Darren Criss Says His 'Gratitude' for Ryan Murphy Is 'Endless' After “Glee ”Creator Allowed Him a Special Show First
Darren Criss Says His 'Gratitude' for Ryan Murphy Is 'Endless' After “Glee ”Creator Allowed Him a Special Show First
Sara BelcherMon, April 20, 2026 at 5:23 PM UTC
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Darren Criss; Criss as Blaine Anderson in 'Glee'Credit: Gilbert Flores/Billboard via Getty; FOX Image Collection via Getty -
Darren Criss reflected on his gratitude for Glee, calling his time on the show "special"
Criss credited creator Ryan Murphy for believing in him and allowing him to contribute original music to the series
Other cast members, including Matthew Morrison and Lea Michele, have also expressed appreciation for the show's impact on their careers
Darren Criss is looking back fondly at his time on Glee.
The musical comedy series, centering on William McKinley High's glee club, was a breakout performance for Criss, who played Blaine Anderson, Dalton Academy's lead singer and eventual love interest to Kurt Hummel (Chris Colfer).
Criss made his debut on the show in season 2, maintaining the beloved role until the series wrapped its final episode four seasons later in 2015.
Speaking with host Jesse Tyler Ferguson on the Dinner's On Me podcast, Criss revealed that he still holds his time on Glee in high regard.
"I knew how special it was, and I knew it from the day I got there to the day it ended," he said. "I've always been like, 'Wow, I can't believe I was on Glee.' "
Criss also noted he's "forever grateful" to creator Ryan Murphy "for his belief in me." The actor was the first cast member to contribute original music for the show, including his songs, "This Time" and "Rise," during the show's final season.
Darren Criss in 'Glee'Credit: FOX Image Collection via Getty
"With [my original] music [in Glee], I remember he was totally cool with it. I remember there was an edit. They wanted to cut the song down, and I really asked for the whole thing. He let that happen," Criss noted.
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"Especially when you're not generating your material, you have to rely on your patrons. And he's always believed in me in a way that — I mean, I don't have to explain why it means a lot to me," he continued.
He added the Glee creator "could do no wrong by me."
"He's given me so much. So many good things. And my gratitude is sort of endless," Criss added. "A lot of people were very supportive of me on that show, and by the time I got to write music, I'd been there for a while because it's not something I would've ever pushed forward."
He isn't the only one to continue to credit the Fox network show with their continued success. Matthew Morrison, who played the teacher in charge of the glee club, Will Schuester, recently admitted to PEOPLE that he felt "removed" from the show until his cameo requests brought him back into it.
Ryan Murphy and Darren CrissCredit: Bryan Bedder/Getty for Tony Awards Productions
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"I feel like I've been so removed from it for so long," Morrison said. "Then I just started doing these Cameo things that have kind of gone a little crazy and viral."
Rachel Berry actress Lea Michele also admitted she has a special love for the show, telling PEOPLE in 2025, "The show means so much to me, the work that I did, and I love Rachel so much."
on People
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
