Criss was born in San Francisco, California, the son of Cerina (née Bru) and Charles William Criss, a banker and a former director of the San Francisco Opera, the Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra, the Stern Grove Festival, and San Francisco Performances. His mother is from Cebu, Philippines, and his father is from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. From his mother's side, Criss states that he is a mix of "a little Chinese, Spanish, and Filipino", and he has Irish ancestry from his father's side. He has an older brother named Charles "Chuck" Criss who is part of the indie rock band Freelance Whales.
In 1988, the Criss family relocated to Honolulu, Hawaii, where Criss's father started the East West Bank, serving as Chairman and CEO. They lived there until their return to San Francisco in 1992. At the age of five, Criss began taking violin lessons and continued his classical training up through university. He eventually became a multi-instrumentalist, mastering the guitar, piano, cello, mandolin, and drums.
Criss completed his elementary education at Stuart Hall for Boys, and then later graduated from Saint Ignatius College Preparatory in 2005. During his time at Saint Ignatius, he was part of the student government, the school orchestra, and the performing arts program for which he was awarded the 'Theater Arts Leadership Award' and the 'Fine Arts Plaque Award' in 2005. He was also awarded the National Latin Exam Award in 2002 (Maxima Cum Laude) and 2003 (Magna Cum Laude). In 2009, Criss obtained a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Theater Performance from the University of Michigan.
Criss made his professional stage debut at the age of ten in 42nd Street Moon's 1997 production of Fanny, in the role of Cesario. The next year, Criss played Mauro in the same company's production of the Richard Rodgers and Stephen Sondheim musical Do I Hear a Waltz?, followed by Babes in Arms in 1999, in which he played Beauregard Calhoun.
During his formative years, Criss attended the "Young Conservatory Program" of the American Conservatory Theater (A.C.T.), based in San Francisco. He appeared in a number of A.C.T.'s plays, notably A Christmas Carol, A Midsummer Night's Dream, and The Voysey Inheritance. Criss continued to hone his craft at St. Ignatius College Preparatory, taking on roles in classics such as The Music Man, The Diary of Anne Frank, and Fiddler on the Roof.
In 2006, Criss was accepted into the University of Michigan's School of Music, Theater & Dance (SMTD) and its College of Literature, Science, and the Arts (CLSA), and initially pursued degrees in Musicology, Italian, and Theater Performance. He took part in various stage productions at U of M, including Pride and Prejudice, The Last Days of Judas Iscariot, A Few Good Men, and The Cripple of Inishmaan. In the spring of 2008, he spent a semester abroad at the Accademia dell'Arte in Arezzo, Italy, where he studied Commedia dell'arte. Criss eventually decided to solely major in Theater Performance and obtained a Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) in 2009.
During his time at The University of Michigan, Criss, along with his university friends, founded Team StarKid, a theater production company. His roles with Team StarKid include Harry Potter in the YouTube viral musicals A Very Potter Musical and A Very Potter Sequel. Both productions are musical-comedies based on the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling.
On August 1, 2011 it was announced that Criss would make his Broadway debut, replacing Daniel Radcliffe in the role of J. Pierrepont Finch in the revival of How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying for a limited three week engagement that will last from January 3–22, 2012. Criss is a series regular on the FOX television show Glee. He portrays Blaine Anderson, an openly gay high school student. Criss made his first appearance in season two in the episode "Never Been Kissed", which aired on November 9, 2010. Blaine attended Dalton Academy and was lead singer of its glee club, The Warblers. He was a recurring character for the rest of the season, appearing first as a mentor and friend to main character Kurt Hummel, played by Chris Colfer, and now as his boyfriend. In season three, Blaine transferred to William McKinley High School and joined their glee club, New Directions. Glee creator Ryan Murphy explained the purpose of Criss's role on the show, stating, "Darren has a major, major arc... [Blaine] sort of becomes Kurt's mentor and then maybe love – Kurt had to leave his own school because of bullying and goes to an all-boys academy and finds acceptance because that school has a zero-tolerance no-bullying policy. So Kurt really admires him and respects him. He plays someone who's one year older than Chris's character, so he's the old pro."
In 1988, the Criss family relocated to Honolulu, Hawaii, where Criss's father started the East West Bank, serving as Chairman and CEO. They lived there until their return to San Francisco in 1992. At the age of five, Criss began taking violin lessons and continued his classical training up through university. He eventually became a multi-instrumentalist, mastering the guitar, piano, cello, mandolin, and drums.
Criss completed his elementary education at Stuart Hall for Boys, and then later graduated from Saint Ignatius College Preparatory in 2005. During his time at Saint Ignatius, he was part of the student government, the school orchestra, and the performing arts program for which he was awarded the 'Theater Arts Leadership Award' and the 'Fine Arts Plaque Award' in 2005. He was also awarded the National Latin Exam Award in 2002 (Maxima Cum Laude) and 2003 (Magna Cum Laude). In 2009, Criss obtained a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Theater Performance from the University of Michigan.
Criss made his professional stage debut at the age of ten in 42nd Street Moon's 1997 production of Fanny, in the role of Cesario. The next year, Criss played Mauro in the same company's production of the Richard Rodgers and Stephen Sondheim musical Do I Hear a Waltz?, followed by Babes in Arms in 1999, in which he played Beauregard Calhoun.
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During his time at The University of Michigan, Criss, along with his university friends, founded Team StarKid, a theater production company. His roles with Team StarKid include Harry Potter in the YouTube viral musicals A Very Potter Musical and A Very Potter Sequel. Both productions are musical-comedies based on the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling.
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 Darren Criss and Chris Colfer |  Darren Criss - Glee |  Chris Colfer? Darren Criss |  darren criss. chris colfer |  Glee\x26#39;s Cory Monteith arrives |
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