Who is Mia Swier? Darren Criss calls wife “hero” during Tony awards speech

Darren Criss devoted his first Tony Award to his beloved wife, Mia Swier, in his acceptance speech on June 8, hosted at Radio City Music Hall in New York City.

The 38-year-old actor won his first-ever Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical for his performance in Maybe Happy Ending.

Mia Swier, like her husband, has been associated with the entertainment industry for years. She began her journey as a production assistant, according to People Magazine.

Over the years, she transitioned her career into being an associate producer, writer, and director, and has had noteworthy roles.

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Darren Criss thanked Mia Swier in his award acceptance speech

The Tony Award is a special achievement for Criss. He expressed his gratitude and appreciation for "a lot of humans" who got him to this notable position, securing an impeccable milestone.

Among everyone's contributions to his life, he especially highlighted his wife's efforts and her endearing support.

Dedicating his award to Mia Swier from the stage, Darren Criss expressed heartwarmingly,

"The real hero about this for this remarkable journey is my wife, Mia, who took a massive swing on allowing me to do this. To allow this crazy upheaval in our life, to make this logistically possible, and for bearing the brunt of raising two tiny friends under three, so that I could raise a singing robot at the Belasco Theatre eight times a week."

Conveying his acknowledgement and thankfulness for supporting him and their kids, he further noted,

"You're the very pedestal that upholds the shiny spinny bit in our lives, and your love and your support for me and our beautiful children, combined with the miracle of working on something as magical as Maybe Happy Ending, has been and will always be award enough."

While praising his loved ones' impacts on his life, Darren also spoke about Helen J Shen, expressing his pride for her "Broadway debut for the books." He further remarked,

"This is where you belong."

He ended his heartfelt speech, noting,

"Everybody out there, break a leg, and I'm gonna go celebrate with my favorite kind of people to party with: theater people!"

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Everything we know about Darren Criss' wife, Mia Swier

A look at her educational qualifications

Mia Swier spent her formative years at Indian Springs School, Alabama, according to her LinkedIn. From 2003 to 2007, she attended the Steinhardt School of Media Studies and Television Production at New York University to pursue a degree in Bachelor of Applied Science (B.A.Sc), Mass Communication/Media Studies.

During these years, she completed internships at ABC, Saturday Night Live, and USA Network, People Magazine reported.

In 2008, Mia joined the New York Film Academy to earn her degree in Bachelor of Applied Science (B.A.Sc), Filmmaking.

A look at her professional career

Mia Swier commenced her career as a production assistant for White Cherry Entertainment. According to Parade, she worked on live TV events such as the Daytime Emmy Awards, the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, the Super Bowl, and the Tony Awards.

Later, Swier donned the hat of associate producer and worked at Showtime Networks Inc.. She remained a behind-the-scenes member of iconic shows such as Dexter, Homeland, and Shameless.

In May 2012, she joined Fox Broadcasting Company as a writer/producer. She worked here for nearly four years.

After Fox Broadcasting Company, Mia launched her production company, Von Glitz Productions, in October 2012. As per LinkedIn, she is presently a "Freelance Writer/Producer/Director."

She was also a part of the Shoot the Freak band. She was the bassist and vocalist of the group.

A look at her relationship with Darren Criss

Darren Criss met Mia Swier nearly two decades ago, long before they gained substantial recognition or rose to fame. They were introduced through their mutual friends in 2006. However, they began dating only after a few years. It was in July 2010 when they started seeing each other.

In 2013, the Glee actor reflected on her long-time partner during a conversation with KiSS 92.5.

He said:

"We've been together a long time. I didn't know I was going to be on TV when we started dating."

In July 2018, after over a decade of knowing each other and dating for around seven years, Criss popped the question to Swier.

He announced the exciting news on Instagram, with a heartfelt caption dedicated to Mia.

"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. 🚀💍🖖"

The loving couple got married on February 16, 2019. They celebrated their special day in New Orleans with their loved ones.

In an April 2020 conversation with People Magazine, Darren opened up about spending a long time with Mia, sharing,

"We have been the ultimate plus-ones out here for each other for 10 years. My dreams and ambition have always been the driving force in my life. It was the gas in my tank. It almost consumed me. Some people were slighted by that, but Mia never was. I am so grateful for her — every day."

Looking back at his wedding celebrations, he further chimed in,

"It’s been a year since the wedding. That was one of the most incredible events of my entire life. The most magical experience. Say what you will about the construct of marriage and tradition: weddings are amazing."

Criss and Swier are proud parents of two children. They welcomed their first kid, their daughter Bluesy Bell, on April 11, 2022, followed by the birth of their son László Criss on June 3, 2024.