is famous for keeping his personal life private.^[14] He announced the event the day prior on his official website.^[17] Before the announcement Cullen's name had appeared on the website as the designer of the cover for Hayes' single "So Beautiful". Hayes and Cullen live in London.

Hayes is a well-known Star Wars buff and has been since childhood. He also collects Star Wars memorabilia and he even auditioned for a role in Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith.^[18]

Discography[link]

Studio albums

• 2002: Spin
• 2004: The Tension and the Spark
• 2007: This Delicate Thing We've Made
• 2011: Secret Codes and Battleships

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Darren Hayes

• Official website
• Darren Hayes at the Internet Movie Database
• Darren Hayes on Myspace
• Darren Hayes on Facebook
• Darren Hayes on Twitter

Darren Everett Criss (born February 5, 1987) is an American actor, singer, songwriter, instrumentalist, and composer. He is also a founding member and co-owner of StarKid Productions, a media and musical theater production company based in Chicago, Illinois. He is best known for portraying Blaine Anderson, an openly gay high school student, on the FOX television series Glee.

Criss first garnered attention playing the lead role of Harry Potter in StarKid's musical productions of A Very Potter Musical and A Very Potter Sequel. In January 2012, he made his Broadway debut, starring as J. Pierrepont Finch in the revival of How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying.

Early life and education[link]

Criss was born in San Francisco, California, the youngest son of Cerina (née Bru) and Charles William Criss, a banker and a former director of the San Francisco Opera, the Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra, the Stern Grove Festival, and San Francisco Performances. Criss is Eurasian – his mother, a native of Cebu, Philippines, is of Chinese, Spanish, and Filipino descent, while his father, a native of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, is of Irish descent. He has an older brother named Charles "Chuck" Criss (born April 15, 1985), a musician and member of the indie rock band Freelance Whales. Criss and his brother were raised in San Francisco, apart from 1988 to 1992, when the family relocated to Honolulu, Hawaii, and their father started the East West Bank, serving as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer.^[1][2][3][4]

Criss' interest in music and the performing arts started in his early childhood — at the age of five, he began taking violin lessons, and, at ten, he was accepted into the Young Conservatory program of the American Conservatory Theater; concurrently, he made his professional stage debut, performing at the musical theater company 42nd Street Moon. Criss later became a multi-instrumentalist, mastering the violin, guitar, piano, cello, mandolin, harmonica, and drums, and he began composing songs by the age of fifteen.^{[5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12]}

Criss completed his elementary education at Stuart Hall for Boys, and then later graduated from Saint Ignatius College Preparatory in 2005; both are private Catholic schools located in the San Francisco Bay Area. During his time at Saint Ignatius, he was a member of various clubs, including the school government and the performing arts program, for which he was awarded the "Theater Arts Leadership" and the "Fine Arts" awards. Criss was also active in the school music scene - he was a violinist in the school orchestra (where he held the position of concertmaster), fronted his own band, and was voted "most likely to win a Grammy" by his peers. Academically, he received the National Latin Exam Award in 2002 (Maxima Cum Laude) and 2003 (Magna Cum Laude).^{[13][14][15][16][17][18][19]}

Criss majored in Theater Performance at the University of Michigan (he additionally pursued minors in Musicology and Italian, until opting out prior to graduation), and obtained a Bachelor of Fine Arts in 2009.^[20][13] 

Acting career[link]

For a list of acting credits by Criss, click here.

Theater[link]

Criss' Broadway debut How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying

Criss made his professional stage debut at the age of ten in 42nd Street Moon's 1997 production of Fanny, in the role of Cesario. The next year, Criss played Mauro in the Richard Rodgers and Stephen Sondheim musical Do I Hear a Waltz?, followed by Babes in Arms in 1999, in which he played Beauregard Calhoun.^[21][22][23]

Criss spent his formative years at the American Conservatory Theater, studying theater performance and appearing in a number of plays, notably A Christmas Carol, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and The Voysey Inheritance. He continued to hone his craft at St. Ignatius College Preparatory, taking on roles in classics such as The Music Man, The Diary of Anne Frank, and Fiddler on the Roof.^[7][24]

From 2005 to 2009, while attending the University of Michigan, Criss took part in numerous stage productions, including Pride and Prejudice, The Last Days of Judas Iscariot, A Few Good Men, and The Cripple of Inishmaan. He was also a participant in Basement Arts, the university's student-run theater organization, as both an actor and director. In the spring of 2008, he spent a semester abroad in Arezzo, Italy, studying Commedia dell'arte, among other theater-related subjects, at the Accademia dell'Arte.^{[24][25][26][27]}

