On last week’s Glee, new series regular Darren Criss made his debut with a version of Katy Perry’s “Teenage Dream†that’s already one of the biggest-selling songs in the show’s history. Before he was Blaine — a student from a rival high school and possible love interest for Glee’s Kurt Hummel — Criss was best known to the Internet as the star of YouTube hit A Very Potter Musical. Naturally, then, he made an appearance at last night’s New York premiere for this weekend’s Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1. We spoke with him on the red carpet about what we can expect from Blaine.
Obviously, you’re a Harry Potter fan.
I love the books. I love everything about it. I’m wearing a Hogwarts tie. I was involved in a musical in college and I played Harry and wrote songs for those two shows we did. I never would have thought it would lead to me actually being here. Like on the red carpet with Rupert Grint.
Have they seen the musical?
I have no idea. I wonder. I mean, they’re so busy. I doubt it. Someone sent me something that Tom [Felton] had actually seen it, but I don’t think he really had. Someone asked him a question about it and I think he was being incredibly charming as usual and just nodding his head and saying yes. But I appreciated the gesture. It was very sweet of him to pretend like he knew what they were talking about.
Your cover of “Teenage Dream†is one of the best-selling Glee songs ever. Have you talked to Katy Perry?
Not personally. I would love to. I’m a huge fan of hers, and Russell. [Takes off jacket.] How do I look? Do I look cool? As long as you can see the tie. What we were saying? Oh, I’m a huge fan of Dr. Luke and Max Martin, the guys who wrote “Teenage Dream.†I’m a songwriter, so those are the heroes that I look up to. If I got to meet them, that would be insanity. I would freak out.
Will “Baby It’s Cold Outside†— your duet with Kurt, from the Glee Christmas album — be on the show’s Christmas episode?
We’ll see. It’s on the Christmas album. We recorded it a while ago.
There’s a line about how Kurt’s “lips look delicious.â€
It’s in the song. We’re just singing the song. It’s a classic song. So we’ll see if it makes its way into the script. I think it would be really fun.
But one guy singing about another guy’s lips, is that okay for network TV, or are we not there yet?
We’ll see. We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it. I mean, the song’s always cut up in a certain way. If we do it, we’ll see how it gets cut up. I don’t know if they’ll use that line.
Does the duet mean there’s going to be a romance?
I don’t know. Chris and I are just as curious as everybody else. I think the most important thing right now is that Kurt has a support system, and it’s important for gay teens watching to recognize that. I think if it does evolve to a romantic relationship … at this point, it’s neither here nor there. We’re just showing this notion of camaraderie and that there is a place to confide in. And if it does evolve in that way, let’s hope that it’s organic and right for the story. And I’m all about it, but I trust the writers. They know what to do.