Darren Criss is in the midst of an âextended after-partyâ and âAmerican Crime Story: The Assassination of Gianni Versace,â and he wouldnât have it any other way.
The actor, who won an Emmy for his turn as Andrew Cunanan on the FX mini-series earlier this year, is gearing up for the showâs âvictory lapâ at the Golden Globes on January 6, where the Ryan Murphy-created show is up for four awards. AOL caught up with the actor at the launch of the Clorox What Comes Next Project, where Criss explained that he still hasnât been able to take stock of his career-altering role.
âI donât know if Iâll be able to [reflect on it] until itâs really gone by. I still feel like Iâm in the thick of it,â he said. âItâs funny, because it was so exciting just working on the âVersaceâ series. That was thrill enough to have a job that required so many things of me and involved me with so many people and things that I always dreamed to be a part of. Itâs one thing to have a great story, itâs another to have that great story to be populated by complex characters, itâs another thing to have those people brought to life by incredible actors and written by great writers.â
Among those involved in âVersace,â the second of the âAmerican Crime Storyâ anthology series? Penelope Cruz, Ricky Martin and Edgar Ramirez, which is a group that anyone would want to be part of. But, for Criss, it wasnât just about who he was working with, but it was also about the meaningfulness of the work and how viewers reacted to it: Thatâs where he finds that the true fulfillment has come from.
âThen thereâs the back-end of the social issues they talk about because you want it to be asking important questions,â he explained. âWeâre not just making a spectacle, but weâre starting a discussion, which is invigorating as an artist and a human being. Then thereâs the other thing which is, âOh my god, I canât believe that people are actually watching this!â All these things could be in the pot, but it still might not work or reach people. You never know, because there are so many things that are out of our hands, and itâs just amazing that, even without just one of these things, I donât know if weâd be here right now.â
By âhereâ he means being at the tail end of the awards circuit for one of the most celebrated shows of the year, something that has taken the experience to completely new heights.
âJust being there was so exciting, that this kind of extended after party that weâve been able to experience this year after is such an undeserved bonus,â he added. âAs a work family, we poured a lot of heart and soul into this, and thereâs usually a disconnect between how enthusiastic and proud you are of something and the way the rest of the people, much less people who throw out accolades, feel. So to have those be matched is very encouraging. As the year dwindles down and award season dwindles down â weâre coming up on our final victory lap â no matter what happens at these particular events, just being there with the family that weâve created has been a fun little summer camp.â
Crissâ time on âVersaceâ represented his second time working with Murphy, who has proven to be one of this eraâs most defining television auteurs. The first time, of course, was âGlee,â the show that made both Murphy and Criss household names, on which Criss played a capella aficionado, Blaine Anderson. Though he clearly values his experience on the long-running Fox musical series, Criss saw his relationship with Murphy totally evolve this time around into something that heâs always hoped to find in his career.
âThe fact that I have somehow managed to all aâ backwards into the Ryan Murphy players company makes me feel so lucky,â he said. âWhen I was a kid, I always idolized said companies and thought, âIf I could just be the Johnny Depp to Tim Burton or the Kirsten Dunst to the Sofia Coppola or the Jason Schwartzman to Wes Anderson; if I could just have my crew! To have it happen without me even noticing almost, where all of a sudden I woke up and I was collaborating with one of the great creators of our time, it was insane.â
âThis was the first time that Ryan and I got to work together in that capacity,â he went on. âHe wasnât really a collaborator on âGlee,â he was more my boss. We had a friendly relationship, but getting to be in the creative trenches together really solidified our working relationship in a new and really exciting way, and I have such admiration and respect for him. Maybe Iâm flattering myself, but I feel like thereâs a mutual appreciation of each otherâs abilities that encourages the other person.â
Mutual appreciation and respect for othersâ work ethics and dedication is something that Criss often looks for with the projects that he takes on. For the What Comes Next Project that he launched with Clorox last week, the actor is helping to empower a group of five young people hoping to make a difference through the power of clean.
