I'll admit it...I'm a Gleek. There, I said it. I can't get enough of New Directions' bubble gum-infused songs and ridiculously silly story lines. I've car-danced the heck out Don't Stop Believing. Please don't judge me.

And while the show is considered an ensemble, some of the actors' gold stars burn a little brighter. McKinley High's resident diva Lea Michele may be off offending teenage boys with her in-your-face cleavage and Matthew Morrision may be getting soccer moms all hot and bothered with his debut single, Summer Rain, but the real star of Fox's Glee is the fashion forward gay kid with the killer falsetto played by actor Chris Colfer.

While much of the early attention was bestowed upon Michele, Jane Lynch, and Matthew Morrison, it's Colfer who has quickly become the breakout star, winning both praise and awards for his portrayal of bullied teen Kurt Hummel.


Colfer, along with TV boyfriend Darren Criss, graced the cover of Entertainment Weekly in January for an article examining gay teens on television. The actor has become the unofficial spokesperson for anti-bullying in schools, going so far as to address the topic head on during his Golden Globes acceptance speech. "To all the amazing kids who watch our show and the kids that our show celebrates," said Colfer, "who are constantly told 'No' by the people in their environments -- by 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!"


In addition to his Golden Globe win for Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy or Musical, Colfer also won a Screen Actor's Guild award and a Teen Choice award. Most recently he was named one of Time's Most Influential People of 2011, an honor he shares with other famous folks, among them Facebook founder Mark Zuckerburg and Julian Assange, the man behind WikiLeaks. Suck it, Rachel Berry!

After Glee wraps filming for the season and the summer tour comes to an end, the actor will star in the coming-of-age comedy Struck by Lightning, which he also happened to write. This past week Colfer continued to expand his mini-empire by reaching a development deal with the Disney Channel to bring the children's book The Little Leftover Witch to the small screen.

At only 20 years old, it looks like Colfer has a long and successful career ahead of him. With his work in front of the camera, behind it, and in the public eye, the actor has proven himself to be a positive role model for teens around the world, gay or straight. Now will somebody go turn on Teenage Dream? That Darren Criss has the voice of a perfectly-coifed, blazer-wearing angel.

Who's the true star of Glee?