Chris Colfer Archives - Big Gay Picture Show

Glee’s Chris Colfer To Play Gay Writer Noel Coward, With Ian McKellen Starring Too

May 14, 2014 By Tim Isaac Leave a Comment

It’s going to be a gay old time on the set of Noel this summer, with Chris Colfer and Ian McKellen teaming up for a biopic of the legendary Noel Coward. Vanessa Redgrave and Jonathan Pryce will also star, according to Screen Daily.

The film will follow Coward’s early life and inspirations, which led him to become the famously flamboyant raconteur and writer behind plays like Blithe Spirit, Private Lives and Hayfever, scripts such as Brief Encounter and songs like Mad Dogs And Englishmen. He was also an actor, perhaps most famously playing Mr. Bridger in The Italian Job.

Coward was gay, although as with most people of his era (he lived from 1899 to 1973) this was never mentioned while he was alive, although it was obvious and even Noel himself once observed ‘There are still a few old ladies in Worthing who don’t know.’ He also encouraged his secretary to write a frank biography which was to be published after he died.

This will be set before all that, although are no exact details on what period of his life the movie will cover. Colfer takes the role of Coward (let’s hope he’s been practicing his posh English actor, as Noel had a very distinctive voice), but it’s now known who McKellen, Redgrave and Pryce will be.

Martin Sherman wrote the script, who has a good pedigree with gay-themed project, having written Bent. Joe Stephenson (Chicken) will direct.

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ACTORS: Chris Colfer, Ian McKellen, Vanessa Redgrave, Jonathan Pryce FILMS: Noel

Glee – Season 4 (Blu-ray)

October 6, 2013 By Tim Isaac Leave a Comment

Starring: Chris Colfer, Cory Monteith, Lea Michele, Matthew Morrison, Jane Lynch
Director: Various
Running Time: 924 mins
Certificate: 12
Release Date: October 7th 2013

It’s all change in the world of Glee. Many of the main characters have graduated, so Kurt (Chris Colfer) and Rachel (Lea Michele) have headed off to New York, initially Finn (Cory Monteith) is in the army, while others have headed off to various other places.

That means there’s space for some new Glee Club kids at McKinley High, while a few of the old faces are still waiting to graduate. Meanwhile Will (Matthew Morrison) and Emma’s (Jayma Mays) relationship is at a crossroads and most shockingly of all for fans of Klaine, Kurt and Blaine’s (Darren Criss) love may not be able to withstand the distance between them! [Read more…]

Struck By Lightning (DVD)

October 1, 2013 By Tim Isaac Leave a Comment

Starring: Chris Colfer, Allison Janney, Rebel Wilson, Christina Hendricks, Dermot Mulroney
Director: Brian Dannelly
Running Time: 86 mins
Certificate: 12
Release Date: September 30th 2013

Chris Colfer made his name as Kurt on Glee. While that keeps him pretty busy, he’s found time to write some children’s books and also the screenplay for Struck By Lightning. The fact he’s still only 23 is quite sickening.

He also takes the lead role here as Carson Phillips, who in the first few seconds of the movie is hit by lightning and killed. The film then flashes back to see how he got to that point. Carson is a senior in high school with dreams of becoming a journalist. He knows where he wants to work and what university he intends to go to – and he’s determined to get there. [Read more…]

Glee’s Chris Colfer Talks Being ‘Pigeonholed’ For His Sexuality

January 4, 2013 By Tim Isaac Leave a Comment

Glee star Chris Colfer doesn’t even seem to want to be pidgeonholed as an actor – he’s also written and produced the movie Struck By Lightning and had a book he authored on the New York Times Bestseller List – and he isn’t keen on being typecast as gay either.

He’s recently been talking about that and the presumptions made about him because of his sexuality. Indeed, he feels others have made a bigger deal about him being gay than he has.

He says, “I’ve never made it a big deal, it’s everyone else that’s always made it a big deal. I don’t think I’ve ever tried to be something that I’m not. I think people do that for you.

“People try to pigeonhole you. People tried typecasting me before they even saw me in anything else. I never understood that – why don’t you wait until my next project before you start telling what my career is going to look like for the next ten years.”

He’s certainly trying to defy expectations by becoming a multi-hyphenate, although we’ll have to wait and see whether he is typecast as gay in his acting career after he ends his stint on Glee.

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ACTORS: Chris Colfer

Chris Colfer’s Struck By Lightning To Close Outfest

June 5, 2012 By Tim Isaac Leave a Comment

Young gay actor Chris Colfer has gained a huge legion of fans playing Kurt in Glee, but he’s more recently been showing he’s a bit of a writer too, as he penned the screenplay for Struck By Lightning, which he also stars in. It’s now been announced that the film will close Outfest, LA’s major LGBT film festival.

The film sees Colfer as a young man who, after being struck and killed by lightning, recounts the way he blackmailed his fellow high school classmates into contributing to his literary magazine. Christina Hendricks, Dermot Mulroney and Allison Janney also star.

As we reported a couple of weeks ago, Jeffrey Schwarz’s documentary Vito will open Outfest on July 10th, which is about Vito Russo, one of the founding fathers of the gay liberation movement and a vociferous AIDS activist in the 1980s (and probably best known as the author of The Celluloid Closet). Struck By Lightning closes the festival on July 22nd.

Colfer’s film is one of 147 films from 24 countries that will play at the festival. Other movies that will screen include Brenda Fricker and Olympia Dukakis’ Cloudburst; Alan Cumming and Garret Dillahunt’s Any Day Now; Lance Bass’ Mississippi, I Am; Michael Urie’s Thank You for Judging; and Thora Birch, Christine Lahti and Brittany Snow in Petunia.

