With his camera-ready good looks, smooth vocals and boy-next-door charm, Cory Monteith shot to fame and gained a loyal following as quarterback Finn Hudson on the Fox hitGlee.But four years after the series premiered, Monteith, 31, was found dead on July 13, 2013, at Vancouver’s Fairmont Pacific Rim Hotel, the result of amixture of heroin and alcohol. “We are in shock and mourning the tragic loss,” his rep said in a statement, while costar Dot-Marie Jonesadded on Twitter, “My heart is broken.“Here, we look back at the actor’s rise to fame and tragic death.
With his camera-ready good looks, smooth vocals and boy-next-door charm, Cory Monteith shot to fame and gained a loyal following as quarterback Finn Hudson on the Fox hitGlee.
But four years after the series premiered, Monteith, 31, was found dead on July 13, 2013, at Vancouver’s Fairmont Pacific Rim Hotel, the result of amixture of heroin and alcohol. “We are in shock and mourning the tragic loss,” his rep said in a statement, while costar Dot-Marie Jonesadded on Twitter, “My heart is broken.”
Here, we look back at the actor’s rise to fame and tragic death.
01of 11
A Rough Start
02of 11
Finding His Way
By ninth grade, he had quit school, picking up part-time jobs and playing the drums in a local band until meeting casting director Maureen Webb. “It didn’t even occur to me what actors did,” he later told theTimes Colonist. Three weeks after meeting Webb, he moved to Vancouver “with just a bag of T-shirts and two pairs of pants.”
03of 11Small-Screen SuccessABCMonteith made his onscreen debut in a 2004 episode ofStargate: Atlantis,which jumpstarted a string of guest-star gigs on shows such asSmallville,Kyle XY(pictured) andFear Itself.“I call myself a working-class actor,” he recalled toThe Toronto Star. “You know, you go from one-line gig to the next one-line gig, to a couple of episodes on this show, a couple episodes on that show, to a small part in a movie … I was making a good living, but it really wasn’t a life.”
03of 11
Small-Screen Success
ABC
Monteith made his onscreen debut in a 2004 episode ofStargate: Atlantis,which jumpstarted a string of guest-star gigs on shows such asSmallville,Kyle XY(pictured) andFear Itself.“I call myself a working-class actor,” he recalled toThe Toronto Star. “You know, you go from one-line gig to the next one-line gig, to a couple of episodes on this show, a couple episodes on that show, to a small part in a movie … I was making a good living, but it really wasn’t a life.”
04of 11Head of the ClassFOXMonteith won overGleeproducers with a video of himself playing what he dubbed “the Tupperware drums.” After singing at his final audition, he was selected to play the role of jock-turned-Gleek Finn Hudson. “When they picked me for the part, I thought they were mistaken,“he toldEntertainment Tonight. “I thought I was going to be swiftly recast and fired and deported back to Canada.” After debuting in spring 2009, the soon-to-be Fox musical smashofficially premiered on Sept. 9, ultimately introducing fans to the McKinley High School gang and launching Monteith’s career.
04of 11
Head of the Class
FOX
Monteith won overGleeproducers with a video of himself playing what he dubbed “the Tupperware drums.” After singing at his final audition, he was selected to play the role of jock-turned-Gleek Finn Hudson. “When they picked me for the part, I thought they were mistaken,“he toldEntertainment Tonight. “I thought I was going to be swiftly recast and fired and deported back to Canada.” After debuting in spring 2009, the soon-to-be Fox musical smashofficially premiered on Sept. 9, ultimately introducing fans to the McKinley High School gang and launching Monteith’s career.
05of 11We Are the ChampionsJeff Lipsky/CPI SyndicationAs the show’s music climbed theBillboardcharts, Gleeks noticed more than the actor’s vocal abilities. His boyish smile and easy charm earned him a spot on PEOPLE’s2009 Sexiest Man Alive list, with costars Matthew Morrison (center) and Mark Salling (right). During their Vegas-themed photo shoot,he revealedhis equally sexy non-Hollywood sensibility, describing his perfect Sin City weekend: “Bring a girl, see a show, have a beautiful dinner! Always avoid the Vegas hookup.”
05of 11
We Are the Champions
Jeff Lipsky/CPI Syndication
As the show’s music climbed theBillboardcharts, Gleeks noticed more than the actor’s vocal abilities. His boyish smile and easy charm earned him a spot on PEOPLE’s2009 Sexiest Man Alive list, with costars Matthew Morrison (center) and Mark Salling (right). During their Vegas-themed photo shoot,he revealedhis equally sexy non-Hollywood sensibility, describing his perfect Sin City weekend: “Bring a girl, see a show, have a beautiful dinner! Always avoid the Vegas hookup.”
