Darren Criss closer to his Filipino heritage than ever before

Darren Criss has grown closer than ever before to his Filipino heritage.

The former Glee star portrays a half-Filipino director in upcoming series Hollywood and reveals he was thrilled to play a character with the same background.

"I've been half-Filipino my whole life," he tells People magazine. "But no one ever asked about it. It's tough, this idea of 'white passing.' It's not even a term I heard of until the past two years. When people have a say in who you are - people you don't even know - it makes you rethink what your balance is. Something you've had down your whole life."

Criss' mother was born in Cebu City in the Philippines and the actor shares he still struggles with how he's viewed in the industry.

"It's a tricky cocktail in America," he admits. "Anyone who is biracial can attest to this: No matter how much or how little they look like their respective mix, it's a constant work in progress. I've always been proud of my history, of being Filipino. Just because people don't see it, doesn't make it any less real to me."

The actor notes he "came out" as half-Filipino while accepting his 2019 Golden Globe award for playing killer Andrew Cunanan in The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story, paying tribute to his mother while on stage. Because of that moment, he insists, "I'm closer to my identity than I ever was before."

Sadly, Darren's father Bill, who was Caucasian, passed away this week after years of battling a rare heart condition.
"Bill Criss has left the building," he wrote. "After many years of coping with a rare heart condition - which, true to his form, very few would have even been aware of - he finally checked out peacefully yesterday morning, surrounded by his loved ones."

Ryan Murphy's new series Hollywood - about the Los Angeles entertainment industry's Golden Age - begins on Netflix on May 1.