Re: Chris Colfer Appreciation Thread!--part 4

[indiaskye]

I'm having difficulty catching up with the flood of SBL promotional interviews, articles and videos that are coming through.

Oh god, I feel ya ...

There are so many interviews - both print and videos - and I can barely catch up with them all.

And I'm loving all the wonderful photos we got of Chris lately!!! After the SBL premiere it took me hours to get through my Tumblr dashboard - I thought I'd never see the end of it (literally!) ...

Fingers crossed for the PCAs tonight ... I really hope Chris wins his category! I mean, from what I've heard just the fact that he's going to be there bodes well, but you never know ....

[sheny]

[sheny]

He looks sooo handsome

[zuppid]

Chris should wear only tight shirts

[Glorfindel]

Chris Colfer's New Asylum Movie "Completely Different" From Ryan Murphy's American Horror Story

Just because Chris Colfer’s next movie script takes place in an asylum, that doesn’t mean he’s trying to rip off his Glee bossRyan Murphy’s American Horror Story.

“It takes place in an asylum in the 1930s,” Colfer told me yesterday while promotingStruck by Lightning, the high school drama that he wrote and stars in with Rebel Wilsonand Sarah Hyland. “We started putting it together long before American Horror Story[season two] ever happened.

“When I found out they were doing Asylum, I was like, ‘Oh, crap! People are going to think I stole it from them,’” he continued. “But it really wasn’t at all. Thankfully, it’s completely different.”

Unlike Lightning, Colfer says he’ll only have a supporting role in the asylum flick, but it’s a “very, very important supporting character.”

He also said they have a director signed up and offers out to actors. “I just got a phone call about a meeting about it, and things are moving along,” Colfer said. “It might be actually happening much sooner than I thought.”

In Struck by Lightning, Colfer stars as an angst-ridden high schooler who blackmails classmates to contribute to his literary magazine before he dies in a freakish accident.Pitch Perfect funnylady Rebel Wilson plays his best friend.

“I’m looking forward to the DVD to come out because there’s going to be so many bloopers,” Colfer said of working with Wilson. “[Rebel] is so funny. She ad-libs up a story and you never know what’s coming out of her mouth. She’s a dream to work with.”

We can’t wait for it either.

x
Bloopers!
And yay: asylum movie is happening soon!!!

[Glorfindel]

[Jellyrolls]

He looks sooo handsome

Great interview. You know what the sad thing is, though, most people who see this interview will not have a theatre nearby to see it. I wish they mentioned it's on iTunes.

[Jellyrolls]

The E! News interview was great. And they mentioned that SBL was on iTunes, etc. this time.

[brisallie]

[quote="Glorfindel"]

Chris Colfer's New Asylum Movie "Completely Different" From Ryan Murphy's American Horror Story

Just because Chris Colfer’s next movie script takes place in an asylum, that doesn’t mean he’s trying to rip off his Glee bossRyan Murphy’s American Horror Story.

“It takes place in an asylum in the 1930s,” Colfer told me yesterday while promotingStruck by Lightning, the high school drama that he wrote and stars in with Rebel Wilsonand Sarah Hyland. “We started putting it together long before American Horror Story[season two] ever happened.

“When I found out they were doing Asylum, I was like, ‘Oh, crap! People are going to think I stole it from them,’” he continued. “But it really wasn’t at all. Thankfully, it’s completely different.”

Unlike Lightning, Colfer says he’ll only have a supporting role in the asylum flick, but it’s a “very, very important supporting character.”

He also said they have a director signed up and offers out to actors. “I just got a phone call about a meeting about it, and things are moving along,” Colfer said. “It might be actually happening much sooner than I thought.”

In Struck by Lightning, Colfer stars as an angst-ridden high schooler who blackmails classmates to contribute to his literary magazine before he dies in a freakish accident.Pitch Perfect funnylady Rebel Wilson plays his best friend.

“I’m looking forward to the DVD to come out because there’s going to be so many bloopers,” Colfer said of working with Wilson. “[Rebel] is so funny. She ad-libs up a story and you never know what’s coming out of her mouth. She’s a dream to work with.”

...

I'm so glad he's already talking about his next film. I know he's still promoting SBL, but I really wanna see him not only playing an insane role, but also a character that's not a high schooler kid anymore.

By other side, I'm so nervous for PCA. You never know what are gonna be the results.

[Glorfindel]

The E! News interview was great. And they mentioned that SBL was on iTunes, etc. this time.

Here's that interview:

[sheny]

[Glorfindel]

Chris wrote a blog for Ew.com, about SBL (I made a new topic about this in the Movie section):

Struck by Struck by Lightning
by Chris Colfer

To say the idea for Struck By Lightning hit me like a bolt of lightning would be an incredibly convenient way to start this piece but also the most accurate comparison I could make.

