Cory Monteith, Star of Fox Hit Glee
Actor Cory Monteith, who rose to television stardom as football star-turned glee club crooner Finn Hudson on the hit Fox series Glee, was found dead at the Fairmont Pacific Rim Hotel in Vancouver, Canada, on July 13. He was 31.
In a statement to media outlets, Monteith’s publicist, Melissa Kates, said “We are so saddened to confirm that the reports on the death of Cory Monteith are accurate. We are in shock and mourning this tragic loss.”
Monteith, who sought treatment for addiction earlier this year, had spoken publicly about his struggles with substance abuse. In a 2011 interview with Parade magazine, he said he began using drugs at 13, and over time was “doing anything and everything, as much as possible.” He entered a rehab program at 19 after his mother and friends intervened.
Monteith was part of Glee from its first season, in 2009, and had reportedly been in a relationship for more than a year with costar Lea Michele, who plays Rachel Berry on the Primetime Emmy-winning series.
When he entered addiction treatment this year, Michele told People magazine, “I love and support Cory and will stand by him through this. I am grateful and proud he made this decision.”
The Canadian performer was born May 11, 1982, in Calgary, Alberta, and grew up in Victoria, the capital city of British Columbia, located on Vancouver Island.
Before achieving success as an actor, he held a series of odd jobs to make ends meet, including Wal-Mart greeter, school bus driver, cab driver and “secret shopper” at Vancouver-area convenience stores.
He described the latter in a 2010 story about Glee that appeared in emmy magazine: “I’d drive around in my Honda Civic visiting 7-Elevens,” he said. “I’d pretend I was looking for a certain product, quiz the clerks and, depending on their performance, reward them with cash prizes. It wasn’t a bad way to earn a paycheck.”
Prior to Glee, he had small roles on other shows, including Stargate: Atlantis, Supernatural and Smallville, and a recurring role on Kyle XY. He also appeared in the 2006 feature film Final Destination 3.
In 2010, the cast of Glee won a Screen Actors Guild award for an ensemble in a comedy. The following year, Monteith won a Teen Choice award for top actor in a comedy, for his performance on the show.
In a news conference regarding Monteith's passing, Vancouver Acting Police Chief Doug LePard said, “An autopsy is scheduled for Monday. The coroner will be determining the next steps with respect to establishing cause of death, but all indications are that there was no foul play.”
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