Darren Criss quotes:

As a composer and as a musician I'm a true believer - and this is not to be overly diplomatic - I'm a believer that there's artistry in everything from a lawn gnome to a desk chair to a symphony to an Andy Warhol painting. There's art in absolutely everything.

When I was in college, I was in the theater department, which for anyone who has been involved in any kind of theater program, you know that it's really wacky and tight-knit, a real family. Me and my good friends from college would do random shows and plays that were sometimes serious, but most of the time really goofy and funny.

I never thought I would meet Mariah Carey, but I really never thought I'd be introduced to her by Whitney Houston. She's like, 'Hey, baby, this is Mariah.' I'm like, 'I know. I'm Darren. I don't know what I'm doing here.'

The cool thing about music is no one can take music away from you, writing wise.

I mean, come on, Beyonce's the queen of pop music. She's the queen. If you could run for queen... I would put her name in the suggestion box. She's incredible.

Fashion is about owning whatever you're wearing, regardless of if it's a high fashion statement or not.

Challenge is good for any relationship.

It's always important to recognize your situation and not take it for granted.

I remember seeing Aladdin when I was five or six and loving it. I looked at the big screen and said to my mum, Whatever this Genie guy does, I want to do. Mum said I couldnt be a genie, but that Robin Williams, who did the voice-over in the film, was an actor. So I said, OK, then, I want to be an actor.

I mean, part of me would love to be a fat tenured professor of theater someday.

I've always enjoyed fashion and dressing up for things, whether it's high fashion or play fashion.

For me, I think everybody with half a heart tries to do their best to do their part of good during the holiday season.

Theater is a living creature. It takes a while to break in, like a new pair of shoes.

I'd like to be writing songs for other people - I just like writing songs.

I play mostly guitar, and I played drums in my brother's band for a while growing up.

I wish I was old Hollywood.

I know. I'm Darren. I don't know what I'm doing here.

I always shoot for the moon in my work, so that I'm happy when I land on the roof.

As an actor it's your job to empathise with your character regardless of whether they have a different sexual orientation, spiritual beliefs, or anything.

As a musician, I hear the harmonic value of everything - I just enjoy music.

Yeah, there has been alot of changes in my life since I started glee...I bought a new sweater...

I'm ambitious in the sense that I raise the bar high for myself.

I don't believe in guilty pleasures. If I like it, I don't feel guilty about it

When you're an artist, you have to hope for everything and expect nothing.

I'm always just waiting for someone to cut me off; I'm a chatty guy.

My name's Darren. I'm a musician, part time idiot. That's a full time job actually.

I'm on cloud nine.. i wouldn't even say cloud nine... more like cloud ten... cloud nine was old news.

I was inadvertently raised in the 'gay community.' I had straight parents, but I spent massive amounts of time at a very early age with gay, theater-hopeful thirty-somethings.

My biggest fear? My biggest fear would be turning into an inanimate object.

The power of a smile goes a long way. My mom taught me that.

Hollywood is a strange, strange thing. I feel like I've been invited to a very exclusive ball and I'm just trying to make nice with everybody and hope that if they kick me out they'll at least give me a ride home.

I'm in a real minority as far as having really supportive parents in regards to the arts. They never batted an eye as far as not letting me do that stuff. That's invaluable. I can't believe how unabashedly supportive they were about everything, between music and acting.

I think people love to attach themselves to the idea of an overnight success. That may be true about me.

I have an unabashed adoration of cheesy pop music.

I remember seeing 'Aladdin' when I was five or six and loving it. I looked at the big screen and said to my mum, 'Whatever this Genie guy does, I want to do.' Mum said I couldn't be a genie, but that Robin Williams, who did the voice-over in the film, was an actor. So I said, 'OK, then, I want to be an actor.'

We are a categorically obsessed culture, where we have to compartmentalize everything in reference to another thing, like, 'What does it sound like? Does it sound like this?'

I'm very specific and ambitious in plotting out my goals and never take no for an answer - so it's not like things just fall in my lap.

When I play live in restaurants and cafes, I don't play my own stuff. I play jazz and 'American Songbook' standards, and I'll fuse it with top 40.

I'm this goofball. I look at myself in the mirror, and the person that I know doesn't match up to what I think people love to perceive me as.

I believe singing should be like being an actor. People shouldn't have any problem buying an actor being in a comedy or a drama or a horror film. That should be the same way with music.

Buy my album because... it's the kind of music you can be friends with. And it's the only way that *pause* aliens won't come to Earth and destroy us. I am sure of this.

People fall in love with a person, not a gender

That which makes you different is what makes you strong. Whether you're gay, straight, purple, orange, dinosaur; I don't care.

Never let what is popular actually define your taste or interests.

There's nothing more badass than being who you are.

Glee is more then just a show now. It's become a wonderful culture celebrating the underdog and glorifying individuality.

Guys Iâ??m kind of nutty, but you have to understand that thatâ??s all just me being myself.

Its always important to recognize your situation and not take it for granted.

Hope for everything, expect nothing.

No one's tried to stab me. That's cool. I enjoy not being stabbed.

I want people to know that there is nothing more badass than being yourself.

Chris Colfer... he's like a... playful wood-nymph.

Please don't kill me, I'm nice.

Be nice people, cause nobody likes an asshole.

What can you expect from me in the next five years? Well... I'll get older

I don't take breaks, man, I'm always doing something.

Im like any other composer. If you give me five years to write a symphony, Im still going to be asking for more time two days before its due.

I would be the worst president in the history of the United States. Unless you want the apocalypse to happen really soon then yes, I'll run for president.

Broadway is not just the song and the shows; it's the individual performers and the community.

After gaining the incredible platform from 'Glee,' it wasn't so much of a decision to get involved as it was an opportunity to take part. I'll be honest, I'm not so much into the idea of one cause being more important than another; however, I felt that the Trevor Project was a perfect fit for my efforts. It stands for a lot of things that I believe in, as well as falls in line with much of what 'Glee' stands for.

We are a categorically obsessed culture, where we have to compartmentalize everything in reference to another thing, like, 'What does it sound like? Does it sound like this?

All my aunts in the Phillipines, they look at me and say 'Darreeeeeen! You so thin! Eat!'

I like orange and blue together, but I would never wear them.

I was consumed by my love for Chris Colfer, and I just couldn't hold it in any longer.

I've been lucky enough to work with the amazing Golden Globe Award winning Chris Colfer and that is fantastic. I get to work with him on a day-to-day basis and he is such a generous talent. Chris and I like to play. He always throws me things and I ping them back to him and it's really fun. We definitely have a very lovely rapport personally - I think on screen too - and I hope you can see that in the characters.

I never let my politics supersede my manners.

I've always been the annoying kid who sang.

No matter what, I will always prefer a live performance. Whether it be a play or a musical, or playing music live. As long as it's live, it's the best because there's sort of an immediacy to connection between an audience and a performer, whereas where you do film or television, you're at the whim of so many different forces.

There's not a damn thing that I do on my own that's not for my fans or for people that have supported me. So I don't really care about my agenda, I wanna be on yours.

I don't shave when I'm not working.

No matter how much we're on our phones, going to the show is the goal - you look at things online and watch videos and read blogs and comment, all so that you can go in person and see it yourself, and meet these people in real life, and then so you can go home and talk about it again on your screen.

The first time you do anything, people always take a minute to try to figure it out, but once you witness it in person, the word starts to spread and it gains momentum year after year.