There I was, Chris Colfer, a 16-year-old, 200-pound overachieving-but-underappreciated high school sophomore — you could light a match off my acne and construct a steam engine with the metal in my mouth. School had been out for hours and I had just finished organizing a literary magazine for the Writer’s Club (of which I was president). It was a Friday afternoon and besides the janitors and the teachers staying late to avoid their spouses, I was the last person at school.

As I walked to my car I remember thinking about how little I was appreciated in comparison to how hard I worked. I was so frustrated my social ranking was so low because my passions weren’t “relevant” to my peers. I looked up at the cloudy sky and thought to myself “What if I was struck by lightning? Would anyone care about the magazine I had just spent hours compiling? If I died right now and never accomplished any of my life-long goals, would my existence be a total waste?”

And yes, like lightning, the story of Carson Phillips, a 17-year-old overachieving-and-underappreciated high school senior who was tragically killed before fulfilling his life-long dreams, came to me. (I was between the 700 wing and the faculty parking lot at Clovis East High School in case I’m ever interesting enough to erect some kind of honorary plaque or statue.)

As soon as I got home I began writing a screenplay based on this epiphany. I had taught myself how to screen­ write from reading Sofia Coppola’s published Marie Antoinette screenplay. It was at our local bookstore and I used to spend hours reading it, immersing myself in the format (It was forty dollars so I never could afford to purchase it). Needless to say, I was anxious to start my own.

I was tired of watching movies geared toward my age about the same types of kids going after the same pursuits of popularity; I saw enough of that in real life. What about the type of kid I was? The kind who was so driven by the things they wanted to accomplish that they saw high school more as a waiting room than a utopia. Where was the movie about that kid?

I put the main character in the same environment I lived in (conservative small-town suburbia) and surrounded him with familiar personas and predicaments. However, I modeled him after the person I wanted to be, rather than who I was. When I was harassed in the hallway during school instead of lowering my head in shame, Carson would stand up for himself with brilliant witty comebacks – he said all the things I just thought.

Adding these and other fictitious elements was incredibly therapeutic. I wrote the movie that I wanted to see, but mostly the one I needed to see. I was set on making it happen.

Looking back, I have no idea why I was so certain I could get this film made. What on earth made a pubescent teenager barely passing geometry with zero connections to Hollywood so confident? Perhaps it was youthful ignorance, or perhaps I just needed something to keep my mind occupied as I survived high school. Whatever it was, I’m so grateful it was there because it cemented itself onto my ever-growing bucket list.

While I waited for an opportunity to present itself I channeled the story into other facets. I turned it into an O.P.P. (Original Prose and Poetry) piece for a Speech and Debate competition. The story was shortened into a ten-minute monologue and I performed it on my own as every character. Unlike my other performances from Wicked and Grey Gardens, it didn’t do very well. I didn’t let this setback discourage my mission though, blaming my hometown’s incompetence to understand it rather than the oddity of the piece itself.

A few years later, after graduation and a long summer working at a dry-cleaners, I was cast in a little show called Glee. The youthful ignorance had finally paid off; I miraculously found myself on a platform to get the film made – for the first time it seemed realistic. I fixed up the screenplay as much as I could, getting it into the best shape possible.

I was terrified to show it to anyone and it took me a while to do it. It was the first thing I had ever written and I felt like bits of my soul were exposed. I eventually got over myself and showed it to my agent and manager and Struck By Lightning went from my daydreams to my daily agenda.

Even being fully aware that the challenge of my career would be getting people to take that gay kid from Glee seriously, the pursuit was overwhelmingly disheartening at times. Convincing people it was a good film to make with very little credibility to my name was not easy. I remember having meetings with production companies that were doubtful of my marketability, but would conclude with them asking “Would you sign this CD for my daughter?”

Making the film reminded me a lot of getting the literary magazine made in school. “I don’t like writing essays for English therefore I won’t like writing for the Writer’s Club” was a very similar attitude to “I don’t like Glee therefore I won’t like anything to do with Chris Colfer”. It’s funny how people are still people wherever you find them.

I was very protective of the content, fearing if I just sold it off to the highest bidder it would be drafted into a story about a pothead losing his virginity, and not what I intended. I wanted to have as much control over the story as possible, so the independent film route became the best option — it allowed me to tell the story I wanted to tell.

Like any independent movie, the biggest hurdle was finding the financing. This void led to some interesting meetings (which I plan on sharing more about as soon as the confidentiality agreements expire) and I actually considered putting a couple organs on the black market to acquire the funds myself. Luckily, we found Camilla Entertainment and Struck By Lightning found its proper home.

Everything from then on was a perfect storm, no pun intended. Brian Dannelly was the first director we met with and I knew he was the perfect man for the job in the first ten minutes of our meeting when he said “I want to direct this movie because I was this kid in high school.” We shared such a mutual vision for the movie at times it was scary. Come to think of it, I don’t think we ever had a disagreement – ever. From what I hear, that’s rare.

