Glee star Chris Colfer urged not to be 'openly gay' as expert weighs in
EXCLUSIVE: Chris Colfer's revelation that he was urged to stay in the closet after being cast in Glee was "common advice given to stars".
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Nearly 10 years after the iconic Glee ended, Chris Colfer has dropped a bombshell on fans who came to love both the actor and his character, one of the first openly gay students on primetime television Kurt Hummel.
The 34-year-old explained that he was urged to keep his own sexuality a secret when he first booked the sitcom, and did try at the start of his rise to fame.
Speaking on The View, the beloved actor and advocate revealed: “When I started filming the show I had a lot of people tell me; ‘Do not come out whatever you do because it will ruin your career’.”
When the then-teen raised concerns about his fans finding out before he came out, he was advised: “Don’t worry, as long as you never address it you’ll be rewarded for it in the end.”
Unfortunately, PR expert Olivia Bennett told Daily Express this “harmful” advice was on par for the time as Chris first appeared on-screen as a fresh-faced 18-year-old in 2009.
The digital PR account director at Go Up explained: “It's easy to say in hindsight that this advice was wrong, but at the time, it was the usual advice given.
“Management teams want to mould stars to be as marketable as possible, selling an image that will appeal to the masses.
“But being a person that falls under the LGBTQIA+ umbrella they would have felt that it would have hindered and limited that star's reach.”
Olivia assured that in the 15 years since Chris’ casting, public perception and PR strategies have greatly shifted: “It's becoming more acceptable for people to be their authentic selves.
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“Look at young actor Bella Ramsey, they came out as nonbinary in 2023 and landed a role in the now award-winning TV show The Last of Us, where they play a lesbian.”
Chris also admitted that he was “terrified” to play the openly gay Kurt from the start as he had been raised in a conservative community where admitting his truth had been “dangerous”.
While he was willing to hide his sexuality, as much as he could, one fan completely changed his mind as the author recalled meeting a young fan who secretly slipped him an envelope when his parents weren’t looking.
Chris recalled: “I opened it up and it was a little note that said thank you. There was a little paperclip chain in the colours of the rainbow. That moment I knew I had to come out.”
