Kurt Elizabeth Hummel is a major character on Glee. He is the first openly gay character introduced in the series.
In the beginning of the series, Kurt is in the closet until he comes out to Mercedes Jones and eventually to his father, Burt. He harbors a crush on Finn Hudson and tries to pursue him, despite Finn being straight. He even goes as far as to set up his father with Finn's mother, Carole, just so he could be closer to him, which backfires when Finn uses a homophobic slur against him during an outburst. In the second season, Kurt meets Blaine Anderson and quickly falls in love with him. During the season, Kurt is the target of bully David Karofsky, who turns out to be gay when he kisses Kurt unexpectedly. Scared for his life, Kurt transfers to Dalton Academy with Blaine and they eventually pursue a relationship in Original Song.
During the third, fourth, and fifth seasons, Kurt's relationship with Blaine goes through several obstacles, such as when Kurt flirts with another guy or when Blaine cheats after Kurt moves to New York. Despite this, they realize they will always be in love with each other and get engaged in Love, Love, Love. Sometime before Loser Like Me, they break up, but Kurt later realizes his mistake and sets on a quest to win Blaine back. In A Wedding, Kurt finally marries Blaine.
Kurt is portrayed by Chris Colfer.
Biography
Kurt is introduced as the sassy, stylish student, who often gets thrown into the dumpster by Noah Puckerman and his football friends. He auditions for the Glee Club where he hits an impressive high note. After he's accepted, he is seen singing Sit Down, You're Rockin' The Boat, the first song the Glee Club sings together. At the end of the episode, Kurt performs Don't Stop Believin' with the New Directions.
Kurt joins the New Directions in performing an inappropriate performance of Push It at the school assembly.
Kurt and Mercedes Jones form a friendship out of their fashion rivalry. Mercedes also develops a crush on Kurt. Kurt sees that Mercedes is lonely and he offers to cheer her up by taking her out shopping. The cheerleaders, driven to stir up some petty drama for the Glee Club, manipulate Mercedes into thinking that Kurt is straight and has feelings for her. When she confronts him about their relationship, Kurt, still closeted, lies to Mercedes and tells her that he has feelings for Rachel, although the subject of his real crush is Finn. Jealous and embarrassed, Mercedes throws a rock through the windshield of his car. When Kurt eventually tells her that he is gay, she asks why he was not honest with her. Kurt then admits that he is afraid and does not want anyone other than her to know the truth of his sexuality.
Kurt dancing to Beyonce'sSingle Ladies.
When Burt walks in on Kurt dancing to Single Ladies with Brittany Pierce and Tina Cohen-Chang, Kurt attempts to hide his sexuality by claiming that he has joined the football team and that he is dating Tina. Desperate to gain his father's approval, Kurt actually "auditions" for the team. Much to the surprise of Coach Tanaka, his father, and his teammates, Kurt turns out to be a spectacular place kicker and he scores the final point to win the first game of the season. The players lift Kurt onto their shoulders after the winning kick; he looks to the stands where his father is proudly shouting that Kurt is his son. After the game, Kurt nervously tells to his dad that he is gay. Burt reveals that he has known since Kurt was three and asked for a pair of "sensible heels" for his birthday. Even though he is not entirely comfortable with the situation, Burt reminds his son that he loves Kurt no matter what: that he will always support and be proud of him.
When former Glee club member April Rhodes joins the New Directions, Kurt is initially reluctant to accept her into the club, but is moved to the point of tears after she performs Maybe This Time. April attempts to get him fully on her side by sneaking him alcohol (which he dislikes at first, but accepts after she tells him it will give him courage) and vintage male muscle magazines, which he happily accepts. Emma Pillsbury, the school guidance counselor, eventually sees a haggard-looking Kurt walking through the hallway, drunk. Kurt mistakes her for Bambi and vomits on her shoes.
During a mash-off between the boys and the girls, Kurt tries to work with the girls, only for Mr. Schuester to make him cross back over. The boys perform their mash-up rather enthusiastically, and Kurt feels obliged to tell the girls that all the boys took pseudoephedrine tablets from Will Schuester's wife,Terri, to enhance their performance.