We used to joke about the ambitious names our sights were set on when it came to casting – but we surpassed them and won a casting jackpot. I’m still shocked when I watch the movie just considering the cast alone.

Allison Janney was the only actress I had ever envisioned to play the role of “Sheryl,” Carson’s mother; even in my Speech and Debate days I used to emulate her characteristics. I had met Christina Hendricks a couple of times and thought she was perfect for the role of pregnant pharmacist “April,” but never in my boldest dreams did I think she would take the role. Rebel Wilson was cast as Carson’s sidekick “Malerie” the night before she started filming (14 hours to be exact).

A challenging factor when we finally got around to pre-production was that I was on a worldwide tour with Glee. I was as involved as physically possible, taking part in as many discussions that Skype and international calling allowed. I remember at one point I was singing “I Want to Hold Your Hand” at the O2 in London, ran underneath the stage to send off an email about casting and locations, then slapped on a unitard and ran back out for “Single Ladies.”

We started filming three days after the Glee 2011 summer tour ended and shot the whole movie in 17 days. Of course due to the budget and timing there were cuts and revisions made to the script, some more painful than others, but overall the true spirit and essence of the story remained.

I’ll never forget the night it debuted at the Tribeca Film Festival. The movie received a standing ovation – and my parents didn’t even start it! The publishers of my novel The Land of Stories saw the film that night and asked me to adapt it into a novel. And so I wrote Struck By Lightning: The Carson Phillips Journal, and am so happy I did. It gave me a chance to spend a little more time with my first set of characters — and I wasn’t ready to let them go just yet.

I’m so thankful Carson’s journey has finally found a way out of my head and into the world, mostly for my own mental health. I’m not sure what I would have done with myself if the project became a disastrous failure – and I think that uncertainty along the way became one of the biggest reasons I was so inspired to tell the story.

I can’t speak for all generations but I feel like mine has always been programmed to believe one thing about aspirations; you win or you lose, there is no in-between. And unfortunately, the embarrassment of failure has always discouraged the attempt for success, so consequently, we don’t try.

There are a million reasons why I hope Struck By Lightning resonates with audiences, but on a personal level I hope by showing a character like Carson, someone tragically robbed of all the life and potential they possess, I’ll help convince this generation (and maybe even convince myself) that trying doesn’t mean you’re weak – it means you’re alive.

x

[Glorfindel]

Another interview:

Chris Colfer on Struck by Lightning, Harry Potter, and Casting Rebel Wilson

By Jennifer Vineyard

Chris Colfer doesn't want to be, as he puts it, "the kid from Glee" forever — nor can he so long as Kurt is off at NYADA and not part of the main action on the show (which is back January 24 on Fox). So he's been focusing on his writing career, which includes writing books, TV pilots, and movies. He also stars in his first turn as a screenwriter, the indie film Struck by Lightning, which features the delightful Rebel Wilson as his sidekick at a blackmail-fueled literary journal. Colfer called up Vulture to chat about his co-star, his fear of public singing, and how he used to dress up as a boy wizard.

How lucky were you to get Rebel Wilson in the film before she had this banner year?
Right, seriously? I remember we cast her the night before we started shooting, and the fact that we got her is an absolute miracle. She was about to do Pitch Perfect, and she was so excited by that, by the way, that she was going to sing in the movie. Thank God that film did so well.

Did she explain the riff-off to you at the time? Did you try one with her?
Oh, no! I don't sing unless I have to. Or in the shower.

Seriously?
Honestly, singing is my biggest fear. I never participate in group singing activity.

Hello — Glee?
Okay, but I do that to conquer my fear, my fear of public singing, and I never actually do conquer it. Even on the live Glee tour, where we have to sing live every single show. I wish I did, but I just force myself to go out there, even when I'm shaking. It's so different to sing in the studio, to record a song with just you and the engineer. That I can do. What I would love is if it could just become muscle memory for me, but it's such a complex mindset, because I think about how the judgment is on me, and how I sound alone. It's nerve-racking. Being part of Glee is like being in musical-theater school, with people singing and doing duet-offs in between scenes. I just save it for on-camera.

Do you watch Ryan Murphy's other show, American Horror Story: Asylum? It's not quite the same era as the next movie you're planning, but some of their methods — electroshock and water therapy — are similar.
I am obsessed with that show! I watch every episode. And when I first found out about it, I thought, Crap! People are going to think I copied them or am inspired by them, but I wrote my movie a long, long time ago. Luckily, they're very different — no monsters, demons, or angels in mine. It's more how someone with mental illness was seen back in the thirties, how in some areas they might have thought you were demonic or possessed if you were actually mentally ill. If you had delusions of some kind, that really scared people.