In 2009, after receiving his Bachelor of Fine Arts, Criss, along with his friends and fellow classmates from the University of Michigan, founded StarKid Productions, a media and musical theater production company. His most prominent acting role with StarKid is that of Harry Potter in the YouTube viral musicals A Very Potter Musical and A Very Potter Sequel. Both productions are musical-comedies based on the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling. StarKid's plays have been viewed more than 100 million times on the company's YouTube channel, since its launch on June 19, 2009.^[28][29][30]

In January 2012, Criss made his Broadway debut, replacing Daniel Radcliffe in the role of J. Pierrepont Finch in the revival of How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, for a three-week engagement at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre. His stint proved to be a success – aside from Daniel Radcliffe's final week, the musical had the three most lucrative weeks of its 11-month run with Criss in the lead role, grossing over four million dollars.^[31][32]

Television[link]

Criss as Blaine Anderson with The Dalton Academy Warblers

Criss portrays Blaine Anderson, an openly gay high school student, on the FOX television show Glee. He made his first appearance in season two in the episode "Never Been Kissed", which aired on November 9, 2010. Blaine attended Dalton Academy and was lead singer of its glee club, The Dalton Academy Warblers. Blaine initially served as a friend and mentor for Kurt Hummel, the bullied gay member of the Warblers' rival glee club, New Directions. Chemistry between the two characters, combined with fan support for the potential couple, led series co-creator Ryan Murphy to pair them romantically onscreen. At the beginning of the third season, Blaine transfers to McKinley High and joins New Directions; concurrently, Criss was promoted from recurring guest star to the show's main cast.^[33][34][35]

Discussing public response to his character, Criss stated that he particularly enjoyed comments from "people from parts of the world who are maybe not as exposed to certain ideologies", but had reconsidered their stance on relationships and human rights as a result of the Blaine and Kurt storyline. He called this response "phenomenal", and said: "I was a straight kid growing up in a very gay community and it's something that I've had to watch so many friends have to struggle with and have no place to go to identify in kind of a grander media culture. To be a small piece of that machine is incredibly wonderful."^[36]

The character of Blaine Anderson was voted No. 1 on AfterElton's list of Top 50 Favorite TV Characters (2012).^[37]

Criss' early television career includes roles on the television series Eastwick and Cold Case.^[38]

Films[link]

In August 2011, Criss made his feature film debut in Glee: The 3D Concert Movie.

In 2012, Criss will appear in the upcoming comedy Imogene. The film co-stars Kristen Wiig, Annette Bening, and Matt Dillon.^[39]

Internet[link]

In 2007, Criss made his online debut playing the role of Toby Phillips in the web series Little White Lie. It was released in 2009 by StarKid Productions.^[40]

Criss voices the character of Leopold Bonar from the Funny or Die web series Life of Leopold.^[41]

Music career[link]

For a list of select musical performances by Criss, click here.

Solo artist[link]

Criss began his solo music career playing in bars and cafes while he was a student at the University of Michigan. After the success of StarKid Productions, and then later finding fame with his breakthrough role on Glee, Criss quickly gained popularity and eventually began headlining notable venues such as Irving Plaza, The Roxy, The Hollywood Palladium, The Troubadour, and Lincoln Center. His repertoire consists of standards from the American Songbook and contemporary songs, as well as his own compositions. Being an avid Disney fan, he often includes songs from one of his musical idols, Alan Menken.^[42][43][44]

Criss continues to collaborate and perform with fellow University of Michigan alumnus, singer-songwriter Charlene Kaye. He duetted with Kaye on her songs "Skin and Bones" and "Dress and Tie", and is featured in her music videos for "Skin and Bones", "Magnolia Wine", and "Dress and Tie".^[45]

On July 20, 2010, Criss released an independently-produced EP called Human on iTunes. It debuted at No. 30 on the Billboard Top Heatseekers Albums chart and has reached the iTunes Top 20 Alternative chart.^[46][47][48]

On December 10, 2010, Criss became the 400,000th member of the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP).^[49]

In April 2011, Criss signed with Sony Music Entertainment. He will be recording a full-length studio album, though no release date has been set.^[50]

StarKid Productions[link]

Criss is credited as one of the primary songwriters and composers, along with A.J. Holmes and Carlos Valdes, for StarKid Productions. He has contributed songs to A Very Potter Musical (2009), Me and My Dick (2009), and Little White Lie (2009). Subsequently, Criss solely composed all the songs and music for A Very Potter Sequel (2010), its companion album A Very StarKid Album (2010), and Starship (2011).^[29]

On January 6, 2010, the soundtrack to Me and My Dick was released through iTunes. The album became the first-ever student-produced college musical to reach the Billboard charts, coming in at No. 11 on the Top Cast Albums chart.^[51]

On July 22, 2010, A Very StarKid Album was released digitally through iTunes and Amazon.com. The album reached No. 14 on the iTunes Pop Albums chart and No. 27 out of all Top Albums, officially topping Lady Gaga (No. 29) and Glee (No. 31) on the charts. The album also reached No. 19 on Billboard Top Compilations chart.^[48][47]

