Darren Criss
The cool thing about music is no one can take music away from you, writing wise.Collection: Cool
I have an unabashed adoration of cheesy pop music.
When you're an artist, you have to hope for everything and expect nothing.
I was inadvertently raised in the 'gay community.' I had straight parents, but I spent massive amounts of time at a very early age with gay, theater-hopeful thirty-somethings.
I'm not a mean person.
I don't shave when I'm not working.
I remember seeing 'Aladdin' when I was five or six and loving it. I looked at the big screen and said to my mum, 'Whatever this Genie guy does, I want to do.' Mum said I couldn't be a genie, but that Robin Williams, who did the voice-over in the film, was an actor. So I said, 'OK, then, I want to be an actor.'
As an actor it's your job to empathise with your character regardless of whether they have a different sexual orientation, spiritual beliefs, or anything.
When I'm in the U.K. I find myself using a lot of Britishisms.
I'd like to be writing songs for other people - I just like writing songs.
When I play live in restaurants and cafes, I don't play my own stuff. I play jazz and 'American Songbook' standards, and I'll fuse it with top 40.
I'm incredibly anal about everything that I do.
I'm like any other composer. If you give me five years to write a symphony, I'm still going to be asking for more time two days before it's due.
When I was in college, I was in the theater department, which for anyone who has been involved in any kind of theater program, you know that it's really wacky and tight-knit, a real family. Me and my good friends from college would do random shows and plays that were sometimes serious, but most of the time really goofy and funny.
I'm in a real minority as far as having really supportive parents in regards to the arts. They never batted an eye as far as not letting me do that stuff. That's invaluable. I can't believe how unabashedly supportive they were about everything, between music and acting.
I don't take breaks, man, I'm always doing something.
We are a categorically obsessed culture, where we have to compartmentalize everything in reference to another thing, like, 'What does it sound like? Does it sound like this?'
I always make time for the things that are important to me.
I believe singing should be like being an actor. People shouldn't have any problem buying an actor being in a comedy or a drama or a horror film. That should be the same way with music.
I've always enjoyed fashion and dressing up for things, whether it's high fashion or play fashion.
Fashion is about owning whatever you're wearing, regardless of if it's a high fashion statement or not.
I never let my politics supersede my manners.
Hollywood is a strange, strange thing. I feel like I've been invited to a very exclusive ball and I'm just trying to make nice with everybody and hope that if they kick me out they'll at least give me a ride home.
As a composer and as a musician I'm a true believer - and this is not to be overly diplomatic - I'm a believer that there's artistry in everything from a lawn gnome to a desk chair to a symphony to an Andy Warhol painting. There's art in absolutely everything.
As a musician, I hear the harmonic value of everything - I just enjoy music.
For me, I think everybody with half a heart tries to do their best to do their part of good during the holiday season.
I've always loved Broadway, but I never thought I'd actually do it because I was never a full Broadway dancer. And I don't have a big, booming voice.
I think people love to attach themselves to the idea of an overnight success. That may be true about me.
I wish I was old Hollywood.
I play mostly guitar, and I played drums in my brother's band for a while growing up.
It's always important to recognize your situation and not take it for granted.
Challenge is good for any relationship.
I'm ambitious in the sense that I raise the bar high for myself.
I always shoot for the moon in my work, so that I'm happy when I land on the roof.
I'm very specific and ambitious in plotting out my goals and never take no for an answer - so it's not like things just fall in my lap.
I mean, part of me would love to be a fat tenured professor of theater someday.
I'm this goofball. I look at myself in the mirror, and the person that I know doesn't match up to what I think people love to perceive me as.
I mean, come on, Beyonce's the queen of pop music. She's the queen. If you could run for queen... I would put her name in the suggestion box. She's incredible.
Theater is a living creature. It takes a while to break in, like a new pair of shoes.
I'm always just waiting for someone to cut me off; I'm a chatty guy.
That which makes you different is what makes you strong. Whether you're gay, straight, purple, orange, dinosaur; I don't care.Collection: Strong
There's nothing more badass than being who you are.Collection: Badass
Sometimes I pretend to be an octopus. But then people are like ‘Darren what’re you doing?’ And I just sit there and laugh because they’re not cool enough to be an octopus and I’m just like ‘Hah you’re just jealous because you’re not an octopus.’Collection: Jealous
Be nice people, cause nobody likes an asshole.Collection: Nice
Never let what is popular actually define your taste or interests.Collection: Taste
Hope for everything, expect nothing.Collection: Motivational
People fall in love with a person, not a gender or an age.Collection: Falling In Love
My name's Darren. I'm a musician, part time idiot. That's a full time job actually.Collection: Jobs
I don't believe in guilty pleasures. If I like it, I don't feel guilty about itCollection: Believe
Buy my album because... it's the kind of music you can be friends with. And it's the only way that *pause* aliens won't come to Earth and destroy us. I am sure of this.Collection: Albums