06of 11Swift & SweetRick Diamond/WireImageBut his heartthrob status was truly solidified when he was linked toTaylor Swiftin 2010. The two were spotted together at a pre-Grammys party in January and, months later, getting friendly at an L.A. bowling alley, where the songstress “kicked my ass,“he cheekily admitted. Still, Monteithdownplayed the relationshipin May, tellingEllen DeGeneres, “We’re just friends. I don’t know where the time is to date these days.”
06of 11
Swift & Sweet
Rick Diamond/WireImage
But his heartthrob status was truly solidified when he was linked toTaylor Swiftin 2010. The two were spotted together at a pre-Grammys party in January and, months later, getting friendly at an L.A. bowling alley, where the songstress “kicked my ass,“he cheekily admitted. Still, Monteithdownplayed the relationshipin May, tellingEllen DeGeneres, “We’re just friends. I don’t know where the time is to date these days.”
07of 11Teenage DreamJon Kopaloff/FilmMagicMonteith picked up a Teen Choice Award in 2011 for his leading role onGlee, which also scored fourEmmy Awards, four Golden Globe Awards and nearly 200 nominations in its commercial success. That year, the show even snagged the covetedpost-Super Bowl time slot.
07of 11
Teenage Dream
Jon Kopaloff/FilmMagic
Monteith picked up a Teen Choice Award in 2011 for his leading role onGlee, which also scored fourEmmy Awards, four Golden Globe Awards and nearly 200 nominations in its commercial success. That year, the show even snagged the covetedpost-Super Bowl time slot.
08of 11Reel LoveEaglePressWith theshow’s third seasonin full swing, Monteith’s off-screen relationship with costarLea Michelewas ultimately confirmed whenthey were spotted kissingat a May 2012 NHL game in New York City. They continued topack on the P.D.A.around the city – and on Twitter, where Michele referred to Monteith as “really hot.”
08of 11
Reel Love
EaglePress
With theshow’s third seasonin full swing, Monteith’s off-screen relationship with costarLea Michelewas ultimately confirmed whenthey were spotted kissingat a May 2012 NHL game in New York City. They continued topack on the P.D.A.around the city – and on Twitter, where Michele referred to Monteith as “really hot.”
09of 11A Return to RehabPacific Coast NewsWhile filmingGlee’s fourth season in March 2013, Monteith, 30 at the time, announced that he voluntarilychecked into rehabfor substance addiction. It was the second trip to rehab for the actor, who admitted in 2011 that his past struggles landed him in rehab at age 19. “I don’t want kids to think it’s okay to drop out of school and get high, and they’ll be famous actors, too,“he toldParade. “But for those people who might give up: Get real about what you want and go after it.”
09of 11
A Return to Rehab
Pacific Coast News
While filmingGlee’s fourth season in March 2013, Monteith, 30 at the time, announced that he voluntarilychecked into rehabfor substance addiction. It was the second trip to rehab for the actor, who admitted in 2011 that his past struggles landed him in rehab at age 19. “I don’t want kids to think it’s okay to drop out of school and get high, and they’ll be famous actors, too,“he toldParade. “But for those people who might give up: Get real about what you want and go after it.”
10of 11
Staying Strong
Michael Buckner/Getty
11of 11His Lasting LegacyCourtesy of Cory MonteithIn the decade since his death, Monteith’s short life has still loomed with friends andcostars. Earlier this year, his formerroommate Justin Neill told PEOPLE, “He wasn’t his character.He was a real person. He was neurotic and generous and a goofball. And he was one of the smartest people I knew.“ShowrunnerRyan Murphy called Monteiththe series' “spirit of joy,” while costar Kevin McHalerecently shared that"what pisses me off is like he was such a good actor and I don’t think we necessarily told him that enough and like, the things we miss out [on] getting to see him do because he’s so good."“I still can’t pick up the pieces,”his mother Ann McGregor told PEOPLEfive years after the actor’s death. “My world totally stopped. And I’m a different person than I was before.”
11of 11
His Lasting Legacy
Courtesy of Cory Monteith
In the decade since his death, Monteith’s short life has still loomed with friends andcostars. Earlier this year, his formerroommate Justin Neill told PEOPLE, “He wasn’t his character.He was a real person. He was neurotic and generous and a goofball. And he was one of the smartest people I knew.”
ShowrunnerRyan Murphy called Monteiththe series' “spirit of joy,” while costar Kevin McHalerecently shared that"what pisses me off is like he was such a good actor and I don’t think we necessarily told him that enough and like, the things we miss out [on] getting to see him do because he’s so good.”
“I still can’t pick up the pieces,”his mother Ann McGregor told PEOPLEfive years after the actor’s death. “My world totally stopped. And I’m a different person than I was before.”
source: people.com
