Re: General Glee Discussion Thread--Part 3

[MoviesAreLife]

I definitely think Chris needs to make himself better known, and he's done a good job of that, he is still mostly known as the gay kid on Glee. If he gets a few movie roles, that would definitely help him, and of course his screenplay. I just think if he takes a break any time soon, he could unintentionally end his career.

As a fan, I want to be greedy and have him on my screen forever!

[AnneNeville]

This is a good idea.

It is. But taking real life classes is a different, "real life" experience and could be a nice "break," too. Plus, having a few years out of the spotlight (or partly so) could make getting non-Kurt 2.0 roles easier.

Speaking of Kurt 2.0, there really isn't a Kurt 2.0 in the new McKinley cast, is there?

Some people are calling Unique a Mercedes/Kurt mixture because of one line last season.

But if he takes a break so early on in his career, he might have a hard time getting any kind of roles or offers in the future. He probably needs to stay in showbiz for quite a while.

Ah, Unique . . . I don't think I buy that Mercedes/Kurt 2.0 thing. The characters aren't similar at all. Unless you want to equate her crush on Ryder (so-called Finn 2.0, whom I liked better than Finn until they jerkified him) to Kurt's on Finn. Nah. Don't see it.

And that line from season three was lifted right from Alex Newell's mouth. He said it on The Glee Project!

Sometimes taking a break can be a good thing, and sometimes it can be a bad one. It's hard to tell with a talent like Chris's which it will be. Daniel Radcliffe,* I think, is absolutely right to be out there doing all kinds of crazy-different-"I'm not Harry Potter" stuff. But that doesn't mean that it would be the best thing for Chris Colfer.

Mayim Bialik went from Blossom to PhD in neuroscience to Big Bang Theory / Emmy Award winner. Without the break, I wonder if anyone would have seen her as anything but Blossom.

* I think we can agree that Daniel-Radcliffe fame is several degrees above Chris-Colfer fame, which is part of why I think he really needed to start De-Harry-fying even before the movies were over.

Yeah. The people who accuse Chris of playing himself should really take a good, long look at Alex.

I definitely think Chris needs to make himself better known, and he's done a good job of that, he is still mostly known as the gay kid on Glee. If he gets a few movie roles, that would definitely help him, and of course his screenplay. I just think if he takes a break any time soon, he could unintentionally end his career.

I meant that jab about the Kurt/Mercedes thing as pointed at the writers, not Alex.

Actually, I think that Alex was quite savvy to say that to Ryan. Although he was annoying on that show (maybe due to the cut, maybe not), he had a keen sense of how to market himself. I think that is why he survived and got the most out of his "win" even though he was a runner up.

I wouldn't say he's playing himself, either. He's just a rather limited actor (from what I can see). He has the advantage of having been introduced last year, but I do think Alex has managed to create a "character" with Wade/Unique--at least as much as is possible with bad material and his talent level. Unfortunately, I don't think he (Alex) can offer the nuance necessary to do Unique justice.

I'm amazed that people say Chris plays himself on Glee. All you have to do is watch a single interview and you know he's totally different. He even pitches his voice differently--it's still high, but it's not like Kurt's voice at all.

[MoviesAreLife]

So I've been hearing over and over that Glee Summer Hiatuses are soooooooo exciting with all kinds of crazy stuff going down. Am I missing something?

The biggest controversies and stories I'm seeing are over whether Cory is getting thinner or heavier, whether Monchele is real, and CrissColfer vs. Chill vs. MYOB.

Were other summers different?

IMO, this summer is boring. All I am looking forward to is TLOS2. Couldn't care less about Cory's relapses or the idiotic shipping wars.

[MoviesAreLife]

I'm amazed that people say Chris plays himself on Glee. All you have to do is watch a single interview and you know he's totally different. He even pitches his voice differently--it's still high, but it's not like Kurt's voice at all.

Chris is nothing like Kurt. The haters just say that because they can't find any legit reason to detract from him.

[AnneNeville]

I definitely think Chris needs to make himself better known, and he's done a good job of that, he is still mostly known as the gay kid on Glee. If he gets a few movie roles, that would definitely help him, and of course his screenplay. I just think if he takes a break any time soon, he could unintentionally end his career.

As a fan, I want to be greedy and have him on my screen forever!

I understand!

As a fan, I'd like to invite him to tea and have a chat about Western European History. I want to know his thoughts about Sailor Billy and Richard III. But that isn't going to happen.

Your scenario is far more likely to come true, unless (for personal reasons or "finding the right part" reasons) he does decide to take a break. After Glee. Which is likely to run one or two more years.

Has any contract information started to come out yet? It's already June and if they are going to start airing early, they will have to start shooting sometime in the next six weeks (or maybe eight?).

