Though he's an extremely talented actor, makeup and hair do help him get into character for the Broadway stage. "If you put on big lashes and contouring [makeup] and look at yourself in the mirror, suddenly you're a tiger," he batted his eyelashes and flicked his wrists. I see a glimmer of Hedwig. "Obviously heels change the way you walk, and the way a dress hugs your body changes the way you move. Everything informs the way that you carry yourself, especially when you're playing a character. That all really gets me into the mode — just like the hair did for me with Blaine."
But at the end of the day, Darren doesn't take his grooming lewk too seriously. "I've been given this responsibility that I didn't necessarily ask for, but I've been honored with it, so it is my responsibility to try to step up to the plate," he said both of playing socially conscious roles and being a sartorial inspiration. "Pictures of me just walking down the street are available to everyone, forever. Luckily, I'm a guy so it's cool if I look stupid, and that's been my MO for a long time."
From this end of the conference room, the Broadway star looks pretty damn cool.