So, where are you at with the film? When do you start?
I got a great phone call this morning that we're moving forward soon. It wasn't like Struck by Lightning, where I thought, If I'm to play someone in high school, we have to get this done now. This one, I thought we had more time, but we're going to start sooner than I thought. I wonder if I should tell you who the director is or what the title is, or if I should announce that later. I can tell you that the title is a Carl Jung quote, a popular quote of his that addresses the underlying story.

What have you learned from Struck by Lightning that you'll apply to the new film?
Not to get disheartened. When I was trying to get Struck by Lightning made, I was nothing but the kid from Glee. There were a lot of meetings where I walked away defeated. But I'm excited to get into the mindset of the character I wrote for myself, which is just a supporting role but so important. I'm vain, I'll admit it. [Laughs.] The doctor is the most crucial role, but it hasn't been cast yet.

Since you're now a best-selling author as well, are you planning a follow-up to The Land of Stories: The Wishing Spell?
Yes! I'm adding new characters, like Rumpelstiltskin, Mother Goose, and a lot of the classic villains from fairy tales that weren't in the first one. I just saw the final cover for it, and it is gorgeous. I purposely do not watch anything like Once Upon a Time, although I do read Gregory Maguire. I've read Wicked, Son of a Witch, and Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister, but I've not read A Lion Among Men. I do have a signed copy on my shelf, though! I wrote him letters as a kid, and he always responded. I mean, I grew up a huge bookworm. I would go to those midnight releases of the Harry Potter books.

Did you dress up? Carry a wand?
I always had a standard wizard hat and a black cloak. Sometimes I would put a scar on my forehead or wear glasses. I made all my own stuff, although now I can go to Whimsic Alley — you know, like Diagon Alley, but in L.A. — and go on a shopping spree and buy all sorts of crap that I don't need. Harry Potter was my number-one thing, and I loved every minute being a fan of those books. It was so great to immerse myself in that and bring a broomstick and have a night of dressing up as a wizard — and not be alone in that. I do that for superhero movies too. Anywhere I get to wear a mask, I'm in.

vulture.com

[sheny]

Interview: Chris Colfer Talks Writing & Starring in STRUCK BY LIGHTNING

Chris Colfer is not a man who wastes time resting on his laurels. In the past four years, we’ve seen him sing and dance on Glee, win a Golden Globe® and two Teen Choice Awards, and become a #1 New York Times Bestselling Author thanks to his young adult novel, The Land of Stories.

And that’s not all. Colfer also managed to find the time to write a screenplay and star in the resulting film: Struck By Lightning.

Directed by Brian Dannelly (Saved!), Struck By Lightning stars Colfer, Allison Janney, Rebel Wilson, Sarah Hyland, Dermot Mulroney, Christina Hendricks, and Polly Bergen, with supporting performances by Allie Grant, Ashley Rickards, Carter Jenkins, Graham Rogers, Matt Prokop, Robbie Amell, Roberto Aguire, Angela Kinsey, and Brad William Henke.

I recently had the opportunity to speak with Chris Colfer about writing Struck By Lightning and the experience of bringing his words to life on the silver screen.

Screen Invasion: The first question I have to ask is, they say to “write what you know.” To what extent was this what you knew in high school?

Chris Colfer: Oh, God. To be able to say that…but I tend to write about things that I’m learning, rather than things that I’ve learned or you know for sure. I have no right to be writing about adult[hood] [or] life lessons and whatnot. I always try to write about the advice and the best lessons that I’ve been told, rather than what I’ve learned.

SI: Are there specific dark comedies or other teen movies that inspired your vision for Struck by Lightning?

CC: Yeah, there were a lot of movies that had the same really dark tone that I really was inspired by, like Election, and Saved!, which was amazing just to meet with Brian Dannelly and get him to do this movie. For the most part, I really wanted to tell a movie about a character that I thought never really had a film about them, about the overachieving, under appreciated kid. I thought that was a genre of kid that was never really touched on in high school movies before this one.

SI: There’s a lot of really intelligent humor in Struck by Lightning. Do you think your target audience will get it all?

CC: I think so. If not, the fans will, hopefully. I feel like, in a strange way, I’ve broadened my demographic from musical theater kids who watch Glee to really smart kids in high school that feel the same way I feel. Like, “Come on, we’re people too. Tell our story.” I think they definitely get the humor, but we’ll see. I hope there’s something in this movie for everyone.

SI: Director Brian Dannelly has said it was really important to have actors in the cast that were great at improv. To what extent did the cast improv while filming? Was anyone in particular given a lot of leeway in that regard?

CC: For the most part we followed the script really, really well. Of course, whenever we did things Rebel [Wilson] would go off on these ad libbing tangents that were just hysterical. I watched the movie and I cannot believe I held a straight face for half the scenes I’m in with her because she’s so funny. When the camera was rolling, we would make sure we got everything on script, and then…everyone would be as crazy and creative as possible. A lot of that got to the movie, so there is a fair amount of improv-ing in the movie.