[AnneNeville]

So I've been hearing over and over that Glee Summer Hiatuses are soooooooo exciting with all kinds of crazy stuff going down. Am I missing something?

The biggest controversies and stories I'm seeing are over whether Cory is getting thinner or heavier, whether Monchele is real, and CrissColfer vs. Chill vs. MYOB.

Were other summers different?

Well the hiatus before season 3 was exciting with the tour and Chris filming his movie. Last year was exciting because of all the book signings Chris was going on.

I'd be interested in the book signings because it would be intriguing to "meet" Chris, but I'm assuming that in addition to monster lines there are also lots and lots of rules about what you can and cannot do, say, etc. Which is reasonable.

[AnneNeville]

So I've been hearing over and over that Glee Summer Hiatuses are soooooooo exciting with all kinds of crazy stuff going down. Am I missing something?

The biggest controversies and stories I'm seeing are over whether Cory is getting thinner or heavier, whether Monchele is real, and CrissColfer vs. Chill vs. MYOB.

Were other summers different?

IMO, this summer is boring. All I am looking forward to is TLOS2. Couldn't care less about Cory's relapses or the idiotic shipping wars.

When is TLOS2 coming out? August? These books are flying out of the publishing houses.

I do care about Cory's relapses . . . I do hate to think of people suffering (especially the people around him). I also care because I wonder what his addiction issues will mean for the future of Glee/Finn's role on it.

[AnneNeville]

I read Mara Wilson's blog. I love that woman. I remember her from "Mrs. Doubtfire", "Miracle on 34th Street" (1994 remake), and especially "Matilda". I remember thinking how odd her speaking voice was in "Matilda", being just a kid myself. I thought she sounded very strange and overly mature.

What a talented writer she is. Very much a journalist. The intelligence, sense of self, confidence and wit she possesses through her writing is remarkable. I love her diction.

And yes, there is probably a perfect level of fame where it is just enough, but not too much...kind of like a level of drunkenness!

As for Unique...they tried to make a Kurtcedes baby with her, but it didn't work. She is all of the most annoying qualities of these two characters without any of the good ones.

I'm impressed with Mara Wilson's voice, too.

The strange thing is that the "right level" of fame is hard to measure. You can be really, really famous and fly under the radar pretty well (John Malkovich in Cambridge, Brooke Shields here in NYC, Kevin Bacon (also here in NYC)). Others pass a certain point in their career (the actor who was so hurt by the tabloid about his divorce that it made my attitude towards celebrities change forever) and hit a place where they can work and yet they are not scrutinized.

Sometimes it seems to have to do with who they marry (non-famous, steady spouses are much less juicy than famous ones). Other times it seems to be their demographic (Glee, I think, gets the most scary demo). And you might think that mega-stars cannot possibly have normal-ish lives, but then you get a Meryl Streep or Kevin Bacon.

[MoviesAreLife]

When is TLOS2 coming out? August? These books are flying out of the publishing houses.

I do care about Cory's relapses . . . I do hate to think of people suffering (especially the people around him). I also care because I wonder what his addiction issues will mean for the future of Glee/Finn's role on it.

August 6th, I believe. SBL was released on DVD May 21st, though I'm not sure that counts as a summer event, because it was during the spring.

Like I said, I prefer not to look at or focus on the self destructive individuals. It's like a trainwreck and I feel embarrassed for them. I do dread what kind of toll this will take on Lea and on the show as well as Cory's career. But while a lot of America likes to give attention to those like Bynes, I just want to ignore them and continue to focus on the ones like Chris Colfer, a rare breed in showbusiness.

Oh, and speaking of summer events....I think that Glee may or may not have some kind of filmed concert? On all of the Glee cast member's IMDB pages, there is a filmed concert that has yet to be released.

[MoviesAreLife]

I'm impressed with Mara Wilson's voice, too.

The strange thing is that the "right level" of fame is hard to measure. You can be really, really famous and fly under the radar pretty well (John Malkovich in Cambridge, Brooke Shields here in NYC, Kevin Bacon (also here in NYC)). Others pass a certain point in their career (the actor who was so hurt by the tabloid about his divorce that it made my attitude towards celebrities change forever) and hit a place where they can work and yet they are not scrutinized.

Sometimes it seems to have to do with who they marry (non-famous, steady spouses are much less juicy than famous ones). Other times it seems to be their demographic (Glee, I think, gets the most scary demo). And you might think that mega-stars cannot possibly have normal-ish lives, but then you get a Meryl Streep or Kevin Bacon.

Yes, it all depends. Some mega stars are normal people, whereas others possibly not as famous are trainwrecks. What the heck?

[Buenos]

The thing is there is no magical "recipe", fame is disorienting on any level for the uninitiated.

