Fil-Am actor Darren Criss speaks up against anti-terrorism bill

MANILA – Hollywood actor Darren Criss has weighed in on the new anti-terrorism bill in the Philippines which the administration of President Rodrigo Duterte is currently pushing to become a law.

On Wednesday, Criss used his platform on Twitter in declaring that with the proposed measure, “injustice continues to thrive off the slippery rhetoric of peace maintenance... aka preying on the fears of the voting majority.”

Criss’ tweet came with a link that goes directly to a donation drive related to the measure. It calls for the scrapping of the terror bill and it contains the hashtags #JunkTerrorBill, #MassTestingNowPH and #OustDuterte, among others. 

The Filipino-American actor also reposted another netizen’s art cards sharing more information about the new bill and why many are against it.

“’Anti-Terrorism’ may sound promising but that title does not include the idea that it maximizes criminality for ANYONE who shows any kind of civil opposition -- without a warrant, not to mention enforces totalitarian surveillance to uphold said insanity. I'd be in jail by now,” he said.

Duterte has certified as urgent the bill that would authorize the government to wiretap suspects, arrest them without warrants and hold them without charge for 14 days, among others provisions. 

Opponents of the bill fear it could be used to suppress free speech and harass those who challenge Duterte, who commands a legislative majority and influence within the judiciary and state institutions.

"We think this is against the constitution," said human rights lawyer Jose Manuel Diokno. "Given the broader definition of terrorism, the administration's critics could be tagged as suspected terrorists."

Opposition lawmaker Edcel Lagman criticized Duterte for prioritizing the passage of a bill he described as "draconian" over an economic stimulus package pending congressional approval, which aims to help mitigate the impact of the coronavirus pandemic.

Duterte was "tightening the noose on suspected terrorists at the expense of the protection of human rights and civil liberties," said Lagman, who is also a human rights lawyer. 

Presidential Spokesman Harry Roque dismissed the criticism and said elements of the bill were patterned on those used in countries that had dealt effectively with extremism.

He said the 5-month takeover in 2017 of the southern city of Marawi by militants loyal to Islamic State showed the extent of extremist influence in the country.

"Let us not forget, the remains of Marawi is still there," Roque said. 

Prior to his tweets about the anti-terrorism bill, Criss, whose mother is a Filipino, was protesting the racial inequality in the United States using the same social media platform.

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How Darren Criss overcame his fear of gym bros

Actor Darren Criss, 32, has a lot to say about grooming, diet, fitness and, most important, sleep. Criss, a San Francisco native who lives in Los Angeles, is so obsessed with sleep that he times it to REM cycles. 

He has also started a men’s grooming site, the Motley, with siblings Matthew and Madison Ruggieri, and has just introduced a unisex skin care line called Onekind. Here, Criss, who is in the war drama “Midway” and is filming “Hollywood,” the new Ryan Murphy Netflix show scheduled for release next year, explains his personal care routine.

 Fully Groomed

I have a lot of cleansers, but honestly, this is the one category where I feel like you just need to get your face clean. You use a bar of soap, and as long as it does the job, it’s OK. Then I use Port Products Sol Defense SPF moisturizer. Then, morning and night, I put on Recipe for Men Under Eye Gel.

For night, I’m biased toward my own products. I do the Onekind Midnight Magic serum — there’s retinol in there — and I use that in tandem with Onekind Dream Cream. Every two days or so, I do the Urth Botanical Resurfacing Mask. I love a lot of their products. I also have the Urth Antioxidant Face Complex. It’s like taking your face to the spa.

The Perfect Shave

I have to shave every day for “Hollywood,” the show I’m on, and it’s really tough on the skin. I have to pay attention to the length of my stubble and the kind of blade I use. If I have a few days’ growth, I like the Executive blades from Dollar Shave Club.

But if it’s a day’s stubble, I’m using a safety razor. That’s because razor burn comes from multiple blades and multiple tiny cuts. I’m trying to minimize that by the number of the blades and also how big the blade is.

I use a hot towel to warm up the stubble. I also try to use really hot water to warm up the blade. Lock Stock & Barrel makes a really great shave oil.

One of the most important things, though, is the Urth Post Shave Elixir. I have buckets of it. If I don’t have it, I’m in a panic. I recommend it to anyone. I recommend it to my wife after she shaves her legs. I guarantee you maybe five people in the world care this much about shaving.

The Eastern Medicine Thing

I know it’s a hippie-dippy thing, but I’m a fan of oil pulling. I take a big dip out of a jar of coconut oil and swish that around my mouth. It sounds gross, and it is kind of gross. It’s supposed to pull bacteria out of my mouth.

I think it’s an Eastern medicine kind of thing — let’s face it, they’ve been ahead of everything on this front for millenniums. Someone recommended it to me years ago, and then when I was doing “Hedwig and the Angry Inch” on Broadway, I was literally making out with strangers every night. I did anything I could do to clean my mouth — it was more for their benefit and less for mine.

Sleep King

I’m really militant about sleeping for certain lengths of time. I’ve been doing this for years and years: I make sure I sleep in increments of 90 minutes. It takes me about 10 to 15 minutes to fall asleep and then the 90 minutes to complete a good REM cycle. So, for example, I’d rather get three hours of sleep than four hours.

You know those days when you wake up and you feel really good even though you didn’t really get a lot of sleep? That’s hitting the REM cycle. Or you sleep for a long time, but you wake up in the middle of a REM cycle and your whole day feels awful? I avoid that like the plague. Of course, there are a lot of variables — what you ate, how much you drank — but I try to have my sleep evenly timed out.

A Timed Diet

I’ve been into health and food ever since I was maybe 12 or 13. I was fascinated by the idea that food is fuel in this very nonintellectual way. You need carbs to do this and protein to do that. How it’s translated today is that you see that the digestive system is directly related to everything else. It’s not a subsidiary component.

So I time the way I eat. I don’t mean I’m timing while I’m eating, but you know how if you have dinner plans at 8 with friends? Well, then you don’t eat as much during the day so you’ll have an appetite and enjoy a meal out. I take the same approach with every activity throughout the day.

If I’m working, the snacks and the doughnuts are all lying around, and I have to be careful of that. Otherwise, I’ll feel strung out and tired. I try not to eat three hours before bed, but if I’m hungry, I might have a low-glycemic snack. I’m not going to have a carnitas burrito.

Then one of my biggest life hacks: I’m a huge chia seed person. If chia seed was a brand, I’d be repping them so hard. I soak chia seeds overnight and then do chia seeds and matcha in the morning. They’re the ancient form of good things.

Becoming a Fitness Fiend

I got heavily into fitness in my late 20s. Now I’m a certifiable fitness rat. I work out like I used to play video games. It’s competitive and fun. It’s also meditative. For me it’s really about the cardiovascular benefits and general well-being. If my body is a little more toned, that’s a super-bonus.

When I first started, that entry point was hard to find. I was completely allergic to the bro-y gym culture. “Get swoll, dude!” The thing that changed my life was P90X. I’ve never met him, but Tony Horton is the biggest dweeb in fitness.

I was too embarrassed to go to the gym, and I didn’t want to work out in a public space, and here was a guy who was making the dumbest dad jokes. This guy was all right. I knew this guy from high school.

I now love the social aspect of working out. I have maybe six or seven friends on rotation, and instead of going out, we do a workout class together. It might be HIIT, a Pilates reformer class or yoga. I try to change it up as much as possible. I want to confuse my muscles.

I also love Training Mate in Los Angeles. It’s by these goofy Australians. They’re super-fun and funny. When I’m in New York, Refine is my jam. Fhitting Room is really great.

Making Time for Recovery

A lot of people don’t know how to keep their muscles healthy. They need to do the recovery. Physical therapy is really nice, but it’s expensive. I believe in rolling out the muscles, and that just takes some time. Also, cryotherapy is incredible.

You can do other things, like an Epsom salt bath, and I’m a big fan of the steam shower if you can get access to one. I do it at night too, as it helps me relax before going to sleep.

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Darren Criss marries longtime girlfriend

Darren Criss is now officially off the market. 

The Filipino-American actor married his longtime girlfriend Mia Swier in New Orleans on Saturday, as reported by People.

The magazine said among the couple’s guests include Criss’ “Glee” co-stars Lea Michele, John Stamos, Chord Overstreet and Harry Shum Jr.

Criss, whose mother is from Cebu, shot to fame after portraying Blaine Anderson on "Glee." He first announced his engagement to Swier in January 2018.

"Mia and I have had seven and a half years of fun, wacky, wonderful, CRAZY adventures together. And I’m happy to announce that we’re kicking those adventures up a notch. We’re goin for it. To boldly go where neither of us have gone before. Engage," he said in the caption of his Instagram post at the time.

Swier attended New York University's Steinhardt School for Media Studies and Television Production and worked for television programs such as "Saturday Night Live," according to her IMDb profile.

Criss recently made headlines for his award-winning performance as Andrew Cunanan, who murdered famed fashion designer Gianni Versace, in the anthology series "The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story."