âMy artistâs heart has to always look for the real, human, emotional value behind the thing thatâs in front of us,â Criss explained of why he chose to partake in the venture. âThatâs what Iâm always looking at in music and writing and characters. Thatâs my insatiable actorâs curiosity.â
âNothing inspires the world community like seeing young people doing things for the rest of the community,â he added. âThe What Comes Next Project ticks a couple of boxes: Itâs inspiring to young people who see it as a call to action, and itâs also a call to action for adults, where you go, âJeez, I didnât know I could do so much with so little.ââ
Learn more about the What Comes Next Project here.
ââOn the musical side â I always have the itch, but itâs probably become the itchiest in recent years â I canât wait to write another musical. Iâd like to come back to Broadway with something Iâve written. Itâs something that Iâve really, really longed for. I feel pangs of it when I see new shows.ââ
Sitcoms, crime dramas, documentaries and more â these were the shows that had us glued to our screens (of varying sizes) this year
The Assassination Of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story
The popular story of designer Gianni Versaceâs murder by Andrew Cunanan became the hottest TV event this year, purely because the true story was so much more fascinating than any fiction. Darren Criss and Edgar Ramirez deliver career-defining performances as Cunanan and Versace, ably supported by Ricky Martin and Penelope Cruz. With three Emmy wins this year, the show depicts Versaceâs triumphs in building a brand from scratch.
Dinner was the most agonizing forty-five minutes of Blaineâs life.
The food was excellent, and the company even better, but he couldnât stop himself from glancing over at Cooper and Rachel from time to time, worried that at any moment Coop might shoot him a carefully rehearsed look of betrayal and jump to his feet to stage a dramatic soliloquy about deception or whatever. It would be carefully timed for maximum effect and any camera phones would only capture his good side in this lighting, of course â just in case it went viral.
There had been a brief fuss with Rachel when dinner was served, and heâd tensed in his seat until Kurt noticed and leaned over. âRachelâs vegan, when it suits her,â he whispered in Blaineâs ear. âSheâs probably complaining about the cruelty of chicken-or-beef or something. Relax â itâs her own fault for crashing a wedding she wasnât actually invited to.â Blaine shot him a guilty look, but some of the tension left his shoulders when he glanced back over to see Cooper smoothing things over by apparently offering her something from his own plate.
âYou Anderson boys, always sweeping to the rescue,â Kurt murmured teasingly, and Blaine flushed.
They coordinate their outfits⌠Share clothes⌠Switch combinations and styles and match outfits even between events.Â
Sometimes their choices are very subtle - just enough to make the connection without making it obvious⌠Like wearing matching ties or matching the tie to the other oneâs outfit.
These are two very imaginative and creative guys.
Clothes are another way they connect with each other.
Same as Kurt and Blaine and their clothes on Glee.
âThatâs been the biggest education to me, learning how to dance and learning how my body moves. Iâve noticed my hips are much better dislocated now after doing âSingle Ladiesâ every night on tour⌠It was funny, now I can almost get my hips out of my sockets, I can move them so well. That wasnât the case when we started.â
â
Chris Colfer
(gif source)
This quote isnât getting old anytime soon. Â So here it is with illustration.
* Trinity âThe Tuckâ Taylor is the stage name of Ryan Taylor, an American drag queen most known for competing on the ninth season of RuPaulâs Drag Race.
How do you measure a year? In daylights? In sunsets? In midnights, in cups of coffee? In inches? In miles, in laughter and strife? How about love? Measure in love. Seasons of love.
Hi đđť oh Iâm sorry. Itâs 1:00 am here. I already shut down my PCđ˘ On the back of his jacket is written ă¸ă§ă(Jed) in Japanese. Jed is bass player, @slayediest said.
Summary: Kurt and Blaine are both on the same page as far as getting Tracy everything she wants for Christmas ⌠they just go about it a little differently. (714 words)
Notes: Written for the Klaine Advent Drabble 2018 prompts momentum/ornament.
Read on AO3.
âCongratulations, Blaine! You are married to a genius!â Kurt announces when he opens their front door. âBecause thatâs what I am. A genius!â
âI knew that,â Blaine calls from their bedroom.
âI donât know why I didnât think of it before!â Kurt sheds his coat, his sweater, and his scarf as he walks through their house in search of his husband. âEBay! Tons of people buy blind bag toys by the box, open them, and then sell off the ones they donât want. So I jumped online and found someone selling the exact LOL doll that Tracy wants! I probably paid double for it, but it saves us the heartache of buying her a handful and hoping for the best.â
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