When Sue Sylvester is named co-director of the Glee Club, Kurt is recruited by her to join the minority students to make an elite Glee Club: Sue's Kids. They perform Hate on Me together. He later performs Ride wit Me and Keep Holding On with the New Directions.
Finn debates throwing a slushie on Kurt. Though his teammates will beat him up if he does not do it, Finn is torn. Eventually Kurt slushies himself and asks Finn if he thinks a football player would do that for him.
Kurt singing Defying Gravity.
Mr. Schuester decides that one of the possible song selections for Sectionals will be Defying Gravity from the musical Wicked. Kurt is overjoyed at the idea of getting the chance to sing the song, but his hopes are dashed when Mr. Schuester immediately awards the solo to Rachel Berry. Kurt relays his disappointment to his father and a furious Burt storms down to the school, demanding his son be given the chance to at least audition for the part. Will agrees that it was unfair of him to ignore Kurt's interest in the piece and agrees to let both Rachel and Kurt audition for the solo. It is decided that the club members will vote for the winner, which worries Rachel because she knows that the rest of the students like Kurt better. Kurt, however, asks that the kids choose fairly on the merits of their musical talent, despite him being more popular and a better dresser.
Before the competition takes place, Burt receives an anonymous phone call at work calling Kurt a fag. Kurt has intercepted similar calls for some time and is more disturbed at how badly his father takes the incident. Kurt, not wanting to give his father more grief by singing a girl's song in public, throws the high note during the audition. Burt is disappointed that his son took a dive for his sake, but is touched by his actions, calling Kurt "strong" like his mother had been. Kurt responds by saying that his father is more important than stardom. Kurt later performs Proud Mary with the rest of the club.
When the Glee group is split into pairs and asked to sing ballads to their partners, Kurt and Finn are assigned as partners. Finn of course, is reluctant to pair with a boy, for fear of being pegged as gay. Kurt however, is overjoyed at the idea and attempts to flirt with Finn through the guise of friendship and giving advice for Finn's personal problems. His plan works in that he and Finn become closer friends, but backfires in other ways. In the end, Kurt hints to Finn that he has feelings for the other boy, with his ballad choice I Honestly Love You, but Finn seems to misunderstand.
Kurt's feelings for Finn continue to lead him to behave in a manipulative fashion when he manipulates Rachel with false advice on how to win over Finn, after Quinn has asked him to help seperate Rachel and Finn. Kurt convinces Rachel to take on a sultrier look, like the character Sandy in Grease. While the look does get Finn's attention, Finn admits that he prefers Rachel as she normally is. Rachel then confronts Kurt, who admits that they are both in love with the same man and that as long as Quinn is in the picture, neither of them will ever have him—Kurt less so because Finn is not gay. In the end, although not quite friends, both have bonded over their shared heartbreak. Kurt is seen wearing a blonde wig and dancing with Quinn during the group performance of the mash-up Hair/Crazy in Love.
It is Kurt who suggests the group not to fight against Glee Club's cut from the yearbook, due to all the previous years' Glee Club photos being defaced by the rest of the student body. But in the end, the kids allow themselves to be photographed for the yearbook (which goes on to be defaced as usual). Kurt also joins the rest of the group in taping a mattress commercial. Kurt performs back-up vocals during Jump.
Despite Sue releasing their setlist, New Directions win Sectionals. He is later seen performing My Life Would Suck Without You after the competition. Kurt is seen re-enacting his Single Ladies routine with Brittany and Tina.
Kurt is among the people who confront Rachel on her relationship with Jesse St. James, the lead singer of their rivals Vocal Adrenaline.
Kurt and Mercedes.
When Will grows concerned about how the boys are treating the girls, Kurt suggests that all of them perform Madonna numbers to strengthen the girls' sense of self-worth. Sue enlists the help of Kurt and Mercedes to give her a makeover, and the three of them recreate the Vogue video. However, instead of changing herself, Sue decides to change others and offers Kurt and Mercedes a spot on the Cheerios. Because of their lack of solos in Glee Club, they accept and sing 4 Minutes at a pep rally, shocking Will. He is not pleased by them "joining the enemy camp" asking if they could have warned him beforehand. Mercedes and Kurt, however, respond that he never warned them about passing them up for solos. In the end, Will has no choice, but to accept their decision. At the end of the episode, Kurt and Mercedes receive solos in the episode's closing number, Like a Prayer.
