[[quoteright:266:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Colfer2_126.jpg]]

->''"...most importantly, to all the kids who watch our show and the kids who our show celebrates who are constantly told 'no' by the people in the environment or bullies at school that they can't be who they are, or have what they want because of who they are--well, '''screw that, kids!'''"''
-->-- '''Colfer''' at the 2011 UsefulNotes/GoldenGlobe Awards

Christopher Paul Colfer (born May 27, 1990 in Clovis, California) is an American actor, singer and author. He grew up outside of Fresno, CA, doing oral interpretation for the speech team in high school as well as participating in the drama club and doing community theatre, including the role of Kurt von Trapp in ''Theatre/TheSoundOfMusic''.

Then, one day, he auditioned for a little show called ''Series/{{Glee}}''.

Show creator Creator/RyanMurphy was impressed by Colfer's talent and charm; while he actually auditioned for the role of wheelchair-bound nerd Artie, Murphy scrapped a preplanned character and replaced him with the character of Kurt Hummel (named after Colfer's prior role as Kurt from ''Sound of Music'', and the cherubic Hummel figurines), a CampGay countertenor. Much of Kurt's character was inspired by Colfer and Murphy's own struggles growing up gay. Since the show's premiere, Kurt went on to become one of ''Glee''[='=]s most beloved characters, in large part due to Colfer's heartfelt portrayal. (Even Website/TelevisionWithoutPity adores him.) He won a UsefulNotes/GoldenGlobe Award for his work on the series in 2011, and scored UsefulNotes/{{Emmy|Award}} nominations in both 2010 and 2011. He made the Time 100 in 2011, with Creator/DiannaAgron writing a blurb about him.

Colfer has expanded his work beyond ''Glee''. He wrote, executive produced and starred in the 2012 coming-of-age comedy film ''Film/StruckByLightning'', further wrote a young adult novel based on the film, and wrote the pilot script for a potential television series based on the book ''The Little Lost Witch''.

Colfer also made a series of children's novels titled ''Literature/TheLandOfStories'', publishing the first book in 2012. By 2017, he'd published five more books in the series, along with a few related collections of short stories, all of which were equally well-received. Currently, he is writing a {{prequel}} series to ''Literature/TheLandOfStories'' titled ''Literature/TheTaleOfMagic,'' which has been as well received as its predecessor.

He also has a thing for Alpacas.
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!!Exhibits:
* AdorablyPrecociousChild: Often mistaken for one due to being OlderThanHeLooks:
--> '''Colfer:''' Yeah, and honestly, I hate being so young because I feel like those are the kind of questions I never get asked. Usually people ask us, “Who’s your favorite Jonas brother?” rather than “What were you feeling in this scene?”
* AlliterativeName
* BrutalHonesty: There's no doubt he's extraordinarily grateful to ''Series/{{Glee}}'' for propelling him to stardom, but nevertheless Colfer can sometimes be pretty harsh on the show compared to his colleagues. He's come down on it for perceived flaws such as its {{Narm}}, the second season's [[BigLippedAlligatorMoment preference for popular songs over ones that fit the scenes better]], and talked the writers into changing a scene that potentially [[invoked]][[{{Ukefication}} Ukefied]] for Kurt. Also isn't afraid to say things that might upset the show's huge shipping fanbase; he has a decidedly cynical take on Kurt and Blaine's relationship and seems to think of [[SuperCouple Klainers]] as having a bit of a FanDumb, although how much of it is just the usual good-natured ribbing and how much of it is legit annoyance at some of the... [[ActorShipping weirder]] [[YaoiFangirl things]] [[DieForOurShip they've]] [[IneffectualDeathThreat said]] to him is arguable:
--> "Be scared. Be very scared." - ''his advice to Grant Gustin on Klaine fans.''
* CharlesAtlasSuperpower: He developed his ''incredible'' vocal range simply by continuing to sing in a high pitch into adolescence, thereby retaining his childhood range even as his larynx grew to encompass much lower notes too.
* DeadpanSnarker:
** So deadpan that sometimes people actually take him seriously when he's snarking, and then raise a fuss over something he was obviously being sarcastic about.
** Although his fans are completely in the know, and usually find the deadpan jokes to be the most hilarious. Quite a few people laughed out loud when he described everyone waiting for Blaine and Kurt to kiss as perverts.
* MasculineGirlFeminineBoy / SiblingYinYang: He has affectionately referred to his little sister as a 'jock'.
* OlderThanTheyLook: Got pulled over by cops because they didn't believe he was old enough to drive, despite being ''20 years old'' at the time.
* PerformanceArtist: Yeps. He's been doing musical theater all his life.
* SelfDeprecation: He is quite a fan of this type of humor, particularly when discussing his voice and his appearance; in a SugarWiki/{{Funny Moment|s}} in an interview with Conan O'Brien, he compared himself to the child from ''Film/TheOmen''.
* SmokingHotSex: [[http://www.hulu.com/watch/223931/glee-behind-the-glee-original-song#s-p1-sr-i1 Referenced.]] Sort of.
* VocalDissonance: He sounds like a girl. This throws some people. And by "like a girl," we mean "could possibly rival Creator/KristinChenoweth for most beautiful soprano singing voice in showbusiness." And yet, he also has an incredible range, from soprano to a baritone; one radio show flat-out refused to believe that his deep notes in 'Give Up The Funk' weren't computer-manipulated until he gave them a live example on air.
* WiseBeyondTheirYears: Jane Lynch called him this almost verbatim and often talks about his "inner grandma". Has also been called an "old soul" by David Permut, Kevin [=McHale=], and (according to Colfer) random psychics in airports.

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