Chris Colfer shot to fame on the long-running television show Glee where he played gay teenager Kurt Hummel. He later went on to become a successful author.
In an interview on The View to promote his latest book Roswell Johnson Saves the World. It’s the 20th book Colfer has authored to date.
Colfer shared that early in his career that he was advised to keep his own sexuality a secret with advisors telling him his career would be damaged if people found out he himself was gay.
“I grew up in a very conservative town where being openly gay was dangerous. I remember when I got on the show, 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 some things could not be repressed. “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.’”
Colfer shared that he decided to completely ignore the advice when during a promotional tour for the show a young fan quietly slipped him an envelope. Inside was a note. It simply said, “thank you”, and it was accompanied by a chain of paperclips in the colour of the Pride flag.
“In that moment I knew, I have to come out.” Colfer said.
Colfer also spoke about how his books have been targeted by right wing Christian organisations because they include LGBTIQA+ characters.
“It’s never fun when people turn up with guns to School Board meetings and demand that your books are taken off the shelves.” Colfer said of the book ban movement sweeping the USA.
“But the free press is nice.” he added.
“It’s a really unfortunate time that we’re living in where books like mine, that are completely innocent, are being targeted simply because of who wrote them.”
Colfer also shared his memories of working with The View’s Whoopi Goldberg when she made an memorable appearance on the show. They shared a scene where Colfer got to perform a number by Australian gay icon Peter Allen.
