‘Glee’: Darren Criss and Chris Colfer Originally Auditioned for Different Parts

Glee followed a group of high school students who used their shared passion for music and dance to get through the seemingly endless trials of being a teenager. The show was an immediate success when it first aired on Fox in 2009. Many factors contributed to the Glee phenomenon, including its star-studded cast, like Darren Criss and Chris Colfer. But while they played one of the popular couples on the show, few know that the two actors originally auditioned for different parts.

What roles did Darren Criss and Chris Colfer play in ‘Glee’?

In Glee, Chris Colfer portrayed Kurt Hummel, an original member of the New Directions who deals with a lot of bullying. The actor landed multiple honors for his portrayal of Kurt, including three People’s Choice Awards and a Golden Globe.

Darren Criss made his entrance later. He played Blaine Anderson, who Kurt meets when he tours Dalton Academy in season 2. The leader of the Warblers, he and Kurt have an immediate connection. They date on and off throughout the series, eventually tying the knot in season 6.

Darren Criss and Chris Colfer originally auditioned for different parts

While Criss and Colfer are synonymous with Blaine and Kurt, the two actors had originally auditioned for different roles. In an interview with Advocate, Colfer revealed that he initially auditioned to play Artie Abrams, which went to Kevin McHale.

Colfer revealed in the interview that he walked in to see the casting director, who liked him. They sent him on to the callback with creator Ryan Murphy and the rest of the creative team. The producers ultimately decided against casting Colfer as Artie, but they didn’t want to rule him out entirely. The role of Kurt wasn’t originally in the script, but they wrote it just for him.

Criss, on the other hand had originally auditioned for the role of Cory Monteith’s role of Finn. “I had gone out for the role of Finn before my senior year at the University of Michigan,” he shared (via Digital Spy). Criss, however, wasn’t upset. “I’m not a football guy, so I wasn’t heartbroken that I didn’t get it,” he said of the role.” It actually worked out just fine.”

What have Darren Criss and Chris Colfer been up to since their time on ‘Glee’?

After his role as Kurt Hummel, Colfer wrote and starred in the 2012 film Struck by Lightning, and has made a handful of TV appearances over the years. However, he’s most focused on his writing. He has now published over 15 books for kids and young adults.

On the other hand, Criss continued working with Murphy following Glee’s cancellation in 2015. He played serial killer Andrew Cunanan in The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story and Raymond Ainsley in Hollywood. The actor premiered his own series, titled Royalties, on the now-defunct streaming service Quibi in 2020. Criss has also starred in theatrical productions of Hedwig and the Angry Inch, American Buffalo, and How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying.