AssetID: 53820249
Headline: UNCAPTIONED: Chris Colfer was told coming out as gay would ruin his career
Caption: Chris Colfer was told coming out as gay would ruin his career. The actor, who played openly gay high school student Kurt Hummel in the musical TV show revealed on The View that he was warned not to come out as gay when he first started shooting the series. ”I remember when I got on Glee, the role was written for me, and I did not know what the role was gonna be, and so I opened the script and when I read the script for the first time was when I saw that it was an openly gay character and I was terrified.” "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.' So I hid for a little bit. But I also told them, 'I can't hide it with my voice... I'm more effeminate than most people. I can't hide it.' And they said, 'Don't worry. As long as you never address it, you'll be rewarded for it in the end.’" However, the 34-year-old actor was inspired to come out anyway after he met a young boy at a poster signing event before Glee started airing in 2009. After the fan slipped him a thank you note featuring a rainbow paperclip, Colfer knew he had to be open about his sexuality. ”At the time, I was thinking, 'Okay, yeah, if I'm an openly gay actor, yeah, I may never win a major award. I may never get to play a superhero.’" "But I think being a beacon of positivity and providing that comfort for people is way more important than attention.” Colfer won a Golden Globe and was nominated for two Emmys for his portrayal of Kurt in Glee, which aired between 2009 and 2015. THIS VIDEO MUST NOT BE EDITED FOR LENGTH TO COMBINE WITH OTHER CONTENT
Keywords: Chris Colfer,Coming out,Gay actor,Career warnings,Glee,Kurt Hummel,The View,Role written for him,Terrified by role,Warned against coming out,Hiding sexuality,Effeminate voice,Rewards for secrecy,Inspired to come out,Young fan encounter,Rainbow paperclip note,Open about sexuality,Beacon of positivity,Providing comfort,Golden Globe winner,Emmy nominations,Glee series,2009-2015
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