Chris Colfer of 'Glee' Writes His Hollywood
Ticket
Actor pens and stars in new movie 'Struck by
Lightning'
NEW YORK (AP) -- When "Glee" star Chris Colfer was 8, he began writing
a novel. He wrote two pages, called it the first chapter and proudly showed it
to his grandmother.
"She said, 'OK, could use some development,'" laughed Colfer in a recent
interview.
That memory was worked into his script for the movie "Struck by Lightning,"
which premiered at this year's Tribeca Film Festival.
Colfer wrote and stars in the movie. He plays Carson, an ambitious
high-school senior who blackmails his fellow students into helping him get into
Northwestern University.
The 21-year-old actor came up with the idea for the story when he was a teen
as a way to vent about his teachers and classmates. He then taught himself how
to write a screenplay.
"I would go to my local Borders in Fresno (Calif.) and I would study Sofia Coppola's 'Marie Antoinette'
published screenplay. I'd sit there -- 'cause I couldn't afford it -- and I'd
read it and I'd read it and I'd teach myself how to screenwrite and how to, you
know, frame everything."
"I was blown away by Chris' script," she said. "The writing has always been
the most important thing to me, and I had an instant connection to his script.
The characters were funny and flawed, especially the part of his mother. Then I
met with him and was completely charmed by him. ... How can he be so talented
and accomplished and charming and be so impossibly young? I can't wait to see
what's next for him. Maybe directing?"
Colfer has just finished a psychological drama he hopes to shoot
independently this summer. He also adapted a pilot for the Disney Channel based
on Florence Laughlin's children's book "The Little Leftover Witch."
He also inked a deal to publish two children's books. "The Land of Stories,"
which will be in bookstores in July, is essentially the completion of that story
he began writing when he was 8.
"It came from me being a young, curious kid holding a book in my hand and
wishing with all my heart that I could just fall into the book and go on these
adventures with all the characters," he said.
Colfer said he told his parents when he was growing up that he was going to
write and act, and he has made good on those bold declarations.
Description:
Frankie's new employer Dr. Goodwin (Jack McBrayer) isn't too pleased with her lack of punctuality. "The Middle" airs Wednesdays at 8 p.m. ET/PT on ABC.
