Almost immediately after Glee premiered in 2009, many predicted that co-star Chris Colfer
would become one of Hollywood's most sought-after stars.
But theses days he’s rarely seen...at least in front of the camera.
Since leaving Glee in 2015, Colfer has quietly transformed himself from an on-camera A-Lister
to a behind-the-scenes powerhouse.
So what exactly does he have going on?
Let's investigate.
On the one hand, you have to give credit to Colfer for staying committed to Glee.
Although the show lost fans and critics over the years, Colfer stuck by the role that made
him famous through six seasons and 121 episodes.
But while that may have pleased loyal fans of the show, playing Kurt Hummel for such
an extended period of time may prove to be a major hurdle for Colfer as he attempts to
move on to bigger and better projects.
With each passing season, TV watchers became more and more used to seeing Colfer as Kurt.
“Why are you crying and laughing at the same time?”
It's a problem that many actors on long-running television shows face, and it's often why
they never really recover.
Just look at his co-star, Lea Michele.
Colfer seems aware of this concept, and instead of trying to move directly from Glee to another
major role, he pivoted away from TV almost entirely.
It appears Chris Colfer's interest in the arts has always extended beyond acting.
“I want to be the editor of the New Yorker, and the youngest freelancer to be published
in the New York Times, The LA Times, and the Chicago Tribune.”
“Okay!”
Evidence of this dates back to 2012, when he wrote the screenplay for and produced the
film Struck by Lightning.
The movie marked Colfer's first as a leading man and told the story of a high school senior
named Carson Phillips desperately trying to escape his hometown.
Sure, the film was widely dismissed for being a stereotypical teen angst film, but Colfer
still received praise for his leading performance.
Struck by Lightning wasn't the only time Colfer put his pen to the test.
In 2014, Colfer wrote an episode for Glee, called Old Dogs, New Tricks.
And, there’s more good news: Colfer's screenwriting credits are far from where his work with the
written word ends.
“I’m very very fortunate because it used to be acting was the career and writing was
the hobby, now it’s completely switched.”
Chris Colfer's writing skills aren't limited to the screen.
He's also used his talents to create a wildly successful book series.
Launched in 2012, The Land of Stories has earned Colfer a devoted following of YA fans,
launched five sequels, and even landed him a spot on the New York Times Best-Seller List.
Sounds exactly like the kind of thing Hollywood would adapt into a film franchise, right?
Not so fast.
Colfer was initially hesitant about turning the books into movies, telling Publisher's
Weekly,
"I want a great movie because I still have so much planned for future books, maybe even
a prequel series.
So I want to make sure if it gets done, it is done well."
Someone apparently convinced Colfer to take the plunge, because in June 2017, it was announced
that the first book of the series, The Wishing Spell, would be made into a feature film.
Not only that, but Colfer is also set to make his directorial debut with the project, according
to The Hollywood Reporter.
So, why won't Hollywood cast him anymore?
Maybe because he's the one doing the casting now.
Casting Chris Colfer as one of the many outsiders in William McKinley High School's glee club
proved to be a perfect decision for the show; one needn't look further than his Golden Globe
award for proof.
Unfortunately, the word "outsider" isn't always the most sellable word in Hollywood.
In fact, Colfer is so uniquely talented that it may prove difficult for him to find a role
that suits his strengths as well as his Glee character.
For example, two of the next three acting gigs he took after the show, Hot in Cleveland
and Julie's Greenroom, required him to, you guessed it, sing and perform on stage.
Of course, he can belt out Whitney Houston's "I Have Nothing" better than most folks in
Hollywood, but is it possible that being a triple threat could actually end up being
… an actual threat to one's acting career?
We've clearly established that this actor's writing talents have taken him to a level
of success even greater than what he achieved on Glee, but he still seems to harbor a desire
to break out big as a leading man.
In 2017, Chris Colfer once again created a star vehicle for Chris Colfer.
“One day, you will all work for me.”
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Colfer was set to pen a fantasy series called Indigo
about quote, "the mysterious world of Indigo children….and the dark forces working to
exploit their powers."
Colfer planned to write and direct the pilot, as well as star as the series lead.
It would have been his big return to a recurring TV role since the end of Glee in 2015, but
there haven’t been any updates on the project since it was announced in 2017.
In fairness, TV and film projects can sometimes take years, even decades to come to fruition,
but for the time being, it seems like Colfer's leading man ambitions are still on a shelf.
Although Chris Colfer's acting career may have temporarily stalled after Glee, his future
still looks bright.
He's still in his twenties, and he has a long career ahead of him.
For comparison, just look at Zac Efron, who went from teen sensation to full-on movie
star.
Colfer also has the versatility factor on his side.
He can write more screenplays.
He's proved he could basically become the next J.K.
Rowling.
And of course, he could easily pivot to Broadway if he wanted to.
“You know, when you stop and think about it, Kurt Hummel’s had a pretty good year.”
The possibilities are endless.
Not to mention, Glee was his first professional acting credit, and he absolutely nailed it,
then used his fame to pursue other creative passions, or as he humbly told The Seattle
Times in 2017:
"I have had a long line of beginner's luck, which I hope continues for a long time."
In other words: this guy hasn't sung his swan song quite yet.