Chris Colfer

LZ reunites with Chris Colfer, sharing stories about friends like Dot Marie Jones and reflecting on how his podcast began during the pandemic with first guest Jane Lynch and now closes Season 4 with Colfer. Zarian credits Glee and Colfer’s portrayal of Kurt Hummel with healing his own high school experience, while Colfer discusses difficulty accepting praise because Glee was a collective effort and because acclaim was intertwined with intense homophobia and trauma. Colfer describes realizing he was gay in high school, early inspiration from The Wizard of Oz and Mary Poppins, motivation shaped by his sister’s severe special needs, and encouragement from his grandmother Fonda. 

They address losses of Cory Monteith, Naya Rivera, Mark Salling, and Colfer’s mother, grandmother, and aunt, and how grief changed his priorities. Colfer highlights his New York Times bestselling books, his film The Restoration of Grayson Manor, an upcoming adult novel, advice to guard attention and find supportive community, his long relationship with Will, and they briefly sing “Defying Gravity.”

Menu: 

• 00:00 Reunion and Dot
• 00:45 Peaches and Aging
• 02:36 Podcast Origins
• 05:25 Chris Colfer Intro
• 06:58 Glee Changed Me
• 09:20 Praise and Trauma
• 11:17 Coming Out Stories
• 13:42 Wizard Beginnings
• 16:15 Mirror Reflections
• 19:43 Grandma Fonda Boost
• 21:02 Bullying and Kurt
• 28:04 Glee Family Fame
• 31:50 Reboot and Kurt
• 35:26 Loss and Gratitude
• 39:05 Awards and Wrap
• 40:02 Best Seller Breakthrough
• 41:24 Gay Identity And Art
• 44:30 Celebrating A Writing Legacy
• 45:54 Unapologetic Confidence
• 49:34 Restoration Film Deep Dive
• 54:25 Adult Novel Tease
• 55:19 Advice Finding Your Tribe
• 59:09 Relationship Secret Sauce
• 01:00:46 Desert Island Picks
• 01:03:44 Humor And Self Acceptance
• 01:05:40 Singing Defying Gravity
• 01:11:09 Beautiful Because Closing