Chris wasn't a child star, but he is/was different. He became famous at 18/19 and is the ONLY young adult openly out TV star in a role that was his first professional gig. Glee is going to be on for at least six years, and Chris has already written one movie and has one in preproduction (how far along it is is anybody's guess)as well as having several of his books published.

The question is if he'll get the roles outside of Glee to give him longevity as a TV/movie actor. I think he will get enough offers and could carve a nice niche for himself, but so many projects fizzle that "stardom" is that one intangible that it's anybody's guess why some maintain it while others seem to have it dim (and yes, some by choice.)

Someone like Joseph Gordon Leavitt seems like a TV actor that has worked hard on his craft and chosen as well as he can some of his roles (that he was offered) so I think of him as a potential template for Chris.

[MoviesAreLife]

The thing is there is no magical "recipe", fame is disorienting on any level for the uninitiated.

Chris wasn't a child star, but he is/was different. He became famous at 18/19 and is the ONLY young adult openly out TV star in a role that was his first professional gig. Glee is going to be on for at least six years, and Chris has already written one movie and has one in preproduction (how far along it is is anybody's guess) was well as having several of his books published.

The question is if he'll get the roles outside of Glee to give him longevity as a TV/movie actor. I think he will get enough offers and could carve a nice niche for himself, but so many projects fizzle that "stardom" is that one intangible that it's anybody's guess why some maintain if while other seem to dim (and yes, some by choice.)

Someone like Joseph Gordon Leavitt seems like a TV actor that has worked hard on his craft and chosen as well as he can some of his role (that he was offered) so I think of him as a potential template for Chris.

How the hell could I forget JGL? Another great example.

[valkeakuulas]

JGL is a good example of a "child star" that made it, but he himself has called himself being a quite an asshole when teenager. I don't know what he means with that exactly but at least he's gotten past that and worked hard into where he is now.

I like that few actors who made it big young can become functioning adults, but so many of those dissappeared for awhile before coming back. I guess taking a breather and seeing how the real world works helps too. That's why I don't think Chris will fall for the child star curse because he already saw the hard world before becoming famous.

[brisallie]

It seems lots of things have commented lately: from the boring Summer hiatus we're having this year to Child Stars and how they survived or didn't survive the stardom.

As regards the Summer hiatus, I'm only looking for Chris signing autographs in Europe and then in USA. Besides of that, probably I'd like to know if Cory is doing well, because Finn is one of my fav characters, therefore, whatever happens to Cory, then affects the character. And the storyline.

Speaking of child actors, some weeks ago I saw a headline that it said "Actress of Harry Potter releases a new movie in Cannes", though Emma Watson had done more movies after HP ended two years ago, her name is still related to the franchise. And they don't even name her sometimes. So having said that, sometimes I'm afraid that Chris will be known in the future only as the actor who was on Glee, what isn't bad either ,because it was his breakout role, but I want him to be known for more than that.

[Buenos]

Speaking of child actors, some weeks ago I saw a headline that it said "Actress of Harry Potter releases a new movie in Cannes", though Emma Watson had done more movies after HP ended two years ago, her name is still related to the franchise. And they don't even name her sometimes. So having said that, sometimes I'm afraid that Chris will be known in the future only as the actor who was on Glee, what isn't bad either ,because it was his breakout role, but I want him to be known for more than that.

The thing is, the movie that Emma has out in Cannes is a Sofia Coppolla film that has gotten (and Emma herself) very good critical buzz , so even if Emma is always known as the Potter actress to some folks, I think as long as she has a nice career I don't think she'll give a rat's ass. Ditto Chris Colfer.

He will probably always be linked with Glee, or at least for the first few years but then again people thought that Johnny Depp would be known for "21 Jump Street" , so you never know....

[AnneNeville]

Speaking of child actors, some weeks ago I saw a headline that it said "Actress of Harry Potter releases a new movie in Cannes", though Emma Watson had done more movies after HP ended two years ago, her name is still related to the franchise. And they don't even name her sometimes. So having said that, sometimes I'm afraid that Chris will be known in the future only as the actor who was on Glee, what isn't bad either ,because it was his breakout role, but I want him to be known for more than that.

The fact that he's already doing more than just Glee will help a lot, I think.

[brisallie]

As Buenos said, probably these young actors, like in the case of Emma Watson, are still linked to their old movies , because haven't passed many years since they ended and step by step they're doing new films or projects. So probably is going to happen the same with Chris. However, as have happened with actors like Johnny Depp, he will be known as someone who have done several characters instead of only one. Actually I think SBL was his first step, it was the moment some skeptical people realized this boy is more than the gay kid in Glee.