Kurt tries to get closer to Finn by setting their widowed parents up. Finn is not happy with the idea, but Kurt tries to convince him by singing A House Is Not a Home. However, Kurt's plans don't go the way he expected when he finds himself feeling left out when Burt and Finn bond over sports at a "family" dinner. That evening, Burt confronts Kurt about his change in behavior, to which Kurt reveals how much it hurt to see his father connect so much better with Finn than with his own son. Kurt then dismisses his father, so as to avoid crying in front of him. Before leaving, however, Burt asks Kurt if he introduced him to Carole for Burt's sake or for something else, implying he suspects Kurt's attraction to Finn. Unable to deal with this, Kurt conspires with Finn to break their parents up. However, in the end, Finn comes to accept that Burt's relationship with his mother is beneficial to her, after seventeen years of being alone. Finn invites Burt to watch the basketball game with him, during which the two fall into a discussion of sports again. Both however are unaware of Kurt watching them from a nearby window outside crying.
Alongside all of this, his relationship with Mercedes hits choppy waters when he suggests she needs to lose weight so she can keep herself on the Cheerios. He strongly desires to no longer be considered a loser, enjoying his interaction with the Cheerios, such as in the group's hatred of Rachel's personality, stating that "The Glee Club would rather die than see Rachel and Jesse be the new Beyoncé and Jay-Z." He is humbled, however, when Mercedes, thanks to the help of Quinn, realizes that she is fine the way that she is and proceeds to sing Beautiful at a pep rally, after which Kurt apologizes to her.
Kurt is upset to find that he didn't make the Glist, a list of the hottest and sexual members of the glee club, so he, Artie Abrams, Mercedes, and Tina team up with Brittany to bring up their reputation by singing U Can't Touch This in the library, but they are unsuccessful.
Kurt is saddened by the fact that his dad is paying more attention to Finn and in the mistaken belief that if he becomes "straight" his father will love him again, he changes his persona to straight, becoming "Butch Kurt"—a "man's man." He dons flannel and trucker wear instead of his usual lingerie, speaks in a deeper voice, and sings Pink Houses by Mellencamp for Glee, to which everyone listens uncomfortably. He starts dating Brittany, but asks her what it's like to kiss boys during their make-out session. Kurt makes sure his father "catches" him and Brittany kissing, which Burt finds extremely odd, but proceeds to humor him, all the while encouraging his son to be true to himself and saying that he will always support him and to use protection in which Brittany thinks they need security guards.
After being rejected by his father again, in favor of spending time with Finn, Kurt has finally gives up and returns to his true persona singing his own version of Rose's Turn in the The April Rhodes Civic Pavilion, where he is confronted by his dad, who tells him that he likes him as he is, not what Kurt thinks he wants him to be; "Butch Kurt." After finally accepting that his father loves him no matter what, Kurt is at last free again to pursue his feelings towards Finn.
Kurt's role is very minor. He is seen being very excited over the New Directions jean jackets presented by Bryan Ryan.
Kurt during Bad Romance.
When the Glee Club learns that Vocal Adrenaline will be doing Lady Gaga for Regionals, Kurt and the girls don Gaga-inspired outfits and perform Bad Romance. Kurt is elated when Burt invites Carole and Finn to move in with them. Kurt, in an attempt to seduce Finn, goes to elaborate attempts at making Finn feel welcomed. However, he crosses the line of Finn's existing comfort levels. Kurt's flamboyant decoration of their shared bedroom ultimately causes Finn to have an outburst and use a homophobic slur. Burt overhears this and kicks Finn out, despite the problems it might cause his relationship with Carole. Finn proceeds to make several attempts reconciling with Kurt, all of which are rejected, until at last Finn saves Kurt from several bullies attempting to assault Kurt for wearing his Lady Gaga costume, while wearing one of his own.
