Having watched “Glee” religiously in my teenage years, there are moments from the show that I will never forget — the ones that have left such a significant impact on my life, no matter if it’s because of the song, the way it’s sung, or what the context of the performance was in the episode.
One of these moments — and I’m sure most former Gleeks will agree — is Blaine Anderson’s introduction and his performance of “Teenage Dream.”
Believe it or not, that scene premiered on television 10 years ago! Actor Darren Criss took to his Instagram to celebrate the anniversary of his first appearance in the once-beloved show and to look back on his experience portraying one of the best characters he has ever played.
“Today marks the 10 year anniversary of my first appearance on ‘Glee’ as Blaine Anderson in the episode ‘Never Been Kissed.’ And while a number of you by that point may have already been pretty familiar with me as a totally awesome boy wizard or a Disney song nerd from the internet stage, no one can deny that Glee’s world presence catapulted my life to an entirely different level, and gave my career the opportunity to carry on in the way it’s been able to for the past decade,” Criss began on his post.
Prior to doing “Glee,” Criss was already known for portraying Harry Potter in the musical parody “A Very Potter Musical” which became an internet sensation in mid-2009. His inclusion in the Ryan Murphy-helmed series instantly shot him to fame.
“And it all happened through a literal song and dance that I could not be more proud of and grateful for. So whether you’re a Glee fan from back in the day, continue to re-watch it, or watching it now for the first time, thank you for allowing Blaine into your life,” he continued. “People always tell me how Glee changed their life, and I’m always happy to remind them how yeah, it changed mine too. And how they, and you reading this, are a part of that. So thank you.”
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He then announced his plans to hold a live stream charity concert for the benefit of those greatly affected by the global pandemic. “I’m calling it DEC•AID, and I’ll be sharing songs, stories, and never-before-seen content from those good ol’ Glee days. I’ll even be auctioning off some special personal items to see if we can raise some extra dough!” he announced.
The show will be live on Saturday, November 29 at 5 AM Philippine time. For more details, click this link. http://www.darrencriss.com/decaid
“This is something I’ve been wanting to do for a very long time, but just needed the right occasion. And between today’s anniversary, the holidays coming up, and the general sense of hope now in the air, the timing felt right,” he added.
“Love you all, thanks for hangin’ with me and Blaine all these years. Here’s to many more!”
(ALSO READ: For the Second Time this Year, Darren Criss Wore Another Custom Francis Libiran)
Criss is currently married to Mia Swier, a writer and producer who also worked on “Glee.”
Relive the magic of his performance of “Teenage Dream” in the video below!
What are your favorite moments of Blaine in the “Glee” series? Share them in the comments below!
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