Who Is Mia Swier? New Details About Darren Criss' New Wife
The two got married in New Orleans this weekend.
Instagram The days following Valentine’s Day this year was the most romantic for Darren Criss, who tied the knot on Saturday, Feb. 16. He and girlfriend Mia Swier celebrated a destination wedding in New Orleans. Both bride and groom were in white, surrounded by friends and family and old co-stars. Guests included Lea Michele, Harry Shum Jr., Chord Overstreet, and John Stamos.
Criss’ most recent work has earned him a lot of attention. He earned three awards for his starring role in Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story. His accolades include a Screen Actors Guild award, a Golden Globe, and the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series or Movie.
Aside from his role as Andrew Cunanan, Criss is well-known for his role as Blaine on Glee. He announced recently that he will no longer play gay characters to stop taking potential roles for those who identify as gay. Criss, however, has not always played gay characters: although Glee is considered his breakout show, Criss gained a considerable following after he played Harry Potter in A Very Potter Musical, a play (that has a sequel and a “threequel”) he performed in college with the acting troupe Starkid.Criss has other roots in theatre as well: he starred in How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying and Hedwig and the Angry Inch.
In recent years, Criss’s Instagram has been flooded with shots including Mia Swier. Now that the two are wed, we may be seeing more from them. So who is Mia Swier? Here is what we know.
1. The two have been together for over eight years.
Criss is not very forthright with information regarding their romance. However, he posted last year in January that the two had been together for seven and a half years.
Perhaps this is because of his Glee fan following. A significant group believed Criss was in a relationship with Colfer and did not respond kindly when Criss was pictured with Swier.
2. They were also engaged for over a year.
The two were actually engaged for a while prior to their announcement on social media. The announcement came two days after the Assassination of Gianni Versace premiered.
“It was a long time coming," Criss told Esquire in an interview. "We’d waited a while before we announced it. I had a whole thing written, like, ‘Usually I don’t like talking about my private life…’ which I really don’t—I was really allergic to it for a while. Eventually I got over myself and realized that it’s just the best way to let people know.”
Nevertheless, their engagement announcement hit Instagram on Jan. 19, 2018, along with a caption with a nod to Star Trek.
3. Swier works in the media.
According to IMDb, Swier has a long list of behind-the-scenes credentials for multiple networks and programs. She has worked for ABC, NBC and USA Network, along with White Cherry Entertainment. She was also a producer at Showtime Networks for promotional content of shows including Dexter, Weeds, Shameless and The Borgias.
Swier has worked on live television programs as well, including Saturday Night Live, the Tony Awards, and the Super Bowl.
Currently, Swier is a writer/producer at Fox Networks. She did wok on Glee, Scream Queens, Gracepoint, The Mindy Project, New Girl, Raising Hope, and The Following.
4. She’s a founder of a Guns N’ Roses tribute band.
The cover band is an all-female tribute to the famous group. They’re called Guns N’ Hoses. Swier’s persona in this band is Muff McKagan; she is the bassist and a vocalist.
The group is based in Brooklyn and met Slash in 2013 when their show at the Viper Room sold out. Their tagline is “Welcome to the Vajungle.”
One of Swier’s bandmates is Charlene Kaye, who was also at the wedding on Saturday. She met Criss at the University of Michigan and have performed together. One of their songs, "Dress and Tie," is a perfect wedding song.
5. She has also played in a rock band.
Swier also has musical inclinations. She played in Mad Moon Riot, a rock band based in Los Angeles. The band was active from 2013 to 2015. She was also the bassist for an alt-punk hard rock band called Shoot the Freak.
Swier had to leave the band in 2015, due to her work schedule.
6. Her stage name is Mia Von Glitz.
You won’t find Mia Swier on Twitter: her handle is @MiaVonGlitz. The name comes from her father. He used the name Laszlo Von Glitz as a painter.
7. She and her now-husband own a bar in L.A.
It’s not just a bar—the two musicians opened a piano bar in 2018. It’s called Tramp Stamp Granny’s; the interior looks a lot classier than the name suggests. TimeOut Los Angeles called it “such a Hollywood bar it’s a wonder that it hasn’t been here for decades.”
The bar, however, takes inspiration from Marie’s Crisis, a New York City Broadway bar.
Swier comes from a bit of a music venue and bar dynasty. Her family founded the Moroccan Lounge and Teragram Ballroom in L.A., and the Bowery Ballroom and Mercury Lounge in New York.
Alison Cerri is an editorial intern at YourTango. When she's not writing, she can be found on a run or at rugby practice. Follow her on Instagram.