Darren Criss became a household name by playing the loveable Blaine Anderson on Glee, it was his role as Andrew Cunanan on The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story that's solidified himself as a notable industry talent.
Criss, 31, won a Primetime Emmy Award in September for playing Cunanan—a spree killer who murdered Italian luxury designer Gianni Versace in July 1997. He also scored a Screen Actors Guild Awards nod ahead of January's ceremony. While Criss suggested the explanation for his preparation for Cunanan is a "very long answer," he hadn't prepped the part any differently than his previous roles.
"They're different characters, but my process is the same whether the person is real or fake or a good person. Good witch or a bad witch. You treat them with the same integrity, respect and neutrality that you treat everybody. Then you kind of find the common denominators between you and that person," Criss told Newsweek. "You try and make their hopes, dreams, aspirations, tactics and behaviors as real and accessible to an audience as possible. And you just kind of hope the writing's good."
Criss's career endeavors aren't limited to solely acting. He partnered with Clorox's What Comes Next initiative, which is connected to an issue the actor's "very passionate about." The campaign highlights young people who've utilized the power of cleaning to spark change within their community.
Last Tuesday, Criss even participated in a panel—led by actress Franchesca Ramsey—with the young people selected to receive a $15,000 grant from Clorox due to their cleaning efforts.
"These are kids that are identifying very simple things that they are applying very practical pieces of compassion to—and that starts with cleaning," he said. "I like the name What Comes Next because you clean something up, and then what comes next? Well, you make an environment that can really yield a lasting positive impact. All the kids we're talking about have done that."
Criss, who's in the band Computer Games with his older brother Chuck Criss, wrapped his co-headlining effort LM/DC Tour with singer-actress Lea Michele on December 7. While he didn't learn anything new about Michele while they were on the road, Criss said he enjoyed pushing the Scream Queens alum to do things he knows she's capable of doing.
"I'm always very happy when I have a smug victory when there are things that I push her to do because I know she can do them and she just really is scared of doing something. I do feel very proud of the little victories, like when Lea will sing a note and finally hit it, even though I knew she could've done it the whole time," said Criss. "I can never tell if it's humility or, honest to God, lack of belief she can do something."
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Dory Jackson is a New York-based entertainment journalist from Maryland. She graduated from Randolph-Macon College—in May 2016—with a focus in Communication ... Read more
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