SI: You’ve talked about how one of your high school teachers was so influential in the early stages in Struck by Lightning. Yet the world of the story is one where the adults have either failed or in some cases sabotaged the next generation. What inspired that disconnect? What’s the lesson there?

CC: I don’t know. A lot of it maybe just happened coincidentally. I just wanted to tell a story about people that were in different places in their lives and in their journey. For Carson, it was…he was always stuck in the present or a possible future that he wanted to create for himself. He’d go home, and his mom was completely stuck in the past. I grew up with so many people that were either/or. No one really got that it really was the present that mattered. That’s what I’m still learning. I’m still very impatient in trying to watch things. I’m always looking at who’s next, who’s next. I really thought I would tell a story that was mainly about people and where they were at, how they clashed, and how their opinions differed.

SI: Was it ever difficult to keep a straight face, or not want to cry, with some of the lines that Allison Janney says to you?

CC: Oh, no. Even though that they were really horrible, sad scenes, it was hard not to smile, because I’m like, “Yes, Allison Janney, be mad at me. Be mad.”…It was great. It was just hard not to smile the entire time, even in the sad, dramatic scenes. It’s so exciting for me to have someone like Allison Janney. She’s one of the most loved actresses in the business. I’ve been such a huge fan of hers for years. To see her say the words that I had written, it was crazy. That was the hardest part, was not being on cloud nine the entire experience.

SI: You told Entertainment Weekly recently that you were a victim in high school. Did you enjoy playing the total opposite, being the aggressor in so many cases?

CC: Yeah, it was a lot of fun. I don’t think, had I [not had] my connection with Glee and the whole bullying epidemic that swept the country, I don’t know if people would really associate this movie with bullying so much. He’d pick on and tease, but Carson never lets himself be the victim. He’s very…very vocal about…[the fact that] he doesn’t care about anyone’s opinion but his own. I was definitely the exact opposite in high school. I was very much picked on and I very much cared about what people thought about me, and then would try to adapt myself and hope for popularity and acceptance. Initially, a character like Carson—a character that just so didn’t give a crap—I thought that would be very beneficial for kids that were dealing with that.

SI: Do you think that maybe it teaches the opposite side of the bullying lesson? He victimizes some of the people that he encounters, tears them down. Do you think there’s anything that the audience can learn from that aspect?

CC: By no means is he a role model. [laughs] I don’t know. I think it’s just a kid who is constantly…fed up with it [all]. I think it’s good for kids to see a kid that wants to stand up for themself. I maybe wouldn’t recommend blackmailing the student body, but it is good to stand up for yourself.

SI: When you filmed in the summer of 2011, could you have guessed that so many of the younger members of the cast would have achieved such fame in your target demographic by the time that Struck by Lightning was released?

CC: Oh gosh, no. When we filmed it, Rebel had just been cast in Pitch Perfect. Ashley [Rickards] had just finished season one of Awkward. Sarah [Hyland] was a star already. But no, it was really great. Of course, I was so excited by it. Every time I’d get word or hear that someone was doing a movie, then I thought, “Oh great, this is more friends for my movie when it comes out.” There was not a single person in the cast, or a pair that didn’t get along. Everyone was very talented and smart. We lucked out so much. We had such a stellar cast.

SI: Is there one message, a sentence, that you hope the audience takes away from Struck by Lightning?

CC: Yeah. Hopefully, it will be different for everyone, but I really just hope that it inspires aspiration. I hope that by seeing all the potential that Carson was robbed of by tragically being killed, hopefully it will make people find that potential in themselves.

SI: What was your favorite part about this whole experience?

CC: I think, honestly, just getting to do it, being able to have something come from my brain, onto paper, then onto the screen was just incredible. Getting to work with some of the people that I got to work with, like Brian Dannelly, Allison Janney, and Polly Bergen. I spent hours talking to Polly Bergen, just picking her brain about the experiences that she had back in the ’50s filming live television and whatnot. The whole thing was an incredible, amazing experience.

source

[sheny]

[sheny]

Chris Colfer on ‘Struck by Lightning,’ Secret Boyfriends and Girl Fans

The breakout star of Glee is now ready for his next act. He’s written the screenplay for his new movie—also starring him. The actor talks about the film, his surprising groupies, and all things gay.

Some people learn how to write screenplays by taking a class. Not Chris Colfer. When he was in high school, he kept crouching down at a Borders bookstore in Fresno, Calif., where he religiously read, and re-read, a $40 copy of Marie Antoinette by Sofia Coppola.

