As DC superhero shows.
In this expansive array of genres, Criss has garnered acclaim for playing everyone from a musical supervillain to a real-life serial killer. Here are Darren Criss's top ten roles, ranked according to the Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer:
Hollywood (57%)
Criss portrays movie director Raymond Ainsley in this flashy Netflix drama, which chronicles (and heavily fictionalizes) the Golden Age of Hollywood. Ainsley hopes to revolutionalize the film industry by combatting its pervasive discrimination, and he ultimately succeeds with the award-winning movie Peg. At the end of the series, Camille Washington (Laura Harrier) wins an Oscar for her raw portrayal of Peg's eponymous character, a discouraged starlet who considers jumping off the Hollywoodland sign.
Although Raymond Ainsley and Camille Washington are fictional people, several of the show's other characters existed -- including Hattie McDaniel (Queen Latifah), Anna May Wong (Michelle Krusiec), and Rock Hudson (Jake Picking). All of these actors faced exclusion and mistreatment at the hands of a prejudiced film industry, which is both explored and altered by Murphy's vision of Hollywood.
Glee: The 3D Concert Movie (60%)
In addition to his five-season run on the musical dramedy series, Criss embodied kindhearted belter Blaine in 2011's Glee: The 3D Concert Movie.
This "documentary" follows the Glee cast on their real-life North American tour in 2010 and 2011, featuring backstage scenes of the actors in character (as if it really is the glee club on tour!).
Glee (71%)
Criss began playing the exuberant Blaine Anderson in season two of Glee and remained on the show until its sixth season conclusion. In tandem with his impressive musical chops, Blaine's empathy and vulnerability made him eternally delightful to watch.
Blaine begins as a Warbler at the elite Dalton Academy but leaves to New Directions at McKinley High, where he strikes up a longstanding romance with Kurt (Chris Colfer). Kurt and Blaine ("Klaine") are one of Glee's most beloved couples, and despite their frequent hiccups, the two gleefully marry in the show's final season!
The Wind Rises (88%)
This Studio Ghibli film won the 2014 Japan Academy Film Prize for Animation of the Year and was nominated for Best Animated Feature at the 2013 Oscars.
The film follows Jiro, whose aspiration to be a pilot is foiled by his poor vision; instead, he attends Tokyo Imperial University for engineering and subsequently invents a fighter plane used in World War II. In one scene, Criss's Katayama wonders what his classmate is up to during lunch, asking, "What on Earth is Jiro working so hard on?" Criss's energetic voice captures the youthful attitude of this character, who isn't quite as studious as Jiro.
Supergirl (88%)
Criss portrays the conniving Music Meister in Supergirl's season two episode "Star-Crossed," in which he sends Supergirl to another, much more lyrical reality than our own. Before hopping into a portal to this alternate world, the snazzy villain declares, "Ladies and gentlemen, this dimension has been so much fun.
I've had a blast, but I've got to go chase down the fastest man alive. Toodles!" Criss delivers these lines with gleeful suave, which might make you forget that he plans to execute a twisted scheme! Supergirl later meets up with the Flash in the crossover episode "Duet."
The Flash (89%)
In the crossover musical episode that directly follows "Star-Crossed," Supergirl and the Flash (Grant Gustin) must defeat Music Meister, who has sent them both into an alternate reality of musical mischief. Music Meister tells them, "You're in a movie musical. So all you have to do is just follow the script."
Pretty easy to say when you're the musical's mastermind! In a departure from his well-intentioned musicality on Glee, Criss perfectly inhabits a villain who uses music for foul play. Fun fact: Melissa Benoist, Darren Criss, and Grant Gustin all appeared in Glee as well.
Archer (91%)
Criss appears in Archer's season two episode "Placebo Effect," portraying a member of the Irish mob whom Archer interrogates for information on a drug he was taking for chemotherapy.
Criss's character Mikey spills the beans after watching Archer murder his fellow mobsters. Learning that the drug was supposed to treat cancer, Mikey asks, "Chemo? They just told me it was cream for male-pattern baldness," after which Archer strongly defends the thickness of his hair.
American Crime Story (93%)
In his Emmy and Golden Globe Award-winning role, Darren Criss delivers a stirring portrayal of Andrew Cunanan in American Crime Story: The Assassination of Gianni Versace.
Despite its name, the second season of ACS is more concerned with Cunanan than Versace; as such, Criss draws viewers in with his sometimes sensitive -- and sometimes shocking -- portrayal of Cunanan, who killed Versace and four other people in 1997. Criss is enrapturing as Cunanan, whose emotional trajectory becomes increasingly amplified throughout the course of his killing spree.
Batman VS Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (100%)
Criss voices Raphael in this momentous crossover film, which follows Batman and the Ninja Turtles in their battle against beloved villains like Joker, Harley Quinn, Ra's al Ghul, and Shredder. However, it isn't simply a matter of good versus flashy evil; Batman is somewhat territorial about Gotham and doesn't play nice with the Turtles.
In one tense scene, Batman tells them, "You four are impulsive, and you don't follow orders. I want you out of Gotham." Raphael doesn't concur, however, and advocates for solidarity in the fight against their foes: "Sure, we make mistakes. Sure, we make the wrong moves. But we can't get better if you don't trust us. We're a family, and learning from your mistakes together is how a family works."
The Tale Of The Princess Kaguya (100%)
A Best Animated Feature nominee at the Oscars, this 2014 anime film follows Princess Kaguya's inner conflict when she attempts to transcend the royal destiny that her family has planned. In the English version, Criss voices her endearing friend Sutemaru, with whom Kaguya falls in love. (Spoiler alert: the feeling is definitely mutual).
Gentle, pleasant visuals in the film belie a quite tragic narrative about humanity; Kaguya wants to be human, but she did not sign up for the stringent life of royalty that is foisted upon her.