Darren Criss is an American actor, singer-songwriter, musician, composer, and a founding member and co-owner of the theater production company Team StarKid. He played Harry Potter in the musicals A Very Potter Musical and A Very Potter Sequel, and currently portrays Blaine Anderson, an openly gay student, in the TV series Glee. Criss is set to make his Broadway debut in the revival of How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying in January 2012.

Criss was born in San Francisco, California, the son of Cerina (née Bru) and Bill Criss. His mother, a native of Cebu in the Philippines, is of Chinese, Spanish, and Filipino descent, and his father has Irish ancestry. He attended Stuart Hall for Boys and then later graduated from Saint Ignatius College Preparatory. In 2009, Criss obtained a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Performance degree from the University of Michigan.

Criss is a classically trained violinist who began playing at the age of five. He later taught himself guitar, piano, cello, mandolin, harmonica and drums. He played drums in a band with his brother, Chuck, until Chuck moved to New York City to develop his music career (and subsequently joined the indie rock group Freelance Whales).

Criss made his feature film debut in Glee: The 3D Concert Movie (2011).

Criss has also been cast in the upcoming comedy Imogene, which is slated to open in 2013. The film co-stars Kristin Wiig and Annette Benning.

Filmography:

2011 Glee: The 3D Concert Movie

Television series:

2010-present : Glee
2011 Archer Mikey and Tommy
2011 The Glee Project

Music Videos

"Dress and Tie" (2011) by Charlene Kaye
"Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.)" (2011) by Katy Perry