Kurt assists the Cheerios in winning their Nationals for the sixth time in a row, by singing a medley of Céline Dion in French. Meanwhile, the Glee Club is horrified to discover that Jesse has returned to Vocal Adrenaline and a more intense rivalry explodes between the two groups, climaxing with Rachel being egged by the rival group. Furious, the boys of the group proceed to set out for vengeance. Kurt joins the rest of boys, stating that despite everything Rachel is their friend and that only they may belittle and insult her. In the end, New Directions gets vengeance by performing a funk number in which Kurt shows off the low notes in his range at the beginning. Vocal Adrenaline is not capable of doing a funk number because they are self-admitted "soulless automatons."
Finally the group makes it to Regionals in which they are shocked to learn that Sue is one of judges. Will urges the kids to push on, and they sing a selection of songs from the group Journey. Their performance is a hit, and they receive the support of Josh Groban who feels they had the most heart. However, after Olivia Newton-John dismisses their entire performance, everyone thinks that New Directions should lose. It is only Sue who votes for them to win the competition.
They rank third place, which means that, according to Figgins, the group will be forced to disband. All the kids talk about their lives before joining the Glee Club and Kurt shares how he was not honest about who he was. They sing a "farewell" song to Will, To Sir, With Love, which Sue overhears. Moved by the love that the kids show for Will, Sue asks the principal to give them one more year, allowing the group another chance to win Regionals after the summer.
Personality
Kurt's personality is one of the most multi-faceted in the show, having interests in everything from cars to fashion, and seems to have very high standards for himself.
In the beginning of the show, he appears to be somewhat superficial; Kurt is obsessed with the latest fashions, which are normally of the highest quality and most expensive brands. He is also very obsessed with his hair, spending hours preparing it, and often adjusting it at random intervals, even when performing. While many assume him to just be a snob, the truth is, this is simply a mask that Kurt wears in order to hide his insecurities and fears.
He can be brutally honest, once telling Mercedes she looked like "a technicolor zebra" because of her hoodie. He's very smart, as proven through his quick-witted sense of humor and use of intelligent vocabulary. This was further proven when speaking to Mr. Schuester he told him he wasn't "challenged in the least" at McKinley. He can be manipulative at times, as seen when he tricks Rachel into dressing more like Sandy from Grease in order to win over Finn's affections, despite Kurt's knowledge Finn is attracted to the opposite look in a girl. This side of Kurt is also shown when he sets up Finn's mother with his father to get closer to Finn.
As the only openly gay boy at McKinley, he tries his best to keep strong, a trait that his father and many in the Glee club value in him. However, having no friends at school who he can completely talk to about being gay, he is often seen as a very lonely individual. This loneliness has at times caused his romantic interest in certain boys to become a bit unsettling, as seen during the course of his crush with Finn. When Kurt develops a crush he seems to fall hard, as shown with Finn in Season One and Blaine in Season Two.
Throughout, he is able to persevere through the cruelties of high school. Kurt puts those he cares about before his own wants, despite his superficial exterior, as in Wheels where he throws a high note, thus giving up a solo in order to spare his father the stress of being ridiculed for his son singing a girl's song, and somewhat in Laryngitis, trying to change himself so that he and his father can better relate and because he felt that he wasn't doing enough to help his dad feel comfortable (though this all may or may not be a cover-up). Kurt, like Rachel and Mercedes, can be a bit of a diva at times, but he cares deeply for his fellow Glee Club members, as seen when he wanted to help the boys get revenge against Vocal Adrenaline for egging Rachel. Tina was also picked on by two bullies, but is defended by Kurt. He also told the bullies to pick on him instead.
He has tendencies to lash out and get defensive under pressure, as illustrated particularly in his and Blaine's fight in Blame It on the Alcohol. Kurt, while ambitious, seems to always be generous enough to appreciate real talent. He contends with both Rachel and Blaine for solos, but always acknowledges Rachel's talent and singing ability. Even when competing with her for the lead solo in Funeral, he rises to his feet and applauds and is pulled down by Santana. He is extremely good at keeping secrets, even when his safety is at stake, as seen in his relationship with Karofsky. He is also sensitive enough to forgive him later because he realizes that Karofsky is miserable. Kurt is shown throughout to be a very caring individual, even towards people he isn't close to; such as defending Rory, and shouting at Santana for "attacking" him in Mash Off.