“I was a huge history buff,” says Colfer„ 22. “The movie came out right at the time I was studying for my AP European History class.” By obsessing over the screenplay, “that’s how I taught myself to be a screenwriter,” he says. “I never could afford it, because it was $40. So I’d always visit it at the Borders and study the format.”

n addition to acting, Colfer wanted to pursue a writing career. During the first season of Glee, after Kurt turned him into a pop-culture phenomenon, he’d go home and work on his first screenplay. The result isStruck by Lightning, a title that refers to the fate of its central character, Carson (played by Colfer), a high-school geek who blackmails the cool kids at his school into submitting stories for his literary magazine. The movie opens in theaters on Friday.

Colfer spoke to Ramin Setoodeh about the film and all things gay.

You and I have at least one thing in common—we both grew up in Fresno.

No way! Where did you live?

Near Clovis West High School.

That’s where my mom went.

Whenever I go back, I’m sad that the Borders closed down.

I can’t tell you how many summers I spent in that Borders. It’s so depressing.

How did you come up with the premise for this movie?

The idea was in my head for a really long time. I was a sophomore when I came up with it. I was just finishing up my own literary magazine. It was cloudy. I thought, “Geez, if I got struck by lightning, I wonder how long it will take for someone to find my body.” I had just gotten my shitty car.

Why was your car shitty?

It was a 1995 Dodge Intrepid. The air conditioning didn’t work. The radio didn’t work, and the windshield wipers didn’t work. So whenever it rained, we had to pull over every two miles and take a squeegee to it.

Did you start writing the screenplay back then?

I tried it with Microsoft Word and reformatted every single line, so I think I might have given up on it.

And then you picked it up again when you were older. Did you know all along that you’d be the star?

Absolutely, I’m a very vain writer.

What do you mean? You’re like Woody Allen?

Well, I don’t want to say I only write for myself. But I definitely write for myself in mind. I just feel like nobody else is going to write for me, so I might as well write for myself.

Why not?

Well, I mean, I guess that’s stupid to say. I guess someone has written for me.Ryan [Murphy] kind of created Kurt for me. So I guess that isn’t true. But I feel—not to use a cheesy lightning reference—that type of lightning is going to strike once for me. I don’t think that’s ever going to happen again, where someone writes a full movie for me. I’m a very specific type of person. Although I would never put limits on my abilities as an actor, I know many people do that for me.

What kind of limits?

I’ve spent so much time telling people that, I’m really flattered that you think I’m Kurt Hummel, but he really is a character. I went through a whole process of how I wanted him to stand, how I wanted him to sound. He’s not real.

Are you surprised by Kurt’s level of fandom?

It’s really surprising because it changed. As soon as Blaine came into the picture, the whole fandom behind Kurt almost shifted. It turned into a version ofTwilight. There are so many people that are obsessed with the couple.

It’s not just gay kids. It’s girls, too.

I swear to God that has to be a common misconception. I would say 95 percent of my fans are teenage girls. Maybe 5 percent of the letters I get are from actual gay kids.

Why do the girls say? Do they want to be your friend or date you?

All of the above. There are so many girls that write me letters about how they want to convert me and marry me, which is very flattering. Also, I think there’s an old generation ignorance. They underestimate the tolerance of the new generation.

And it’s so different now. I remember when I was in high school and Ellen DeGeneres came out of the closet, many people didn’t know what a gay person looked like in pop culture.

Right, I know. One of the first things I was ever told, when I got my first job, was, “RIP your career, because you’re starting off playing a gay character. That means you’ll never ever get a job. You, a young actor, need a female audience to fall in love with you if you want to work again. That’s not going to happen if you play a gay guy.” It’s, like, really? I welcome them to open up my Twitter feed, because it’s all young girls. They all connected to Kurt, because he’s a character that has something different about him. They didn’t care if he was gay. He was fighting for acceptance. That’s the element they all connected to.

Were you out of the closet in high school?

No.

Did you date girls back then?

I had a girlfriend, yeah.

Do you have time to go on dates now?

Yeah. Yeah.

Do you not want to talk about that?

I have nothing that I want to hide, but I have to be very careful, because I have very passionate fans that are very protective over me. I always keep that tight-lipped for people’s safety.

Have you ever had a boyfriend?

Yeah. Yeah.

But we don’t know who he is?

Well, I mean, it’s not a secret, but I don’t want to list his name or anything. Or their names. I’ve always been that way. I’ve always been protective of my personal life. It used to drive my parents nuts, because I would never let them see me in school plays, I really like to keep my personal and professional as separate as possible.

Is it true that Kurt is getting a new boyfriend on Glee?

I don’t know if they’re going to be boyfriend status, but definitely an interest.

Do you get to pick who he is?

Absolutely not.

What about a chemistry test?

No, they rarely do that. I didn’t read with the person they ended up casting, which was a relief for me, because I hate chemistry reads. The whole audition process, period. It takes me back to auditioning for years and years and having no luck. It takes me to a really vulnerable place.

