Why’d It Take Us This Long To Catch Onto Darren Criss?

This month, FX premiered its long-awaited sequel to 2016’s cultural event, The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story. There was a lot riding on The Assassination of Gianni Versace. Season 1 of the Ryan Murphy anthology series didn’t just show up during awards season. It dominated awards shows while becoming a must-watch show. The Versace season of American Crime Story may not have the culturally-halting effect of the O.J. Simpson season of the show, but it does have something remarkable we need to discuss. Versace has finally given Darren Criss a place to shine.

If you’re a little late to one of the first must-see TV events of the year, Criss plays the serial killer Andrew Cunanan in what is arguably one of the most complicated roles Murphy and his team has ever created. Versace‘s version of Cunanan is very similar to Maureen Orth’s depiction of the murderer in nonfiction book Vulgar Favors. This portrayal paints Cunanan as a charming killer who cannot be trusted as long as his lips are moving. There’s a sensuality to the character, a characterization that aligns with his status as a male escort but also stands as an overt depiction of raw sexuality that LGBT characters are rarely allowed to display on TV. There’s a danger to every move he makes and every lie he tells, but underneath that danger is a sort of manic, self-hating energy, some nebulous thing that immediately signals to the reader or viewer that this character is not well. And on top of all of these things, in Versace the Cunanan character has to be able to carry the story while competing against stronger, more established characters like Gianni Versace and Donatella Versace. This means holding his own against great performances from Edgar Ramirez, Penélope Cruz, and Ricky Martin all without becoming too sympathetic. As history reminds us, Andrew Cunanan murdered five people before killing himself. Even in the middle of a miniseries where he is cast as a protagonist, Cunanan should never be hailed as a hero.

And yet after watching the first eight episodes of The Assassination of Gianni Versace, Criss has been able to balance all of these conflicting and complicated themes beautifully.

There are many roads that led to Criss being the perfect choice to portray Andrew Cunanan. The actor’s biggest break actually came from Ryan Murphy, a show creator who is now partially known for collecting his favorite actors and actresses. After Criss starred in an arc on the ABC show Eastwick, Murphy cast the musically-inclined actor as Glee‘s Blaine, a character who quickly become a major love interest for Kurt (Chris Colfer). After his five-year run on Glee, Criss went on to portray another influential LGBT character, the lead and titular character in Hedwig and the Angry Inch. Criss and Cunanan are both relatively the same age and look similarly. Cunanan killed himself when he was 27 years old, and Criss is currently 30. Both are even half Filipino. There are a shocking amount of similarities, especially when you consider Criss is now living a life Cunanan always craved.

But more than perhaps anything else, Criss is an actor who was almost destined to happen. Before being a YouTube star was an actual profession, Criss’ work made an impression on the platform. Through StarKid Productions, a musical theater company Criss co-founded along with some University of Michigan classmates, Criss’ name was attached to two of the biggest amateur musicals to grace YouTube — Me and My Dick and A Very Potter Musical. Part 1 of Me and My Dick currently has over 1.8 million views and scored a place on the Billboard 200 charts. A Very Potter Musical has over 14 million views and two sequels. That’s not all. Criss’ version of “Teenage Dream” for Glee earned a place on the Billboard Hot 100 for a period of time and is still regarded as one of the best songs from that song-filled show. That’s not even mentioning the fact that Criss’ run as J. Pierrepont Finch in the Broadway revival of How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying — a role he somewhat ironically took over from Daniel Radcliffe — made a shocking $4 million. Darren Criss was going to happen.

So what’s taken us so long? It seems to be a combination of lack of roles on creators’ part and lack of interest from Criss. The actor was on Glee until 2015 and part of the traveling tour of Hedwig until later 2016. He’s been busy, and we as audineces have had a million other projects to pay attention to. However, now the actor has the time, the platform, the intricate role, and the guiding creator to become a household name.

It’s time for us all to embrace how incredibly talented (and incredibly creepy) Darren Criss is. If you’ve been a longtime Criss fan, congratulations. Your time has come. As for everyone else, welcome to the club.

Stream The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story on FXNOW and FX+