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ACTORS: Chris Colfer DIRECTORS: Brian Dannelly FILMS: Struck By Lightning

Watch Clooney, Pitt and Co. In 8: A Play About The Fight For Marriage Equality

March 4, 2012 By Tim Isaac Leave a Comment

Last night a ridiculously star studded ensemble gathered in LA to participate in a reading of Dustin Lance Black’s play, 8, about the fight for marriage equality in California and more specifically the court case that struck down Prop 8, which has banned same sex marriage in the US’ most populous state.

However if you didn’t stay up to watch the livestream which hit 3.45am UK time, the whole thing is now on Youtube, and we’ve embedded it above. As often with staged readings of plays, it’s slightly static and a little hammy, but it still works and the starry ensemble is certainly impressive.

If you want to watch, start the video above and then click “Skip ahead to start” to get to the beginning, about 30 minutes in. It’s well worth watching, with Brad Pitt, George Clooney, Kevin Bacon, Jane Lynch, John C. Reilly, Chris Colfer, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Cleve Jones, George Takei, Yeardley Smith, Christine Lahti, Jamie Lee Curtis, Matthew Morrison and Matt Bomer all taking part.

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ACTORS: George Clooney, Kevin Bacon, Jane Lynch, John C. Reilly, Chris Colfer, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Cleve Jones, George Takei, Yeardley Smith, Christine Lahti, Jamie Lee Curtis, Matthew Morrison, Matt Bomer, Brad Pitt

Brad Pitt Joins Clooney & Co. In Star-Studded Prop. 8 Play Reading

March 1, 2012 By Tim Isaac Leave a Comment

It was already set to be one of the most star-studded plays in history, and now it’s got even starrier as Brad Pitt has signed up for this Saturday’s staged reading of Dustin Lance Black’s play, 8.

He joins George Clooney, Kevin Bacon, Jane Lynch, John C. Reilly, Chris Colfer, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Cleve Jones, George Takei, Yeardley Smith, Christine Lahti, Jamie Lee Curtis, Matthew Morrison, Matt Bomer and others in the one night only event, which hopes to raise millions for the fight for marriage equality.

Black’s play is based on transcripts and interviews with those involved in the court case that sought to overturn Proposition 8, which banned same sex marriage in California. Brad Pitt will star as Judge Vaughn R. Walker, the man who found Prop. 8 unconstitutional.

Until now this incredible starry event looked like it would be limited to the lucky few who managed to snag a ticket to attend the reading at LA’s Wilshire Ebell Theatre. However, it’s now been announced that the whole thing will be livestreamed free on Youtube. The only snag being that as it takes place at 7.45pm LA time, that’s 3.45am in the UK.

Black wrote the play because he believes people need to witness what actually happened in the case, and the Youtube stream is part of that. “People need to witness what happened in the Proposition 8 trial, if for no other reason than to see inequality and discrimination unequivocally rejected in a court of law where truth and facts matter,” said Black. “I’ve built my career around exposing and uncovering ‘the real story.’ The goal of 8 is to show the world that marriage equality is a basic constitutional right and that those who would deny this basic freedom from loving, committed couples have only vitriol and baseless hyperbole to fall back on. The facts are on our side and truth always finds the light. We are doing all we can to help speed that process along.”

You can watch director Rob Reiner’s announcement about the livestream here, and you’ll be able to return there on Saturday night to watch the star-studded production.

Struck By Lightning Trailer

February 21, 2012 By Tim Isaac Leave a Comment

Chris Colfer made a huge splash playing the camp and loveable Kurt on Glee, and now despite only being 21, he’s showing off a whole new talent by not only starring in Struck By Lightning, but writing the script too. Christina Hendricks and Dermot Mulroney also star in the indie flick, which sees Colfer as a young man who, after being struck and killed by lightning, recounts the way he blackmailed his fellow classmates into contributing to his literary magazine.

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ACTORS: Chris Colfer, Christina Hendricks, Dermot Mulroney DIRECTORS: Brian Dannelly FILMS: Struck By Lightning

Chris Colfer and Kevin Bacon Join Prop. 8 Play Reading

February 15, 2012 By Tim Isaac Leave a Comment

It’ll be one of the most star-studded plays in history! On March 3rd at LA’s Wilshire Ebell Theatre, a special gala reading is taking place of Dustin Lance Black’s play, 8. The cast has now been completed with Chris Colfer (Glee), Kevin Bacon, and John C. Reilly signing on to join the already starry ensemble, all supporting the fight to have Prop 8 – which banned gay marriage in California – repealed.

Colfer, Bacon and Reilly join George Clooney, Jane Lynch, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Matt Bomer, Jamie Lee Curtis, George Takei, Matthew Morrison, Yeardley Smith, Campbell Brown, Rory O’Malley, and activist Cleve Jones in the production, which will be the West Coast premiere of the play. 8 is based on the transcript of the court case that overturned Proposition 8 (a decision that is currently working its ways through the appeals court), as well as interviews with the plaintiffs and their families.

Chris Colfer will play Ryan Kendall, a young man who testified about his experience being sent by his parents to so-called “reparative therapy” as a teenager. John C. Reilly will play United States District Chief Judge Vaughn R. Walker, who found Proposition 8 unconstitutional after presiding over the historic 12-day public trial. Kevin Bacon will play Charles J. Cooper, the lead attorney for the anti-marriage proponents of Proposition 8

It’ll certainly be an interesting evening, although if you want to go, you’re out of luck as tickets for the charity event have long sold out. The one-night-only event is expected to raise $2 million for the American Foundation for Equal Rights.