He also has a strong "family first" mentality, as shown in Wheels when he throws the high F in order to protect his father. Kurt is also an extremely forgiving person, seen when he forgives Dave for bullying him, when he forgives Rachel for running for class president, when he forgives Mercedes for busting his window, and when he forgives Blaine for cheating on him.
Appearance
Kurt is slender and quite tall in regards to the rest of his New Directions teammates. His eyes are glasz (blueish, greyish, greenish color), and his skin is very pale and clear. His hair is chestnut and wavy. His pale skin earned him the nickname "Porcelain" from Sue Sylvester. He takes very good care of himself.
He seems to never wear the same outfit twice a week unless under stress or depressed, as shown in Funk. Throughout the seasons, Kurt's fashion trends change, Season One he would always wear large amounts of clothing and as the series continued the layers began to decrease, but staying eccentric all the way through. Ryan Murphy has said this is due to Kurt's journey of accepting himself for who he is.
He has also made changes in his appearance, such as getting a tattoo on his upper back, and a piercing in his tongue during Season Five, as part of his grieving process due to Finn's death. It is implied he took the piercing out.
Relationships
Even before they joined Glee together, Kurt and Finn shared a great deal of interactions due to Kurt's constant abuse at the hands of the football team. Despite the fact Finn never tried to stop this treatment, it was clear that he was never comfortable with it, and often tried to help in small ways, such as allowing him to take off his expensive clothing before getting tossed in the trash. It is revealed a few episodes into season one that at some point Kurt has developed a crush on Finn. Kurt sets up their parents and they are forced to move in together (and share a room, much to Finn's dismay). After a heated argument, some mean things are said between the two, but they eventually make up. After this, Kurt seems to move on from his crush. In Season 2, the bullying gets worse for Kurt and Finn admits to not standing up like a real brother should. He says that he will protect Kurt because he sees him as family.
Friendships
Mercedes and Kurt have been friends since the beginning of the first season, although during their relationship they have had disagreements over things such as religion. They frequently have sleepovers and enjoy spending time with each other. In Acafellas Mercedes develops a crush on Kurt and becomes angry when he rejects her, although she is supportive when he confesses to her that he's gay. Throughout the show's seasons, the pair's friendship strengthens, becoming close friends who are always there for each other. When Burt gets sick, Mercedes takes Kurt to church where she asks everyone to pray for Kurt's father. When Kurt begins his friendship with Blaine, Mercedes begins to feel like a third wheel. When Kurt announces to the New Directions that he is transferring to Dalton Academy, Mercedes seems hurt and steps up to try to convince him to stay at McKinley.
Later, when Kurt returns home in season four, she helps him to get through the days leading up to the results of his dad's surgery. Kurt seems happy for Mercedes' success in Los Angeles and supports her decision to quit the record deal.
In Season Five, Kurt and Mercedes feud again about Tater Tots and sing a duet (I Am Changing) to Santana and Rachel to persuade them to stop fighting.
Solos (In a Group Number)
Song
|
Episode
|
Solos with
|
|---|---|---|
| What It Feels Like For a Girl | The Power of Madonna | Artie, Finn, and Puck |
| Like a Prayer | Finn, Jesse, Mercedes, and Rachel | |
| Bad Romance | Theatricality | Mercedes, Quinn, Santana, and Tina |
| Give up the Funk | Funk | Artie, Finn, Mercedes, and Tina |
| Any Way You Want It / Lovin' Touchin' Squeezin' | Journey | Artie, Finn, Puck, Mercedes, and Rachel |
| Don't Stop Believin' | Artie, Finn, Mercedes, Puck, Rachel, and Santana | |
| To Sir, With Love | Artie, Finn, Mercedes, Rachel, Santana, and Tina |
