Culture

Chris Colfer: Being a gay role model can be ‘overwhelming’

Jan 17 2013
Written by Joseph McCormick

Chris Colfer, star of hit TV series, Glee, has said he was “honoured” to be a role model, but that he felt “overwhelmed” by the responsibility of it.

Speaking in an interview with the Metro, Mr Colfer, who also wrote his own children’s book, addressed the number of children who had written letters of thanks, being open about gay rights.

He said: “When I think about the thousands of letters I’ve got from kids saying thank you, I feel very honoured. But, sometimes, the life of a role model can be a little overwhelming – you kind of become the world’s psychiatrist. I try to take it very seriously because there was no one like us to look up to when I was growing up.

“I get letters from kids who confess their deepest, darkest secrets and I want to help everybody but, practically, I just can’t.”

When asked about what he thought the demographic of his fan base was, Mr Colfer, who plays gay character Kurt Hummel on Glee, said: “I would say that 95% of my fans are teenage girls. They write me letters about how they want to convert me and marry me, which is very flattering.”

Last week Chris Colfer, addressed being openly gay as an actor and said that he felt like people had “made a big deal” out of his sexuality.

Speaking at a recent Q and A, the actor said he felt “pigeonholed”, and that people had tried to “typecast” him because he is gay.

Back in July, Mr Colfer’s first book, The Land of Stories, a children’s book, debuted at the top of the New York Times bestseller list.

He previously said he was bullied every day in school for being gay, but that he didn’t tell his parents because his sister had a severe form of epilepsy, and he didn’t want to trouble them with his problems.

Ryan Murphy, who created Glee and NBC’s The New Normal, both nominated for GLAAD awards for being Outstanding Comedy Series, also celebrated the birth of his first child in 2012.