Did you take singing lessons growing up?

Singing has always been forced upon me. It was never anything that I wanted to do. It was never anything I wanted to pursue, with the exception of doing a Broadway show. My grandma used to make me sing at her church when I was younger. I got into community theater and took voice lessons then. It’s very funny, because a lot of people were hesitant to give me voice lessons, because they thought my voice would change. But it never did. It changed. But it wasn’t a drastic change. It wasn’t a continental shift, like everyone was thinking.

Souce

Not all his fans are teenage girls and gay kids. But he is right playing gay character didn't stop millions of girls fall in love with him or Kurt. Chris sounds so confident in this interview. This is the first interview I read where he shares so much personal information. I didn't know that he had a girlfriend before. And he kind of confirms he has a BF now. Whatever I hope he is happy.

I can understand why he doesn't like talking about his personal life. We have that in common. My friends can spend hours talking about their boyfriends or husbands. Sometimes I feel like they don't have anything else to say. All I ever say is "He is all right." and that's it. Probably that's why they find me boring, but I couldn't care less.

I support Chris' wish to keep his boyfriend a secret and protect him from crazy fans.

[Sani]

Very interesting interview, also surprised how much Chris shared about his personal life, he's usually very tight lipped.

It’s really surprising because it changed. As soon as Blaine came into the picture, the whole fandom behind Kurt almost shifted. It turned into a version of Twilight. There are so many people that are obsessed with the couple

Lol, couldn't agree more with this statement.

[Ireth]

Chris Colfer on ‘Struck by Lightning,’ Secret Boyfriends and Girl Fans

The breakout star of Glee is now ready for his next act. He’s written the screenplay for his new movie—also starring him. The actor talks about the film, his surprising groupies, and all things gay.

Some people learn how to write screenplays by taking a class. Not Chris Colfer. When he was in high school, he kept crouching down at a Borders bookstore in Fresno, Calif., where he religiously read, and re-read, a $40 copy of Marie Antoinette by Sofia Coppola.

“I was a huge history buff,” says Colfer„ 22. “The movie came out right at the time I was studying for my AP European History class.” By obsessing over the screenplay, “that’s how I taught myself to be a screenwriter,” he says. “I never could afford it, because it was $40. So I’d always visit it at the Borders and study the format.”

n addition to acting, Colfer wanted to pursue a writing career. During the first season of Glee, after Kurt turned him into a pop-culture phenomenon, he’d go home and work on his first screenplay. The result isStruck by Lightning, a title that refers to the fate of its central character, Carson (played by Colfer), a high-school geek who blackmails the cool kids at his school into submitting stories for his literary magazine. The movie opens in theaters on Friday.

Colfer spoke to Ramin Setoodeh about the film and all things gay.

You and I have at least one thing in common—we both grew up in Fresno.

No way! Where did you live?

Near Clovis West High School.

That’s where my mom went.

Whenever I go back, I’m sad that the Borders closed down.

I can’t tell you how many summers I spent in that Borders. It’s so depressing.

How did you come up with the premise for this movie?

The idea was in my head for a really long time. I was a sophomore when I came up with it. I was just finishing up my own literary magazine. It was cloudy. I thought, “Geez, if I got struck by lightning, I wonder how long it will take for someone to find my body.” I had just gotten my shitty car.

Why was your car shitty?

It was a 1995 Dodge Intrepid. The air conditioning didn’t work. The radio didn’t work, and the windshield wipers didn’t work. So whenever it rained, we had to pull over every two miles and take a squeegee to it.

Did you start writing the screenplay back then?

I tried it with Microsoft Word and reformatted every single line, so I think I might have given up on it.

And then you picked it up again when you were older. Did you know all along that you’d be the star?

Absolutely, I’m a very vain writer.

What do you mean? You’re like Woody Allen?

Well, I don’t want to say I only write for myself. But I definitely write for myself in mind. I just feel like nobody else is going to write for me, so I might as well write for myself.

Why not?

Well, I mean, I guess that’s stupid to say. I guess someone has written for me.Ryan [Murphy] kind of created Kurt for me. So I guess that isn’t true. But I feel—not to use a cheesy lightning reference—that type of lightning is going to strike once for me. I don’t think that’s ever going to happen again, where someone writes a full movie for me. I’m a very specific type of person. Although I would never put limits on my abilities as an actor, I know many people do that for me.

What kind of limits?

I’ve spent so much time telling people that, I’m really flattered that you think I’m Kurt Hummel, but he really is a character. I went through a whole process of how I wanted him to stand, how I wanted him to sound. He’s not real.

Are you surprised by Kurt’s level of fandom?

It’s really surprising because it changed. As soon as Blaine came into the picture, the whole fandom behind Kurt almost shifted. It turned into a version ofTwilight. There are so many people that are obsessed with the couple.