[ladydianab]

Hopefully with his second book they can start to drop the "from Glee" statement with every article or interview. I was watching old you tube videos from early Glee days. I was bored and there was nothing on TV. Anyway, at that time Chris was so young and innocent and relatable because he was "one of us". My how the last few years have changed this boy into a handsome confident and not so innocent ( not that he really was innocent he just looked innocent and wide eyed) man! And now, he really isn't one of us anymore which makes me feel a little sad but I don't think he will succumb to the the fate of some other young stars.

[Lottie2303]

Glee is a blessing and a curse. Once the show is over, we will find out for good if Chris can remain relevant. Even though we never know, he might disappear for a while and return with a vengeance.

One thing I am convinced about that Chris will be successful no matter what field he chooses. Let it be acting, behind the scenes, writing, College… He will have a very fulfilled life and totally believe he will be very happy. Personally, I hope a private channel will hire him and he will be part of the future Breaking Bad/Dexter/Broadwalk Empire/etc.

I’ve read the article from Mara Wilson last week. Generally that website (cracked.com) is very funny and worth discovering. I liked the point that many child actors don’t believe they can do anything else. I can see that easily happening and obviously it puts a lot of pressure on a person.

[brisallie]

Glee is a blessing and a curse. Once the show is over, we will find out for good if Chris can remain relevant. Even though we never know, he might disappear for a while and return with a vengeance.

One thing I am convinced about that Chris will be successful no matter what field he chooses. Let it be acting, behind the scenes, writing, College… He will have a very fulfilled life and totally believe he will be very happy. Personally, I hope a private channel will hire him and he will be part of the future Breaking Bad/Dexter/Broadwalk Empire/etc.

I’ve read the article from Mara Wilson last week. Generally that website (cracked.com) is very funny and worth discovering. I liked the point that many child actors don’t believe they can do anything else. I can see that easily happening and obviously it puts a lot of pressure on a person.

Agree. Whatever Chris do in the future,I bet he's gonna be successful, because this boy is hard-working and for me he's those kind of people that achieves his aims.

And going back to Mara Wilson's article. Is so true that child actors have been acting since they were toddlers, like Drew Barrymore for instance, that they have no idea what else to do. So that why I'm glad to see child actors like Natalie Portman, who decided to study Psychologist. Although it meant to be off screen for some years, at least she has a backup career if someday she retires, what I doubt she will do btw, unless she's very old and feel tired of this biz.

[Lottie2303]

I love about Chris that you can expect the unexpected.

Mara Wilson even advices that child actors should go to College. It is a actually a great idea. Child actors disappear during the transition period between child and adult, see and discover a different life, learn something else and be normal for the first time and actually at the end they have a choice.

Anna Chlumsky is also a great example who just disappeared and suddenly returned to the small screen being very active.

[Glorfindel]

Of the Glee cast I think that Naya, Lea and Jenna can be called child actors.
It can be argued that Lea and Jenna were old enough to have wanted to be an actor/singer themselves when they started on Broadway, but Naya was already in a commercial as a baby and on tv as a toddler. So I wonder how much Naya has been influenced in this career 'choice' made for her when she was little, and how this affects how she feels about a career (and being a 'star') now and in the future.

[brisallie]

I'd consider Naya as a low profile child star. Because unlike some child actors like Mara Wilson or Anna Chlumsky, she only made small roles on tv , so I'm unsure how much affected her life. Probably it does, but it was still handleable and someway she was able to have a regular life.

[Lottie2303]

I also get the impression Naya wants to be a star, thankfully for her, she is actually talented and therefore has a legit reason to be in the spotlight. Otherwise I don’t count her as a child star either because no one knew her before Glee.

I don’t know about the world of Broadway, but Jenna and Lea were most certainly grew up in the theatre industry. Maybe not being in HW was an advantage??!

Mara Wilson and Anna Chlumsky are totally different animals and everyone knows them from movies we grew up with (i.e.: My Girl, Matilda). I mention them a decade later and we still know their names.

[Glorfindel]

I mentioned Naya because she was clearly pushed into showbusiness by her parents. No baby or toddler made that decision on their own. Naya may not have been as famous as those child stars that the article was about, but she was on tv from a very early age, and I'm sure the BTS stuff must have given her a twisted view on how a 'normal' childhood ought to be. Maybe she was pampered on set, maybe she was forced to work even when she didn't feel like it (as a child). One way or the other she got a lot attention at a very young age.
Plus because her parents made her do tv and commercial stuff before she could decide for herself one has to wonder at what age Naya made that decision for herself (that she wanted to act just because she loved it), or if she just continued because she was used to it and didn't know what else is out there?

I think that not that's she's older Naya is still ambitious as a performer and wants to be a star, and there is nothing wrong with that. But I can't help but wonder that if she hadn't been in showbizz practically from birth on if she would have made the same decisions.

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