Kurt Colfer Was ‘Terrified’ To Play Gay On GLEE

Chris Colfer shared with fellow GLEE alums Kevin McHale and Jenna Ushkowitz during an appearance on their And That’s What You Really Missed podcast that he was initially “terrified” to play gay on the  hit TV comedy/drama series.

“When I found out they had written this character for me, I was thrilled. And then when I finally got the script was when I realized it was the gay character, and I was terrified.

“But I just wanted to get out and be a part of the industry so badly, I just knew there was no option. I also knew that it would probably force me to answer and ask questions of myself that I wasn’t quite ready to do. So, I’m actually kind of grateful for it in a way because I think it kind of pushed me into a path of honesty with myself.

“But I was absolutely terrified. And back then, people told their clients, ‘Don’t play gay characters because it will ruin your career.’ But again, I had been auditioning for so long and never gotten anything. There was no option for me, I had to do it. As scary as it was.”

During GLEE’s run on TV from 2009 to 2015, Colfer garnered several honors for his performance including a Golden Globe Award in 2011 and was twice nominated for an Emmy Award in the Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series category for his portrayal of Kurt. In related “I never knew” GLEE info, I recently reported that the role of “Mr. Schuester,” played by Matthew Morrison, was originally written with Justin Timberlake in mind. https://twitter.com/chriscolfer/status/1593720488508805120