Darren Criss is half-Filipino, plays a half-Filipino serial killer but says it would be "unfair" to identify as Asian-American

Vulture

The Assassination of Gianni Versace star admits in a wide-ranging interview with Vulture that he has the "luxury of being half-white and looking more Caucasian," despite also being half-Filipino. So he says he has an advantage over fully Filipino actors like Jon Jon Briones, who plays Andrew Cunanan's father on the FX series. Criss says Ryan Murphy was impressed with Briones, and wondered why he had never heard of him. "He’s a Filipino man, dude," Criss recalls telling Murphy. "There’s only so many opportunities that people can lock themselves into accepting when they’re casting sh*t, unless he’s playing the Thai terrorist on CSI or something." Criss admits that his career has benefitted from his apparent white look. "I just look like a Caucasian guy, which is nice," he says. "I’ve got the multiethnic thing going on. People think I’m like Italian or Mediterranean. No, my mom’s very Filipino. I grew up with a Filipino mom." When asked if he identifies as Asian-American, Criss responded: "No. I think that’d be unfair. I think that’d sound like I’m reaching for the minority card on a college application. I think that would be unfair. Yeah, my mom’s Asian-American. She’s from the Philippines and came here and then married a white guy, and here I am. But maybe it’s because of the way I look. Maybe if I looked a little more pan-Asian and I was put in that box then I would be like, 'Yeah, I identify as Asian-American,' but maybe because the obstacles that may come up haven’t that I don’t think about it. But that’s a really interesting question. I’ve never thought about that. For better or for worse, I guess not. But I guess I am. What do you think? Am I? On paper I guess I kind of am."