It’s not just gay kids. It’s girls, too.

I swear to God that has to be a common misconception. I would say 95 percent of my fans are teenage girls. Maybe 5 percent of the letters I get are from actual gay kids.

Why do the girls say? Do they want to be your friend or date you?

All of the above. There are so many girls that write me letters about how they want to convert me and marry me, which is very flattering. Also, I think there’s an old generation ignorance. They underestimate the tolerance of the new generation.

And it’s so different now. I remember when I was in high school and Ellen DeGeneres came out of the closet, many people didn’t know what a gay person looked like in pop culture.

Right, I know. One of the first things I was ever told, when I got my first job, was, “RIP your career, because you’re starting off playing a gay character. That means you’ll never ever get a job. You, a young actor, need a female audience to fall in love with you if you want to work again. That’s not going to happen if you play a gay guy.” It’s, like, really? I welcome them to open up my Twitter feed, because it’s all young girls. They all connected to Kurt, because he’s a character that has something different about him. They didn’t care if he was gay. He was fighting for acceptance. That’s the element they all connected to.

Were you out of the closet in high school?

No.

Did you date girls back then?

I had a girlfriend, yeah.

Do you have time to go on dates now?

Yeah. Yeah.

Do you not want to talk about that?

I have nothing that I want to hide, but I have to be very careful, because I have very passionate fans that are very protective over me. I always keep that tight-lipped for people’s safety.

Have you ever had a boyfriend?

Yeah. Yeah.

But we don’t know who he is?

Well, I mean, it’s not a secret, but I don’t want to list his name or anything. Or their names. I’ve always been that way. I’ve always been protective of my personal life. It used to drive my parents nuts, because I would never let them see me in school plays, I really like to keep my personal and professional as separate as possible.

Is it true that Kurt is getting a new boyfriend on Glee?

I don’t know if they’re going to be boyfriend status, but definitely an interest.

Do you get to pick who he is?

Absolutely not.

What about a chemistry test?

No, they rarely do that. I didn’t read with the person they ended up casting, which was a relief for me, because I hate chemistry reads. The whole audition process, period. It takes me back to auditioning for years and years and having no luck. It takes me to a really vulnerable place.

Did you take singing lessons growing up?

Singing has always been forced upon me. It was never anything that I wanted to do. It was never anything I wanted to pursue, with the exception of doing a Broadway show. My grandma used to make me sing at her church when I was younger. I got into community theater and took voice lessons then. It’s very funny, because a lot of people were hesitant to give me voice lessons, because they thought my voice would change. But it never did. It changed. But it wasn’t a drastic change. It wasn’t a continental shift, like everyone was thinking.

Souce

Not all his fans are teenage girls and gay kids. But he is right playing gay character didn't stop millions of girls fall in love with him or Kurt. Chris sounds so confident in this interview. This is the first interview I read where he shares so much personal information. I didn't know that he had a girlfriend before. And he kind of confirms he has a BF now. Whatever I hope he is happy.

I can understand why he doesn't like talking about his personal life. We have that in common. My friends can spend hours talking about their boyfriends or husbands. Sometimes I feel like they don't have anything else to say. All I ever say is "He is all right." and that's it. Probably that's why they find me boring, but I couldn't care less.

I support Chris' wish to keep his boyfriend a secret and protect him from crazy fans.

This interview was great, he sounded really smart. It's sad that Chris knows that keeping quiet about his personal life is necessary for people's safety, but at least he's aware of some of his over-the-top fans.

[sheny]

Chris Colfer's appearance on Anderson Live will air on January 14

[brisallie]

^
Looking at this picture, does anybody know if Alla is in charge of all Chris's stuff now? Where's Erica?

And I really liked that last interview that Sheny posted, because he reveals lots of personal information which help us to know more about his thoughts and feelings. And if he needs to keep his private life under secret, I support him because at this moment is the best for him.

[arina]

^
Looking at this picture, does anybody know if Alla is in charge of all Chris's stuff now? Where's Erica?

And I really liked that last interview that Sheny posted, because he reveals lots of personal information which help us to know more about his thoughts and feelings. And if he needs to keep his private life under secret, I support him because at this moment is the best for him.

I read somewhere Erica isn't listed on the website of the agenture she was working for anymore, so it's possible that she really isn't working with Chris either. If that's the case I'll miss Erica but I am glad she went to the SBL premiere at least as a friend.

[sheny]

[Glorfindel]

More cities to come, yahoooooo!!!!

SBL is turning out to be more of a success than expected for Chris and his sponsors!!!!!

[sheny]

Chris Colfer on Anderson Live

Anderson Live Live(ish) Blog:
He was adorable. Funny, and all the other stuff we expect from him. The interview was very short, nothing new, really. HOWEVER, look for a photo of Brian wearing a kickass t-shirt.

[Glorfindel]

Another SBL interview:

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