Chris Colfer Reveals Why He Was 'Absolutely Terrified' To Play A Gay Character On 'Glee'

Hollywood actor Chris Colfer has opened up about his life-changing role on Fox's hit series "Glee."

The 32-year-old, who came into the limelight after starring in the role for six seasons, shared that he was "absolutely terrified" about taking on the part.

Appearing on the "And That's What You Really Missed" podcast, the actor cited that his then-fears were due to him not yet coming out in public about being gay after discovering that his character in "Glee" was queer.

He also shared that he was grateful that he ultimately accepted the role, as it helped him confront his fears. Colfer has since authored several books, including the best-selling book series The Land of Stories.

Read on to learn more.

During a conversation on the "And That's What You Really Missed" podcast, Colfer recalled the time when he was considering accepting a role as a gay character in Fox's hit series "Glee."

At the time, the actor—who is openly gay—had not yet made his sexual orientation public. He had only revealed his queerness to his family, and one of them forewarned him that taking the role would ruin his life, adding to the sense of doom he already felt.

"I was absolutely terrified. And back then, people told their clients, 'Don't play gay characters because it will ruin your career,'" Colfer said to the podcast hosts and "Glee" costars Kevin McHale and Jenna Ushkowitz, per Insider.

Ultimately, Colfer accepted the role despite his reservations since he was tired of waiting in the unemployment pool. He added, "But again, I had been auditioning for so long and never gotten anything. There was no option for me, I had to do it. As scary as it was."

Beyond his worries about breaking into the industry, Colfer was also plagued with thoughts of having "to answer and ask questions" of himself, which he recalled he wasn't quite ready to do at the time.

He also battled with the fact that his immediate community where he lived was a dangerous place, and "being out and proud" could have cost him more than he bargained for.

However, in retrospect, the actor now sees his then dilemma as a gift that spurred him to confront his fears and ultimately overcome them.

He shared on the podcast, "I'm actually kind of grateful for it in a way because I think it kind of pushed me into a path of honesty with myself."

Colfer opened up about his sexuality in December 2009 during an appearance on the late-night show "Chelsea Lately," several months after "Glee" had premiered.

At the time, he was only 19 years of age, making him one of the youngest openly gay actors in the industry.

In "Glee," Colfer portrayed a young fashionista named Kurt Hummel, for which he received critical acclaim and gained more traction in the industry. The part also landed him numerous awards, including a Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actor in a Series, Miniseries, or Television Film and three consecutive wins for People's Choice Awards for Favorite Comedic TV Actor.

He starred in the television musical from 2009–2015, exiting the series when it ended in season six.

After starring in "Glee," Colfer has focused more on authoring books, building further on his passion for writing.

In early 2017, Colfer published his second book, Stranger Than Fanfiction, aimed at young adults. The book centers on the character Cash Carter, a top-rated television personality who, alongside four of his biggest fans, takes a cross-country road trip ahead of their admission into college.

On October 1, 2019, Colfer released a new book, A Tale of Magic, a prequel to his best-selling series, The Land of Stories, which consists of six books, The Wishing Spell, The Enchantress Returns, A Grimm Warning, Beyond the Kingdom, An Author's Odyssey, and Worlds Collide.

On September 29, 2020, he published the sequel, A Tale of Witchcraft, and the final part, A Tale of Sorcery, became available on September 28, 2021.