Cory Allan Michael Monteith (11 May 1982 – 13 July 2013) was a Canadian actor and musician, known for his role as Finn Hudson on the Fox television series Glee. Born in Calgary, Canada, and raised in Victoria, Canada, Monteith had a troubled adolescence involving substance abuse from age 13, and he left school at 16. After an intervention by family and friends, he entered drug rehabilitation at age 19, and began rebuilding his life.
As an actor based out of Vancouver, he had minor roles on such television series as Stargate Atlantis and Smallville before an audition tape of him singing "Can't Fight This Feeling" helped to land him the biggest role of his career, Finn on Glee, introducing him to an international audience as a high school quarterback who is at first reluctant to join the high school singing club. In later seasons, the character had graduated but returned as a singing coach. Following his success on Glee, Monteith's film work included the movie Monte Carlo and a starring role inSisters & Brothers. In an interview with Parade magazine in 2011, he discussed his history of substance abuse as a teen, and in April 2013 he again sought treatment for addiction. He was found dead in a Vancouver hotel room in July 2013.
Monteith was in a relationship with his Glee co-star, American actress Lea Michele, until his death. On 31 March 2013, the media announced that Monteith had admitted himself into a treatment facility for substance addiction. His treatment was completed on 26 April 2013. He had previously received substance abuse treatment over a decade earlier, when he was 19.
On 13 July 2013, at the age of 31, Monteith was found dead in his room at the Fairmont Pacific Rim hotel in Vancouver. He had been scheduled to check out earlier that day, but when he failed to do so, hotel staff entered his room and discovered his body. The Vancouver Police Department stated that the cause of death was not immediately apparent, but foul play was ruled out. An autopsy was completed on 15 July 2013.
UPDATE: The B.C. Coroners Service released results of Mr. Monteith’s autopsy Tuesday. It found the 31-year-old’s cause of death was “a mixed drug toxicity, involving heroin and alcohol.”
UPDATE: The B.C. Coroners Service released results of Mr. Monteith’s autopsy Tuesday. It found the 31-year-old’s cause of death was “a mixed drug toxicity, involving heroin and alcohol.”
Canada is so proud and the world will miss him.