On April 29, 2011, the Starship album was released. It debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Top Cast Albums chart and No. 134 on the Billboard 200 chart, and reached No. 2 on iTunes Soundtracks chart and No. 4 on iTunes Top Albums chart.^[52]

Over the Thanksgiving holiday in 2011, Criss participated in StarKid's first national concert tour, The SPACE Tour, in the New York and Boston shows.^[53]

On March 13, 2012, The SPACE Tour album was released. It debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard Top Cast Albums chart, and reached No. 4 on iTunes Pop Albums chart and No. 17 on iTunes Top Albums chart.^[54]

[edit] Glee

Criss has contributed to the Glee soundtrack as lead singer of the The Dalton Academy Warblers and as a member of William McKinley High's New Directions. The Warblers are an all-male a cappella choir group whose backing vocals and arrangements are done by Tufts University's Beelzebubs.

Criss' first song on Glee, "Teenage Dream", hit No. 1 on the Billboard Digital Songs chart and the iTunes song chart, selling 214,000 singles in its first week, outselling the original version in its first week of digital sales. It was the first time a Glee cast track had reached the top spot, and is the show's fastest selling track to date. On July 13, 2011, the song was certified gold for selling over 500,000 copies.^[55][56][57]

Due to the chart success of singles by Criss and the Warblers in season 2, the album Glee: The Music Presents the Warblers was released on April 19, 2011. It debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 chart and reached No. 2 on the iTunes Albums chart.^[58]

From May 21 to July 3, 2011, Criss and the cast of Glee performed in Glee Live! In Concert!, touring the U.S.A., Canada, England, and Ireland. According to Billboard Magazine, it was the 16th most successful concert tour of 2011, grossing more than $40 million, with total attendance topping 485,000. All 40 dates sold out, including shows at Staples Center, Nassau Coliseum, and The O2 Arenas in London and Dublin.^[59][42]

Advocacy and charity work[link]

Criss is a supporter of the LGBT community and its causes. In December 2010, and again in 2011, he performed at 'Trevor Live', an event held in support of The Trevor Project, the leading national organization focused on suicide prevention efforts among lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning (LGBTQ) youth. Criss is the recipient of Variety's Power of Youth Philanthropy award for his contributions to The Trevor Project.^{[60][61][62][63][64]}

Criss is a spokesperson for the Rock the Vote organization and its Democracy Day campaign. On March 23, 2011, he helped launch Democracy Class, a "national high school civics program...that uses pop culture, video, a classroom discussion and a mock election to teach young people the skills to navigate the elections process and engage as active citizens".^[65][66]

Criss recorded the Bob Dylan song "New Morning", featuring his brother Chuck Criss, for Amnesty International. It was part of the compilation album Chimes of Freedom: Songs of Bob Dylan Honoring 50 Years of Amnesty International, released on January 24, 2012.^[67]

Criss was chosen by UNICEF Philippines to represent their organization and accept a $25,000 donation from the Hollywood Foreign Press Association for the disaster relief of Tropical Storm Washi, on March 8, 2012.^[68]

Criss is the spokesperson for the Festival of New American Musicals. The organization's mission is "to foster the creators, to train and showcase the performers and in the process also to help build the next generation of musical theater audience and support." It's honorary co-chairs are Stephen Sondheim, Stephen Schwartz, Jerry Herman, Angela Lansbury, and Jason Alexander.^[69]

Criss has performed at charity benefits for the American Conservatory Theater, AIDS Project Los Angeles, New Conservatory Theatre Center, Toys for Tots, City of Hope National Medical Center, Motion Picture & Television Fund, Public School Arts, MusiCares Foundation, The Old Vic, UCLA's Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center and the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation.^[70]

Media appearances[link]

Criss has been a guest on various television shows, including The Ellen DeGeneres Show,^[71] Live with Regis and Kelly,^[72] The Glee Project,^[73] Access Hollywood,^[74] MTV,^[75] and The Today Show.^[76]

Criss has appeared on the magazine covers of Billboard, Out, Playbill, TV Guide, Da Man, Prestige, and Entertainment Weekly.^[77] He has also been featured in People,^[78] InStyle,^[79] Interview,^[80] Vogue,^[81] Teen Vogue,^[82] GQ,^[83] Rolling Stone,^[84] Variety,^[85] The Hollywood Reporter,^[86] Details,^[87] The Chicago Tribune,^[88] and The New York Times,^[89] among others.

Criss is featured in the fall ad campaign (2011) for Uniqlo, a Japanese clothing line.^[90]

Criss was named one of People Magazine's Sexiest Men Alive, and was ranked No. 1 on AfterElton's "Hot 100" list (2011).^[91][92]

Criss ranked No. 1 on GQ Magazine's "30 Under 30: The Most Stylish Young Men In Hollywood" list (2012).^[93]

Professional credits[link]