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Darren Criss dedicates Golden Globes win to Filipino mom

Darren Criss bagged a Golden Globes on Sunday (Monday in Manila) for his performance in FX’s “The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story.”

Criss was named best actor in a limited series or TV movie for his portrayal of Andrew Cunanan, the serial killer who murdered five men, including famous fashion designer Gianni Versace, in 1997.

Speaking onstage while holding out his trophy, Criss thanked those who are instrumental to his victory but he certainly did not forget to give credit to his Filipino mom.

“This has been a marvelous year for representation in Hollywood, and I am so enormously proud to be a teeny tiny part of that as the son of a firecracker Filipino woman from Cebu that dreamed of coming into this country and getting to be invited to cool parties like this. Mom, I know you're watching this,” he said.

“I love you dearly. I dedicate this to you. This is totally awesome,” he added.

Born to a mother from Cebu who loves music and performing, Criss has lived a life dedicated to the spotlight.

His "drive" to become a star, he attributed to his mom who, along with his "sneak attack musician" dad, made sure that he grew up surrounded by singing and dancing.

This upbringing meant that pursuing a career in Hollywood was inevitable. In fact, he is still best known for his role in the award-winning musical series "Glee."

In an interview back when was promoting the drama, he revealed that he celebrated getting the part with a trip to his favorite Filipino restaurant in Los Angeles -- an example of just how proud Criss is of his connection to the Philippines.

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'One of my favorite things about myself is being half-Filipino': Darren Criss and his roots

The Filipino runs in his blood. 

Born to a mother from Cebu who loves music and performing, Darren Criss has lived a life dedicated to the spotlight, swaying to the rhythms that would eventually earn him an Emmy -- the first Filipino-American to do so. 

His "drive" to become a star, he attributed to his mom who, along with his "sneak attack musician" (a person who has musical talent but refuses to play instruments, he explained) dad, made sure that he grew up surrounded by singing and dancing. 

This upbringing meant that pursuing a career in Hollywood was inevitable; in fact, he is still best known for his role in the award-winning musical series "Glee." 

Now, Criss holds the distinction of becoming the first actor with Pinoy roots to win an Emmy -- perhaps the highest honor in TV. 

He won for his role in "The Assassination of Gianni Versace" as Andrew Cunanan, the half-Filipino serial killer notorious for murdering five men, including famous fashion designer Gianni Versace, in 1997. 

In an interview back when was promoting the drama, he revealed that he celebrated getting the part with a trip to his favorite Filipino restaurant in Los Angeles -- an example of just how proud Criss is of his connection to the Philippines. 

However, this association faced scrutiny last March, when he was perceived to have renounced his Pinoy roots. 

Speaking with Vulture, he said that it would "be unfair" to have identify himself as Asian-American, likening it to "reaching for the minority card on a college application." 

He did clarify this by writing on Twitter: "One of my favorite things about myself is that I'm half Filipino. PERIOD."

"I happen to not look like it, but that face is not what I like. I like the fact that most people don't know it's an ace up my sleeve, an ace I'm very proud of, regardless of what I look like." 

That love for his Pinoy side shone through when he helped raise funds for survivors of super typhoon Yolanda in 2013. 

Recently, he also took the time out to send his love for those affected by typhoon Ompong. 

"Stay safe. My thoughts are with you. There’s only so much we could do for this side except send love and as many good vibes I can. Look out for each other out there," he said.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Fil-Am actors Darren Criss, Vanessa Hudgens star in new projects

2017 is off to a good start for these Fil-Ams in entertainment.

An American Crime tragedy, a DC-universe superhero comedy, and a crowdfunded origin story of a beloved fandom character are some of the latest projects featuring talented Pinoys in Hollywood.

Yong Chavez talks to the Fil-Am actors on Showbiz Tonight.

Read more on Balitang America

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Darren Criss sings Ed Sheeran song on Glee's final season premiere

HOLLYWOOD - For the sixth and final season of "Glee," it is back to the beginning for Filipino-American star Darren Criss.

Performing Ed Sheeran's "Sing," Criss once again dons the famous 'Warblers' blazer that he wore when he was first introduced on the show.

Criss is joined in the number by Lea Michele, one of the original breakout stars of "Glee."

Since it began airing in 2009, "Glee" has produced many memorable production numbers and breakout stars like Criss and Michele.

In its five years on the air, Filipino talents Charice and Jessica Sanchez have been a part of the award-winning musical comedy about singing underdogs in a small-town American high school.

The show will hold a special 2-hour episode on Friday.

Read more from Balitang America.

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