Darren Criss Wiki: 5 Facts To Know About The 'StarKid Productions' Co-Founder

Darren Everett Criss is an American actor and singer. Born on the 5th of February in 1987, he is the youngest child of Charles William Criss and Cerina Criss. He was born and raised in San Francisco, California. His family also spent a few years living in Honolulu, Hawaii. Criss has a younger brother, Charles “Chuck” Criss, who is also a musician. Even as a young child, Criss has shown interest in music and performing arts. He started taking music lessons at the age of 5. Criss first learned how to play the violin. Later on, he learned how to play other musical instruments by himself. Criss taught himself how to play the piano, guitar, drums, mandolin, and harmonica. In addition to that, he was accepted to the American Conservatory Theater at the age of 10. Criss attended two private Catholic schools in San Francisco, Stuart Hall for Boys and Saint Ignatius College Preparatory. After finishing high school in 2005, Criss attended the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. Being a true artist, he chose to major in Theater Performance. Criss completed his studies in 2009 when he obtained his Bachelor of Fine Arts degree. So far, he has made appearances in countless TV shows, theater productions, and music videos. Want to know even more about Darren Criss? Wondering about his net worth or his TV shows? Read on to discover five must-know facts about the actor and singer.

Darren Criss appeared on the TV shows "Eastwick" and "Cold Case" in 2009 and 2010, respectively. But it is not a secret that his acting career really took off when he debuted in the hit series "Glee" in 2010. Criss first made his appearance on the hit TV show “Glee” in its second season. He played the role of Blaine Anderson, the charismatic lead singer of The Dalton Academy Warblers. Criss has had a lot of noteworthy performances on “Glee” as Blaine Anderson, but perhaps his most memorable one was his rendition of “Teenage Dream” by Katy Perry. Criss has showcased his talent both as an actor and a singer on the show “Glee.” He was included in the TV show’s soundtrack albums including “Glee: The Music Presents the Warblers,” “Glee: The Music, The Graduation Album,” and “Glee Sings the Beatles.” In the album “Glee Sings the Beatles,” Criss is featured in 5 tracks including “Help” and “All You Need Is Love.”

Like we’ve mentioned earlier, Darren Criss is an artist who is undoubtedly passionate about music and performing arts. Did you know that he is the co-founder of a musical theater company called StarKid Productions? Criss founded StarKid Productions in 2009, which is also known as Team StarKid, together with fellow University of Michigan students Brian Holden, Matt Lang, and Nick Lang. True fans know that before Darren Criss portrayed Blaine Anderson, he was first known for his remarkable portrayal of Harry Potter. Yes, you read that right. Criss played the role of the beloved young wizard in “A Very Potter Musical.” This musical was the first production created by StarKid Productions. It is a parody based on the Harry Potter books. It was later on uploaded on YouTube and became a viral video.

Did you know that Darren Criss was part of the English-language release of the animated film "The Wind Rises"? That's right. Aside from appearing in musicals and TV shows, Criss has also done work as a voice actor. Criss has lent his voice to dub the English-language version of Japanese animated films "The Wind Rises" and "The Tale of Princess Kaguya." He also had a voice-over role in "Stan Lee's Mighty 7."

"Glee" might have ended in 2015, but that definitely wasn't the last we've seen Darren Criss. If you're a fan of "American Horror Story," then you've probably seen Criss in a couple of episodes. In 2015, he had a recurring role on the TV show "American Horror Story: Hotel" where he played Justin. In the same year, Criss headed to Broadway for the rock musical "Hedwig and the Angry Inch." Many theatergoers praised his portrayal of the titular role of Hedwig, a genderqueer singer. In 2016, Criss appeared on popular superhero TV series "Supergirl" and "The Flash" as the Music Meister. This 2018, fans will be tuning in to the third season of American Crime Story as the actor takes on a different kind of character. Criss will be playing the role of serial killer Andrew Cunanan. Actors Penelope Cruz and Edgar Ramirez are set to appear alongside Criss.

Darren Criss has been successful in his work both as an actor and a singer. So it's no surprise that he has an impressive net worth for someone his age. Currently, Criss has a net worth of $3.5 million.

So, what's next for this talented artist? Darren Criss has just recently released an EP called "Homework" and is expected to appear on the TV show "American Crime Story." Whether it's in music or TV, fans can surely expect great things from Darren Criss. Want to stay updated? Then make sure to follow him on his official Instagram account.