Darren Criss stepped into the spotlight while starring as Harry Potter in the niche comedic play, “A Very Potter Musical.” Despite the play going viral on YouTube and acquiring a widespread cult following, Criss was lesser known to the general public. That all changed when he landed a pivotal role on the hit musical comedy series, “Glee,” in which he played Kurt Hummel’s love interest.
Criss does such a good job playing out and proud gay characters throughout his acting trajectory, that many are surprised to learn the actor identifies as straight in real life. When asked about the number of LGBTQ roles he’s played over the years, Criss said that he identifies as “culturally queer.”
The “Glee” star said when speaking to Deadline in 2024, “I have been so culturally queer my whole life. Not because I’m trying, you know…I was gonna say, not because I’m trying to be cool, but I’m gonna erase that, because I am trying to be cool. The things in my life that I have tried to emulate, learn from, and be inspired by are 100 percent queer as f***.”
While many fans praised his honest response, others responded with a wave of backlash. Despite this bold claim on how he personally identifies, Darren Criss likes to keep most aspects of his personal life out of the public eye. Still, in recent years, the “Little Shop of Horrors” actor has been a bit more vocal with fans about what’s going on behind the curtain. These little glimpses Darren Criss has offered on his home life with a wife and two children have been eye-opening to say the least.
What is there to know about Darren Criss’s family life?
Inside Darren Criss and Wife, Mia Criss’s Marriage
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It’s truly a fairytale romance! While many relationships in Tinseltown are known to burn out quickly due to the all-encompassing nature of the entertainment business, Darren Criss has known his wife Mia Criss since 2006! According to People Magazine, the pair started off as friends, yet took their relationship to the next level in 2010. The two have been hopelessly in love ever since!
Although the pair initially didn’t believe in the construct of marriage, they eventually decided to tie the knot in 2019. While they were nervous to be bound in holy matrimony due to the often stifling nature of marriage, Criss says that making the ultimate commitment hadn’t affected their relationship negatively in any way.
He told People, “The idea of marriage was not something I gravitated to earlier in life, but, we were together for a long time before.” Criss continued, adding, “By that point in our lives, it was a validation and sharing of our life and existence. In many ways, it’s not been a change at all.”
The pair have going strong ever since, with Criss recently celebrating his wife on a heartfelt Instagram post in which he gushed about their adventurous relationship.
Darren Criss Opens Up About Challenges of Fatherhood
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As mentioned prior, the “Maybe Happy Ending” star likes to keep his personal life under wraps for the most part. Yet in a recent interview with Variety for Actors on Actors, the Glee alum got real about how much of a struggle being a parent to two toddlers can be.
The “A Very Potter Musical” actor is currently back on the stage, as he stars in the rom-com musical, “Maybe Happy Ending.” While musical theatre can take up so much energy and is no easy feat, Criss says performing live in front of a massive audience is the “easiest” part of his day. Meanwhile, the real challenge, is raising two little ones.
“I have to say, the show is the easiest part of my day, as a parent with two under 3 [years old],” he confessed in the interview. “The life of little ones is ballistic and uncontrolled,” Criss went on to say. “By the time you go to a show that’s under two hours, it’s sweet and measured. I don’t envy our colleagues who are retching their souls out for three hours, eight times a week.”
Mia and Darren Criss share two children, Brother Laszlo and Bluesy Bell.
