The "Glee" characters have each faced their fair share of trials and tribulations, but no one has made quite the transformation like Max Adler's recurring character, Dave Karofsky. His tough jock went from the bully to the bullied, and "Glee" fans came to accept, if not love, Karofsky as did his greatest victim Kurt Hummel.
The warm feelings toward Karofsky may not last if he returns dating Kurt's beau Blaine Anderson in the final season of "Glee." The backlash against Karofsky has already started, but Adler appreciates the fans' investment in the characters.
"I've already gotten quite a bit of harsh commentary, especially through social media. I can't take it personally because I'm not creating any storylines or writing anything. I'm just the actor playing the part," Adler told Headlines & Global News.
"It's actually exciting I think because I feel like people are invested and they care about these characters and these storylines enough that they feel something, and it makes them emotional whether it's angry or hurt or happy."
Adler played a key role in "Glee's" early seasons as the show addressed hot topics such as bullying, in school and online, teen suicides and the acceptance of LGBT students. The actor credits "Glee" creator Ryan Murphy and the writers for having the courage to tackle those tough subjects on the popular Fox series.
The stars aligned for Adler when he first heard about Murphy's new series about a misfit group of teens that join their high school glee club. The Arizona native also grew up singing for his school's show choir and loved Murphy's FX series "Nip/Tuck."
"When I heard that Ryan Murphy was doing a show about choir, I thought 'Oh my gosh. This is insane,'" Adler said. "Then to be on it, just to land a role on it was beyond anything I could have ever hoped."
The character of Karofsky has shown the journey of how life can get better, even in "those dark days, those dark times where you don't see a future and you just can't see beyond what's happening to you in the moment," Adler said.
Adler appeared briefly in a dream sequence last season, but his last real moment on the show came in season three after his suicide attempt. Kurt came to visit him, and the two parted as friends.
"Glee" will make a time jump when it returns at midseason, and Adler looks forward to presenting Karofsky's life after hitting rock bottom.
"I'm really thankful that [Murphy] has chosen to show how [Karofsky] has a future beyond where we left him crying in a hospital bed and now you can see the other side of that and see what he's doing and see he's having a life and having adventures," Adler said. "I think it's an important thing to show so I'm really excited to get to still bring that to life."
Adler chose to play another antagonistic high school football player in the new movie "23 Blast" because it also had a message of acceptance and overcoming life's obstacles similar to "Glee." The movie, based on a true story, pits Adler's character Cameron Marshall against protagonist Travis Freeman, a football player who goes blind but wants to continue his season on the field.
"The real reason I wanted to do it was because about three-quarters of the way into the movie there's a significant event that takes place that changes my character's whole mindset and perspective on the world and he kind of comes around," Adler said. "It's one of those 'Remember the Titans' kind of moments: two rivals, the protagonist and antagonist get on the same side."
"23 Blast" is the directorial debut for actor Dylan Baker, who also plays father to Freeman, played by "Days of Our Lives" star Mark Hapka. Adler also co-starred with veteran actor Stephen Lang, who plays the team's coach.
"You get stories for days," Adler said about working with Lang. The film is now in theaters.
In his other new movie, "Saugatuck Cures," Adler plays a character that could represent the future Karofsky. His character Drew Callaghan has come out and accepted his sexuality, but goes on a road trip with his buddy where they pose as two ex-gay ministers.
They scam churchgoers by saying they were successfully converted from homosexuality to heterosexuality, all in order to raise money for Callaghan's mother's experimental cancer treatment.
"It deals with the topics of religion and sexuality and the church's perspective on sexuality, but it's all done through the comedic lens," Adler said. "It's kind of like 'Sideways.' We get into all these hi-jinks and you're able to deal with these issues but through these two, really good friends and share this journey with them."
"Saugatuck Cures" also reunited Adler with his "Love and Honor" director Danny Mooney, who plays his best friend in the movie, and his high school buddy Matthew Ladensack, who made his directorial debut on the film.
"[Ladensack] offered me the role and it was a blast to work with two friends on a brilliant script," Adler said. The movie does not have an official premiere date yet.
Both films took Adler to the Midwest, in small towns a few hours away from the nearest metropolis. He shot "23 Blast" in Corbin, Kent., and "Saugatuck Cures" in Saugatuck, Mich.
The latter is "a very small, beautiful lake town with a very small population and the whole town was very excited about the filming. They really embraced us and opened their doors," Adler said. "We shot all around Michigan and we basically had to fly into O'Hare (International Airport in Chicago) and then drive three hours through Indiana into Michigan. It was the closest airport."
In between acting gigs, Adler has worked extensively with The Trevor Project and the It Gets Better campaign. He also works closely with the Muscular Dystrophy Association, specifically the Facioscapulohumeral (FSH) Society, to help find a cure for the hereditary disorder in which muscles grow weaker.
Both his mother and grandmother suffered from FSH, which causes muscle weakness in the face, shoulders and upper arms, before their deaths. Adler has visited the Muscular Dystrophy Association's research headquarters in Tuscon, Ariz., where he learned about the different genes in a person's DNA that can cause the disease.
"Five years ago, there were questions about where it comes from, what causes it. Now scientists know exactly what causes it, and what chromosome it is and where it is in the body," Adler said. "Now they can begin to work on how to treat it. There's a lot of progress happening and it's exciting to be on the verge of that."
The final season of "Glee" will return early next year for 13 episodes on Fox. Adler is set to appear in at least four of those episodes.
